Bruce Riedel

The crocodile tears of the crown prince and other Saudi officials are probably for deception and prevarication. The disappearance of Jamal [Khashoggi] fits with a pattern of crude intimidation and the silencing of criticism and dissent.

If you criticize Saudi Arabia, there will be a price to pay... Every American president since FDR has put oil and strategic affairs before human rights when dealing with Saudi kings in fear of a disruption in the bilateral relationship. But Trump has taken this abrogation of accountability to a new level of negligence.