Saudi authorities have spent almost two months obfuscating what happened to slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi; all the while, the White House has played along, seeking to tamp down the outrage over Khashoggi’s murder at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul and shield Mohammad bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince linked to Khashoggi’s death, The Washington Post said.
In an article, the US newspaper recalled reports about CIA assessment which confirms bin Salman’s involvement in Khashoggi’s murde.
“The CIA’s assessment, in which officials have said they have high confidence, is the most definitive to date linking Mohammad to the operation and complicates the Trump administration’s efforts to preserve its relationship with a close ally.”
“A team of 15 Saudi agents flew to Istanbul on government aircraft in October and killed Khashoggi inside the Saudi Consulate, where he had gone to pick up documents that he needed for his planned marriage to a Turkish woman.”
The article quoted a Trump adviser as saying that “This is a situation where everyone basically knows what happened,” adding that this indicates Trump privately seemed to also believe that the crown prince was behind the murder.
“For more than a month, Trump has struggled to balance his interest in maintaining strong relations with the Saudi government with growing pressure in Congress and around the world to punish the Saudi regime,” according to the article.
“Trump has told aides that he wants Mohammed to stay in power and that he sees the Saudis as the best strategic check on Iran and as a vital source of oil. Mohammad has a close relationship with Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, who helps to lead the administration’s Middle East strategy.”
Source: The Washington Post
