The Office of Director of National Intelligence on Friday released a report on the murder of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi to Congress, finding that the Saudi crown prince "approved" an operation to capture or kill him.
The brutal killing has roiled the United States' longstanding ties with Saudi Arabia, and President Joe Biden has vowed to recalibrate the relationship after his predecessor Donald Trump shielded the kingdom from U.S. pressure.
Mohammed Al-shaikh/AFP/Getty Images, FILESaudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi attends a press conference in Manama, Bahrain, Dec. 15, 2014.The declassified report implicated Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, heir to the Saudi throne and the country's de facto ruler, in the murder of Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist who was lured to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in Oct. 2018, murdered, and dismembered.The U.S. intelligence community concluded that the crown prince "approved" the murder of Khashoggi, according to a four-page report released Friday afternoon."We assess that Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey to capture or kill Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi,” according to the document. “We base this assessment on the Crown Prince's control of decision-making in the Kingdom, the direct involvement of a key adviser and members of Muhammad bin Salman's protective detail in the operation, and the Crown Prince's support for using violent measures to silence dissidents abroad, including Khashoggi," the report said.MORE: Biden speaks with Saudi king ahead of Khashoggi report's releaseThe Saudi government has denied that the crown prince, sometimes known by his initials MBS, was involved, instead blaming a rogue team of government agents.This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.Source : abcnews.go.com