Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has approved an operation to capture or kill journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, according to an intelligence report released by the Biden government on Friday that could have major consequences for relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia.
The office of the director of national intelligence mentioned the crown prince’s control over the decision – making in Saudi Arabia, as well as the involvement of a key adviser and members of his protective details in the operation that killed Khashoggi.
“Since 2017, the Crown Prince has absolute control over the security and intelligence organizations of the Kingdom, making it highly unlikely that Saudi officials would have carried out an operation of this nature without the Crown Prince’s authorization,” the report said.
The intelligence appraisal also noted that “the Crown Prince’s support for the use of violent measures to silence dissidents abroad, including Khashoggi.”
The CIA-led assessment, which has been classified so far, comes as President Joe Biden aims to reform US relations with Saudi Arabia after years in which the Trump administration ignored the kingdom’s human rights abuses despite condemnation. in Congress and the United Nations.
Khashoggi, a 59-year-old American resident and Washington Post contributor who criticized the Saudi royal family, entered a Saudi consulate in Turkey on October 2, 2018 and never left there. He was killed by a group of assassins who then broke his body. His remains were never recovered.
In a diplomatic reprimand to the Crown Prince, the White House made it clear this week that Biden would not consider the 35-year-old bin Salman as his counterpart and would instead pursue relationships through his aging father, King Salman. The younger bin Salman has been the public face of the kingdom since he became crown prince in 2017.
Robert Mahoney, Deputy Director of the Committee for the Protection of Journalists, speaks at a news conference to call on the UN to remove Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi from the United Nations in New York, USA, October 18, 2018 .
Shannon Stapleton | Reuters
“Regarding Saudi Arabia, I would say that we have made it clear from the beginning that we are going to recalibrate our relationship with Saudi Arabia,” Psaki said in the White House on Tuesday.
On Thursday, Biden confirmed in his first call with the 85-year-old king “the importance that the United States attaches to universal human rights and the rule of law”, according to a White House reading.
Biden also told Salman that he would “work to make the bilateral relationship as strong and transparent as possible,” the White House said.
Khashoggi’s name was not mentioned in the passage.
Saudi authorities initially denied any knowledge of Khashoggi’s death and later claimed the journalist had fought inside the consulate and died in the collision. Saudi authorities have finally admitted Khashoggi was killed in a ‘rogue operation’, while denying that bin Salman was implicated.
A United Nations investigator concluded in a June 2019 report that Khashoggi ‘was the victim of a deliberate, premeditated trial, an extrajudicial killing for which the state of Saudi Arabia is responsible under international human rights. ‘
Trump has tried to publicly question the Crown Prince’s involvement in Khashoggi’s death, even after several outlets reported that the CIA had concluded that bin Salman himself had ordered the journalist’s murder. Trump said the CIA had “nothing definitive”, claiming that the oil-rich kingdom would remain a “steadfast partner” for the US
“It is quite possible that the Crown Prince is aware of this tragic event – maybe he did and maybe not!” Trump said less than two months after Khashoggi’s death. Trump’s conciliatory stance contrasted strongly with anger from members of Congress and the media over the assassination of Khashoggi.
The Trump administration has maintained ties with the crown prince, who has maintained close personal ties with members of the Trump family, most notably former President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Trump made Saudi Arabia his first stop in the Middle East when he made his debut visit to the region in 2017. The kingdom rolled out the red carpet for the former reality star.
The Trump administration has used its ties with the Gulf monarchies to normalize relations between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
The former president also vetoed an attempt by Congress to sell millions of dollars in arms sales to Saudi Arabia, as well as the United Arab Emirates, and an attempt to end US involvement in the war in Yemen.
Biden’s review of relations with Saudi Arabia is part of a broader US move in the Middle East.
The president ended US support for the war in Saudi Arabia in Yemen as he sought to return to the negotiating table with Iran, Riyadh’s enemy, over its nuclear program.
The US president last week called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his first conversation with a leader in the Middle East since taking office. The Saudis and Israelis are de facto allies, although they have no formal diplomatic ties, in their efforts to counter Iranian influence in the region.
Biden on Thursday “discussed regional security” in his call with King Salman, noting his government’s efforts to end the war in Yemen ‘and the US commitment to help Saudi Arabia defend its territory as the attacks by the Iranian groups’, House Reading said.
According to the White House, Biden and Salman also ‘confirmed the historical nature of the relationship and agreed to work together on mutual issues.
This is news. Please come and check for updates.