CIA intelligence report links Prince Mohammed bin Salman to murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi

A US intelligence report due to be declassified on Friday reveals that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the assassination of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, according to a source consulted by Bloomberg.

The report is based on an investigation by the CIA and other intelligence agencies after Khashoggi’s assassination in October 2018 inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, according to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity. because the report has not yet been released. It’s unclear how many details the declassified version of the prince’s role in the murder will provide.

The decision to release the report, compiled by the office of the director of national intelligence, reflects the determination of the Biden administration to recalibrate relations with Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter., amid tensions over its record of human rights violations.

Ahead of the report’s publication, Joe Biden spoke with King Salman of Saudi Arabia on Thursday about the journalist’s murder. The US president also spoke about regional security and the renewed US and United Nations effort to end the war in Yemen. And he also “reaffirmed the importance the United States attaches to universal human rights and the rule of law,” the White House said in a statement.

Prince Mohammed has denied any involvement in the assassination, while saying he accepts his symbolic responsibility as the country’s de facto ruler.. Saudi officials said the murder was committed by rogue officers who have since been prosecuted.

State Department spokesman Ned Price declined to comment when asked about the report, but suggested the United States is looking for other ways to hold those responsible for the murder accountable. . Options may include reducing arms sales to Saudi Arabia and imposing sanctions.

“I hope that we will soon be in a position to discuss the steps to be taken to find those responsible for this horrible crime.Price told reporters in Washington. “Transparency, as it usually is, is an element of accountability. However, I wouldn’t expect the accountability to end there.”

The decision to release the report, which was denied by the Trump administration, reflects the difference between the Biden administration and Saudi Arabia and human rights.

Former President Donald Trump has dismissed concerns about the crown prince’s approval of the assassination. “Maybe yes, maybe not,” he said, adding the economic benefits of selling arms to the Saudis. His Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo, said the United States “had no direct evidence” linking the prince to the murder and that Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner maintained a close working relationship with him.

The US intelligence report is not the only discovery involving the Saudi monarchy. UN investigator Agnes Callamard said Khashoggi had been the victim of a “state assassination” and said there was no doubt the highest levels of the Saudi government had been ordered..

The figure of the powerful crown prince and the alliance between Washington and Riyadh has been strongly questioned in the United States following the assassination of Khashoggi.

The journalist was killed by Saudi agents in Riyadh, some close to the crown prince, Mohamed ben Salmán, which caused great rejection also at the international level.

In Saudi Arabia, eight people were convicted of death and five of them were sentenced to death. These sentences were later commuted to 20 years in prison.

The Crown Prince was Saudi Arabia’s main contact with Washington under Donald Trump’s administration (2017-2021), but the White House said Biden is seeking to “recalibrate” that relationship since he considers his counterpart to be the king.

With information from Bloomberg and EFE

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