It has been six weeks since Saudi agents dismembered Jamal Khashoggi on consular soil. Barely anyone believes that Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s strongman, was unconnected to the murder. The exception is John Bolton, the man running US national security, who says there is nothing to implicate MbS. If Mr Bolton is true to form, the jury will stay out indefinitely. Saudi Arabia is the linchpin of US president Donald Trump’s Middle East strategy. The last thing the White House wants is to distract from its plans for Iran.
That means humouring MbS. The US said last week that it would no longer refuel Saudi fighter jets on bombing sorties to Yemen. It was the least the White House could do in the face of growing bipartisan pressure to ban arms sales to Saudi Arabia. The US arms transfers will go on, including precision-guided missiles. So too will the training of Saudi troops, intelligence sharing on targets and diplomatic cover for the disastrous war.
Up to 14m Yemenis are at risk of famine. But their wellbeing must be weighed against MbS’s pride, who wants victory at any cost. Even last week’s step was less than it seemed. Only a fifth of Saudi bombing missions require US refuelling. The Saudis said US help was no longer required. Tellingly, the move was first announced in Riyadh. It will clearly take more than the dismemberment of a Washington Post columnist to jolt Mr Trump.