Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman gets applause at conference

Money has always talked. Whoever was responsible for ordering the execution of Jamal Khashoggi, whether it was the Crown Prince or an underling or someone high up in the Saudi intelligence service, business still has to go on. So when Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman entered the conference centre for what is being called the Saudi "Davos", the assembled businessmen and politicians from around the world applauded him. Every attempt is being made by the Saudi government, the US government and anyone interested in seeking trade deals with Saudi Arabia to distance the Crown Prince's name from the killing of Khashoggi three weeks ago. But in an extraordinary allegation last week, Sir John Sawers, the former MI6 chief, said he was convinced that it was the Crown Prince who authorised the deadly mission against Khashoggi. If he believes that, and obviously the US intelligence community believes it too, how is it going to be possible for Western governments to continue working with Saudi Arabia's heir apparent as if nothing had happened? Even Trump has now said that the Saudis are guilty of the worst cover-up in the history of cover-ups. It's time the Saudi government took full responsibility for what President Erdogan of Turkey described as the planned and savage murder of Jamal Khashoggi.