Local Editor
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has reportedly concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman personally ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey last month.
That’s according to The Washington Post, which cited anonymous sources, claiming that the agency assessed with “high confidence” that the prince was behind the grizzly murder.
Khashoggi, a Bin Salman critic and a Washington Post columnist, went missing after he visited the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2. Riyadh offered changing explanations for Khashoggi’s disappearance before finally admitting he was murdered.
“The accepted position is that there is no way this happened without him [Bin Salman] being aware or involved,” the Post quotes an anonymous US official, described as being familiar with the CIA’s conclusions.
Among the evidence examined by the CIA was an alleged phone call between Khashoggi and the Saudi ambassador to Washington, Khalid bin Salman, who also happens to be the crown prince’s brother.
According to the Post, Khalid assured the journalist it was safe to go to the consulate in Istanbul.
But Ambassador Bin Salman denies that any such conversations ever took place.
“I never talked to him by phone and certainly never suggested he go to Turkey for any reason. I ask the US government to release any information regarding this claim,” Khalid said on Twitter.
“This is a serious accusation and should not be left to anonymous sources,” he added.
On Thursday, Washington sanctioned 17 Saudi nationals over the Khashoggi killing as US senators seek to block arms sales to Riyadh.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by Website Team
