Saudi prince ‘directed murder’

GOP senators more convinced of MBS link in writer’s death after briefing

WASHINGTON: Two key US Republican senators said a briefing by the CIA’s director only strengthened their conviction that Saudi Arabia’s crown prince directed the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The explosive new declarations by members of President Donald Trump’s own party run counter to the White House narrative downplaying possible links between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the October killing of journalist and palace critic Khashoggi at the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate.

If MBS were in front of a jury, he’d be convicted in less than 30 minutes. Bob Corker

“I have zero question in my mind that the crown prince directed the murder and was kept appraised of the situation all the way through it,” Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker told reporters after CIA director Gina Haspel briefed a small group of senators.

“If MBS were in front of a jury, he’d be convicted in less than 30 minutes,” Corker said, using the prince’s initials.

Fellow Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally who has joined a growing collection of lawmakers urging the president to take a far tougher stance against Riyadh, also attended the hour-long closed-door briefing, and minced no words afterwards.

The crown prince is “crazy” and “a wrecking ball” who is “complicit in the murder of Mr Khashoggi to the highest level possible”, Graham said in withering criticism of an American ally.

“There’s not a smoking gun but a smoking saw.”

The South Carolina senator was directly repudiating comments by top Trump administration officials, including Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, who just last week said there was “no smoking gun” implicating the crown prince.

US newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal, have reported that the CIA has evidence that Prince Mohammed exchanged 11 messages with his close aide Saud al-Qahtani, who allegedly oversaw the murder, just before and after it took place.

— AP No doubt about it: Corker speaking to reporters after a closed-door security briefing by Haspel on the slaying of Khashoggi and involvement of Prince Mohammed, at the Capitol in Washington.

— Reuters Rebellious move: A street sign reading ‘Khashoggi Way’ seen outside the Saudi Arabia embassy in Washington. Activists put up the sign after the D.C. Council said it would not immediately consider a proposal that would ceremonially rename the street for Khashoggi.