Saudi Arabia's golf coup highlights Biden's human rights bind

RIYADH/WASHINGTON : When Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) signed a deal this week to merge with North America's top body in charge of professional golf, it signaled for some the completion of a U.S.-aided rehabilitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, five years after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi that U.S. spy agencies believe he authorized.

The deal - a three-way merger of U.S.-based PGA Tour, DP World Tour and the rival PIF-backed LIV circuit - was announced just as Washington's top diplomat Antony Blinken landed in the kingdom.

President Joe Biden had vowed to make the de facto Saudi ruler, known as MbS, "a pariah" after Khashoggi's killing, which the crown prince has denied ordering, but nearly a year ago shared a fist bump with the 37-year-old during a visit to Jeddah. Riyadh is a major recipient of U.S. military sales.

U.S. officials have largely refrained from commenting on the golf deal, but say Washington and Riyadh have a complex relationship that touches on issues ranging from regional security and energy to human rights.

Concluding his visit on Thursday, Secretary of State Blinken told reporters he raised human rights issues with Saudi officials and "made clear that progress on human rights strengthens our relationship."

"Human rights are always on the agenda of the United States - that’s who we are," he said during a news conference.

But some rights advocates argue the golf deal shows the administration has chosen geopolitics over human rights.

"To me, the biggest takeaway is the PGA would have never done this if Biden hadn't have gone to Jeddah and rehabilitated MbS," said Seth Binder, director of advocacy at the Project on Middle East Democracy.

"Biden made it OK for the whole world,