‘Saudi prince okayed stifling dissidents’

WASHINGTON: More than a year before the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia’s powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved a secret campaign to silence dissenters, The New York Times reported on Sunday.

The campaign included surveillance, kidnapping, detention and torture of Saudis, said the report which cited US officials who have read classified intelligence reports about the effort.

American officials referred to it as the Saudi Rapid Intervention Group, the Times said.

At least some of the clandestine missions were carried out by members of the team that killed and dismembered Khashoggi in October at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, suggesting his murder was part of a wider campaign against dissidents, the report said, citing the US officials and associates of some Saudi victims.

The murder of Khashoggi generated global outrage including an order from US senators for President Donald Trump to designate and punish those responsible. He did not comply. The senators, briefed by the heads of US intelligence agencies, said they were convinced that Prince Mohammed was responsible for the killing. The kingdom initially said it had no knowledge of Khashoggi’s fate but later blamed rogue agents for his death. Saudi public prosecutor has charged 11 people over his murder.

Among its activities, the Rapid Intervention Group appears to have been involved in the detention and abuse of prominent women’s rights activists arrested last year, the Times said.

The intervention team was so busy that in June its leader asked a top advisor to Prince Mohammed whether he would give them bonuses for Eid al-fitr, a major holiday.