CIA ‘concludes with high confidence’ Saudi Crown Prince ordered Khashoggi murder

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman personally ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey last month, the CIA has concluded, according to anonymous sources who spoke with the Washington Post and Reuters.

The US foreign espionage agency assessed with “high confidence” that the prince was behind the death of the Post columnist, the newspaper reported on Friday evening, citing “people familiar with the matter.” Reuters later cited its own source as saying that the spy agency “had briefed other parts of the US government on its assessment,”which contradicts the official position maintained by both Riyadh and Washington thus far.

Saudi Arabia initially denied that Khashoggi had been killed inside the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul, where he was last seen on October 2. Eventually, however, Riyadh admitted the journalist had died on the premises, blaming it on a “fight” with officials sent to take him home. Khashoggi was living in self-imposed exile in Turkey, having become an outspoken critic of the crown prince. (Read more)