The brutal October murder of sometime journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul has sparked an international outcry and a major foreign-policy crisis for the Trump administration. But the controversy begs a larger question: Does Saudi Arabia still matter to the U.S.? The surprising answer is: not much. Coming to terms with that reality is the best way to deal with today’s tensions in the relationship. It is a first step toward a very different U.S. approach to the kingdom—one based not on the strategic needs of the past but on a clear-eyed assessment of current and future American interests.

Source: Wall Street Journal November 30, 2018 16:18 UTC