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Despite the insistence of President Donald Trump, the CIA has determined that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was "directly involved" in the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, said Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed, senior Democratic leader of the Senate. .
Trump denied an article in The Washington Post that the CIA reportedly found that Mohammed had ordered Khashoggi's assassination, saying that intelligence officials "just had feelings" about certain things. "Istanbul last month, has not been made public.
Asked Friday at CNN if the president was lying, Reed replied "Yes".
He added: "The CIA has concluded that the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia was directly involved in Khashoggi's assassination. As reported to the press, they did so with great confidence, which represents the highest level of precision for which they will vouch. It's based on facts. It's based on analysis. The idea that they did not reach a conclusion is simply unfounded. The CIA has said it clearly.
Trump firmly stated that he would not take any action to penalize the prince, the other members of the royal family or the nation in an extraordinary statement on Tuesday, claiming that the CIA had not reached a conclusion in the # 39; s assassination.
"In any case, we have relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They have been a great ally in our very important fight against Iran, "wrote the president.
He also said in his statement that Khashoggi, a stern critic of the royal family who lived in the United States and wrote for the Washington Post, had been labeled an "enemy of the state" by officials Saudis. As to whether the prince was aware of his assassination, Trump wrote: "Maybe he did it and maybe not!"
When asked why he thought Trump was supporting the Saudis, Reed replied, "I think he has an agreement with the Saudis regarding the region, where they will act on behalf of their own interests, but he hopes that the United States Trump has focused on an "overly exaggerated" financial advantage to stay on good terms with the Saudis, Reed added.
In addition, the president "has probably had business relations" and "could even think about the future of trade relations with the Saudis," Reed said. "So he put himself in a compromised position."
The president reaffirmed Thursday his support for Mohammed at a press meeting in Mar-a-Lago, Trump's country club in Florida. At one point, when a reporter asked about the CIA's finding, Trump replied, "They have not concluded. They did not conclude. I'm sorry … no one has concluded. "
He said on Thursday about the murder: "I hate crime … I'll tell you this: the Crown Prince hates him more than me and vehemently denied any role in the murder.
When asked who should be held responsible for the murder, Trump replied, "Maybe the world should be held responsible because the world is a very, very vicious place."
Representative Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Who is expected to take over the presidency of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee in January, promised to examine what the CIA has seen about Khashoggi's murder. In this way, the committee can determine if Trump "makes representations to the public that go against what we know," Schiff told the Washington Post. The panel will also review any private trade links between Trump and the Saudis that may have influenced his decision, Schiff said.
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