The Atlantic Council, the US think tank that advises Facebook on which news is fake, has some friendly hints for Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman on how to make everyone forget all about the brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi.

An article by Atlantic Council CEO Frederick Kempe advises MBS how he can divert the bad publicity caused by Khashoggi's hideous murder – “refocus Western thinking,” as Kempe puts it – to avoid weakening his alliance with the US. That alliance is desperately needed, of course, to face the “growing role of China and Russia,” as well as Iran.

The murder was “brutal, foolish and irresponsible,” Kempe allows, and American and European outrage "understandable," but it's a dangerous time for America and its allies, so pesky values like human life and press freedom can be put on a backburner and make way for strategic interests.

One way that MBS can get back in the good graces of the Western public, Kempe believes, is by “redoubling his efforts to reform Saudi society.”

Twitter is not buying it. Out of over 300 comments under Atlantic Council's tweet of Kempe's article, hardly a one is supportive.

The guy who dismembers unfriendly journalists is a REFORMER!!! The Atlantic Council is the official organization that advises Facebook on what is Fake News & who should be censored, so it must be true! The guy who DISMEMBERS journalists is a REFORMER!!! #WeLiveInOrwellHellhttps://t.co/howgaDEAPT — Jimmy Dore (@jimmy_dore) November 27, 2018

You have no shame. — Edip Yüksel (@edipyuksel) November 26, 2018

On the other hand, what else is to be expected from a (supposedly independent) think tank funded by Gulf monarchies and US defense contractors who sell Riyadh hundreds of billions worth of weapons?

DC thinktank that's been funded by Saudi Arabia offers advice to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia on how to "refocus Western thinking" after murdering a West-based journalist.Nothing to see here. Move along, move along... https://t.co/OKB0x1w71A — Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) November 26, 2018

Saudi Arabia literally funds your think tank, but ok https://t.co/3Q4O3ctSTk — Abby Martin (@AbbyMartin) November 26, 2018

Some commenters point out the questionable “MBS the reformer” line of defense. The much-lauded changes in Saudi society, after all, mostly consist of introducing some of the most basic freedoms, like allowing women to drive – and even those, some argue, are just a show for Western allies.

Reform Saudi society by letting them go watch Black Panther in cinemas *gasp* and letting women drive only after he's beheaded every last women's rights activist that has been calling for it as well.Ok. — andrewwwww 🌹 (@AndrewVe77) November 26, 2018

Lol still trying the reformer angle, are we — Semper Fudge (@esquilaxin) November 26, 2018

Others just descended into bitter irony.

How many bone-saws will this reformation take? — AmadS (@amadshk) November 27, 2018

‘He could refocus Western thinking over time by redoubling his efforts to reform Saudi society.’ Meaning: ‘He just cut a critic into little pieces, but let’s hope he might not do it again?’ Meanwhile a Yemeni child dies of avoidable starvation every few minutes. @tonykevin — tony kevin (@tonykevin) November 26, 2018

And as perhaps the definitive illustration of the hypocrisy, here's the same headline, but with Atlantic Council's top bogeyman substituted for MBS.

Though Putin can’t undo the Litvinenko crime, he could refocus Western thinking over time by redoubling his efforts to reform Russian society. — Anders Backman (@ab650616) November 27, 2018

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