Watergate wasn't exactly a professional job. Or the Saudi murder of Jamal Khashoggi.

Government dirty tricks rarely involve their A team, because when doing something illegal loyalty is even more important than competence.

The ones with self respect decline.

Cf. "Who will rid me of this troublesome priest?"

Those with self-respect don't last long in murderous Middle Eastern dictatorships. Why would they even want someone like that around?

Of course, one doesn't detect a great deal of self-respect in the upper echelons of power in more "democratic" nations, either.

Yea, just look at how well thought out the Khashoggi murder was.

Well Kashoggi is dead and MBS got away with it. Moreover, MBS's enemies know know what he's willing to do, and what he can get away with, and may be frightened into compliance. From MBS's perspective this sounds like a success.

Has "thus far gotten away with it".

Predictions are difficult, particularly about the future

It's a cruder version of poisoning your turncoats with Pu. While hard to prove, it has an unmistakable signature that says, "anyone lese want to try"?

His ability to get away with murder does not at all seem connected to his ability to execute said murder.

The theater was all for nothing, as real world consequences show they could have murdered the jouralist in cold blood and broad daylight.

otoh , bezos himself is wondering how they got into his phone.