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posted by takyon on Sunday November 18 2018, @01:13AM   Printer-friendly
from the is-that-a-bone-saw-in-your-pocket? dept.

Submitted via IRC for Bytram

C.I.A. Concludes That Saudi Crown Prince Ordered Khashoggi Killed

The Central Intelligence Agency has concluded that the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, ordered the killing of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi, according to American officials.

The C.I.A. made the assessment based on the crown prince's control of Saudi Arabia, which is such that the killing would not have taken place without his approval, and has buttressed its conclusion with two sets of crucial communications: intercepts of the crown prince's calls in the days before the killing, and calls by the kill team to a senior aide to the crown prince.

[...] The increasingly definitive assessment from the spy agency creates a problem for President Trump, who has tied his administration to Prince Mohammed and proclaimed him the future of Saudi Arabia, a longtime American ally. But the new assessment by the C.I.A. is sure to harden the resolve of lawmakers on Capitol Hill to continue to investigate the killing of Mr. Khashoggi and punish Saudi Arabia.

Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and senior adviser, has been particularly close to Prince Mohammed. Mr. Kushner has long advocated that a strong relationship with the Saudis is in the United States' interest, and he has pushed to maintain support for the crown prince despite the death of Mr. Khashoggi, who Saudi officials now say was killed with a lethal dose of tranquilizers and dismembered. Previously, Saudi officials said that Mr. Khashoggi had been strangled.

[...] Neither administration officials nor intelligence officers believe the controversy over Mr. Khashoggi will drive Prince Mohammed from power, which is one reason White House officials believe cutting ties with the prince would not be in the interest of the United States.

takyon: The Saudis have denied the reports.

See also: Saudi media ignore US reports on Khashoggi
Top White House Official Involved in Saudi Sanctions Resigns

Previously: Turkey Says that a Missing Critic of the Saudi Government was Killed in Saudi Consulate in Istanbul
Saudi Arabia Reportedly Prepared to Admit Involvement in Journalist's Death


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  • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 18 2018, @03:13AM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 18 2018, @03:13AM (#763328)
    Embassies and consulates are not extraterritorial, if we believe Wikipedia [wikipedia.org]. The journalist was killed on Turkish soil. Though his US green card and job are indeed irrelevant. Saudis were wrong in moving their political squabbles to foreign territory - especially considering the 7th century law and order in Saudi Arabia.
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  • (Score: 4, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Sunday November 18 2018, @07:20AM

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Sunday November 18 2018, @07:20AM (#763399) Journal

    Well, I think that you are technically correct, but in practice, it's pretty gray. Found this article which goes into it a little deeper - https://pathtoforeignservice.com/is-an-embassy-on-foreign-soil-the-sovereign-territory-of-the-host-country-or-the-embassys-country/ [pathtoforeignservice.com] Just as is the case with Assange, no one goes barging into an embassy, unless they intend to start a war. Note the story about our embassy in China. People, presumably all civilians, threw trash and human waste at the embassy, but no one entered the embassy. Chinese police were present to ensure that plenty of insult was offered the US, but no real harm.

    As a former military member, I was taught that certain places are, for all intents and purposes, sovereign territory of the US. Military bases, embassies, consulates, ships bearing the US flag, and the two square feet of soil upon which I stood, no matter where that soil might be. For our purposes, it wasn't necessary to be technically correct.