Intelligence report will single out Saudi crown prince for approving Khashoggi murder: report

A U.S. intelligence report expected to be released on Thursday will place blame for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to Reuters.

The report, led by the CIA, will lay out how the crown prince approved and likely ordered the murder of Khashoggi, four people familiar with its contents told the news service. 

Khashoggi, a U.S. journalist for The Washington Post who was often critical of the crown prince in his writings, was killed in 2018 after walking into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Officials believe Saudi operatives likely dismembered Khashoggi’s remains, which have never been found. 

The report is part of President Biden’s push to reassert the U.S. when it comes to relations with Saudi Arabia. He told reporters on Wednesday he had read the intelligence report but had not spoken directly with the crown prince, speaking only with his father, Saudi King Salman. 

“We have been in touch with Saudi officials at numerous levels in the early weeks of this administration,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement to Reuters.

The news service noted a 2018 United Nations human rights investigation found Saudi Arabia was responsible for a “deliberate, premeditated execution” of Khashoggi. 

“There is sufficient credible evidence regarding the responsibility of the crown prince demanding further investigation,” investigator Agnes Callamard said at the time. 

The crown prince has denied any involvement in Khashoggi’s death.