Journalist’s killing rogue op: Saudi

‘COVER UP’ One Saudi official claims agents may have threatened to kidnap Khashoggi but killed him when he resisted

WASHINGTON/LONDON : Saudi Arabia has blamed the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi on a “rogue operation”, giving a new account of the act that sparked a global outcry.

“This was an operation that was a rogue operation. This was an operation where individuals ended up exceeding the authorities and responsibilities they had,” foreign minister Adel al-jubeir said on the US broadcaster Fox.

“They made the mistake when they killed Jamal Khashoggi in the consulate and they tried to cover up for it,” he said.

The comments from al-jubeir were some of the most direct yet from Riyadh, which has given multiple and conflicting accounts about Khashoggi’s killing on October 2, first denying his death and later admitting it amid an international outcry.

US Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin said Saudi Arabia’s admission that the Washington Post columnist was killed in a fist fight was a “good first step but not enough,” though he added it was premature to discuss sanctions against Riyadh.

Three European powers — Germany, Britain and France — pressed Riyadh to provide facts, and Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany would not export arms to Saudi Arabia while uncertainty over Khashoggi’s fate persisted.

Late on Sunday, the Saudi Press Agency said both Saudi King Salman and Prince Mohammed had called Khashoggi’s son, Salah, to express their condolences. Jubeir had extended condolences to Khashoggi’s family earlier on Sunday. “Unfortunately, a huge and grave mistake was made and I

assure them that those responsible will be held accountable for this,” he told Fox.

Jubeir said the Saudis did not know how Khashoggi, a Saudi national and US resident, had been killed or where his body was, adding that Prince Mohammed was not responsible.

Khashoggi vanished after entering the consulate to obtain documents for his upcoming marriage.

After two weeks denying any involvement in the 59-year-old’s disappearance, Saudi Arabia on Saturday said Khashoggi, a critic of the crown prince, died during a fight in the building. An hour later, another Saudi official attributed the death to a chokehold. “Nothing can justify this