The Saudis aren't stupid; they knew this would become an international news story, and they also knew the long-term impacts to them would be minimal. Killing a

The Saudis aren't stupid; they knew this would become an international news story, and they also knew the long-term impacts to them would be minimal. Killing a dissident this publicly is primarily a deterrent to future dissidents; if they can dismember a well-known critic this publicly with no recourse, lesser-known critics get the message.