Saudi Crown Prince Ordered The Killing | CIA Assessment Jamal Khashoggi Murder

Saudi Crown Prince Ordered The Killing | CIA Assessment Jamal Khashoggi Murder

The CIA investigations have brought them to understand that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul. This is as reported by sources familiar with the matter. The US Saudi relations are sure to get complicated with this outcome. President Donald Trump’s hard work to preserve relationship with a important U.S. ally are presumably heading into shaky territory.

CIA had briefed parts of the United States government, including Congress, on its assessment as informed by official sources. This CIA assessment of facts based on evidence provided mainly by Turkish sources contradicts Saudi government assertions that Prince Mohammed was not involved.

The CIA’s finding, first conveyed by the Washington Post, is the most conclusive U.S. assessment to date binding Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler unswervingly to the killing.

The State Department declined to comment, the White House has decided to remain silent for now.

A spokeswoman for the Saudi Embassy claimed that CIA’s findings were false and baseless and just made up one more amongst the many theories giving rise to more speculation.

Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi government and a journalist for the Washington Post, was murdered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2nd when he went there to collect documents he required for his planned wedding to a Turkish woman.

Khashoggi had fought pressure from Riyadh for him to go back home. Saudi officials have said a team of fifteen Saudi nationals were sent to meet Khashoggi at the consulate and that he was inadvertently killed in a stranglehold by men who were trying to persuade him to return to the kingdom.

In contrast to the Saudi admission, the Turkish officials believe that the killing was intentional and have been compelling Saudi Arabia to extradite those responsible to stand trial. A consultant to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday had bluntly expressed his view that Saudi Arabia is trying to cover up the murder.

In the meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor said on Thursday that he was looking for the death penalty for 5 of the accused in the killing. The prosecuting attorney, Shalaan al-Shalaan, told journalists the crown prince was not in the know of the operation, in which Khashoggi’s body was mutilated and removed from the consulate.

The Post, quoting people familiar with the matter, said the CIA’s stand was based in part on a telephone call between Khashoggi and the crown prince’s brother, Prince Khaled bin Salman (Saudi ambassador to the United States).

Saudi Crown Prince Ordered The Killing

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Sources: skynews, reuters