‘Saudi prince directed killing’

Washington – Two key US Republican senators said yesterday after a briefing by the CIA’s director that they have “zero” doubt Saudi Arabia’s crown prince directed the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The explosive new declarations by members of President Donald Trump’s 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.

“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 chairperson 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.”

Fellow Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who has urged Trump to take a far tougher stance against Riyadh over the killing, also attended the hourlong briefing. He minced no words afterwards, saying he believes the Crown Prince is “a wrecking ball” who is “complicit in the murder of Mr Khashoggi to the highest level possible”.

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

After reports that the CIA concluded that the crown prince ordered the assassination in the Istanbul consulate on October 2, Trump issued a statement saying US-Saudi relations and oil market stability were too important to rock over the scandal. –