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US INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS have concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a US official said. The Saudi government has denied the claim.
The conclusion will bolster efforts in Congress to further punish the close US ally for the killing.
The Trump administration this week sanctioned 17 Saudi officials for their alleged role in the killing, but lawmakers have called on the administration to curtail arms sales to Saudi Arabia or take other harsher punitive measures.
The US official familiar with the intelligence agencies’ conclusion was unauthorized to speak publicly about it and spoke Friday on condition of anonymity. The intel conclusion was first reported by The Washington Post.
Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat has said the crown prince had “absolutely” nothing to do with the killing.
Khashoggi, a Saudi who lived in the United States, was a columnist for the Washington Post and often criticized the royal family.
He was killed 2 October at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
Turkish and Saudi authorities say he was killed inside the consulate by a team from the kingdom after he went there to get marriage documents.
Earlier this week, the top prosecutor in Saudi Arabia announced he will seek the death penalty against five men suspected in the killing. The prosecutor’s announcement sought to quiet the global outcry over Khashoggi’s death and distance the killers and their operation from the kingdom’s leadership, primarily the crown prince.
President Donald Trump has called the killing a botched operation that was carried out very poorly and has said “the cover-up was one of the worst cover-ups in the history of cover-ups.”
But he has resisted calls to cut off arms sales to the kingdom and has been reluctant to antagonise the Saudi rulers. Trump considers the Saudis vital allies in his Mideast agenda.
The Post, citing unnamed sources, also reported that US intelligence agencies reviewed a phone call that the prince’s brother, Khalid bin Salman, had with Khashoggi.
The newspaper said the prince’s brother, who is the current Saudi ambassador to the United States, told Khashoggi he would be safe in going to the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul to retrieve the documents he needed to get married.
The newspaper said it was not known whether the ambassador knew Khashoggi would be killed. But it said he made the call at the direction the crown prince, and the call was intercepted by US intelligence.
Fatimah Baeshen, a spokesperson for the Saudi embassy in Washington, said that claim was false.
She said in a statement issued to The Associated Press that the ambassador met Khashoggi in person once in late September 2017.
After that, they communicated via text messages, she said. The last text message the ambassador sent to Khashoggi was on 26 October, 2017, she said.
Baeshen said the ambassador did not discuss with Khashoggi “anything related to going to Turkey.”
“Ambassador Prince Khalid bin Salman has never had any phone conversations with him,” she said.
23 years of age. Hope it works out for him. Met a 15 year old on the streets of Dublin last Sunday evening. I sat and chatted. He seemed to enjoy the company. On the street through no fault of his own either, lovely kid and clearly a fighter
Nobody should be on the streets, but at 15 God help him to be in such a vulnerable position. Fair play for not just walking past.
I’m unemployed and can work hard. Currently undergoing the day/week/year from hell … Any chances?
FairPlay very fond of,
Why all the red , no harm in trying anyway possible.
Thank you Patrick – guess all the red thumbers don’t have any vacancies/opportunities
Might not suit but I worked in a call centre before and they’re always hiring especially in sales positions because people get sick of it quick. Target based and can be stressful but Base salary and commission usually.. I worked in a Cork office but I know there’s plenty around the country.. They’ll hire based on motivation and interview alone and where I worked at least no qualification needed. I didn’t mind the work at all but not for everyone!
Ignore all the red thumbs Very Fond Of. They’re just internet trolls wishing nothing better to do. Hope you find something soon. I was made redundant after 12 years and found it hard to find work but after 10 months I finally got something. Wasn’t my ideal job and barely paid me for travelling to and from but after 6 months I applied to another job I really wanted and wishing 2 days had a response for an interview and landed that job. Been in it now almost 10 months and still love it. What I’m saying is take what you can then look if not happy because it’s much easier to get a job when already in one.
The “hell” that I mention above is only partly due to job/money issues. Other traumas this year also. Anyways – thanks for the contributions A B and Andrew .
@very fond of. what skills do you have? it would be useful to know what industry suits.
You should check to see if he is one of those missing kids and contact right people. Goodfor that young man in uUK hope all goes right for him now.
P.s good on that young lad for tweeting it. :)
Hunger is a great source, in the sense he got on with what he had to do with the tools he had available and it worked. I would employ someone with that much enthusiasm and commitment. Hope it works out for you and your new employer.
I heard our government piss on about all the plans they have in place to tackle the crisis on this issue. Once again all looks good on paper.
Gavin Redmond you are right all plans and no jobs.there are plenty of jobs if you are mad enough to accept twenty euros on top of your social welfare.then you have to consider bus fares meals irregular hours.They allow you to work twenty hours a week..but employers are jumping on the wagon and your twenty hours are worked out over five days.This means you are cut off the social welfare.In other words you are working for npothing what ever happened to enda kennys five point plan .AS YOU SAY ALL PAPER AND NO DEACENT JOBS
Homeless kids being sent to school, homeless teenagers sent to college, homeless women finding husbands, homeless men getting jobs, cash offers from all over.
Think I’ll give up my grotty bedsit and head out on the streets.
Better prospects all round.
No milk for the coffee, then. doesn’t it just suck?
Coffee is coffee.
And tobacco is tobacco.
You’re some tool Jack
My grandad was right, hunger is the best sauce!
you know that’s not actually about motivation right?
have your say