Why Did Saudi Arabia Purchase Newcastle United -- Is "Sportswashing" the Next Frontier of Public Diplomacy?

Global Dispatches -- World News That Matters

In early October, a group lead by the investment arm of the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia purchased Newcastle United, the English Premier League soccer team.

The purchase caused a great deal of speculation that it was motivated by a desire to burnish the image of the Saudi ruler. What is not speculation is that overnight Newcastle United became the richest soccer team in the world.

On the line with me to explain the significance of Saudi Arabia's purchase of Newscastle United is Alex Ward, national security reporter at Politico and anchor of the National Security Daily newsletter.