WASHINGTON – Two key US Republican senators said a Tuesday briefing by theCIA’s director only strengthened their conviction that Saudi Arabia’s crownprince directed the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The explosive new declarations by members of President Donald Trump’s ownparty run counter to the White House narrative downplaying possible linksbetween Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the October killing ofjournalist and palace critic Khashoggi at the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate.
“I have zero question in my mind that the crown prince directed the murderand was kept appraised of the situation all the way through it,” SenateForeign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker told reporters after CIAdirector Gina Haspel briefed a small group of senators.
“If MBS were in front of a jury, he’d be convicted in less than 30minutes,” Corker said, using the prince’s initials.
Fellow Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally who has joined agrowing collection of lawmakers urging the president to take a far tougherstance against Riyadh, also attended the hour-long closed-door briefing,and minced no words afterwards.
The crown prince is “crazy” and “a wrecking ball” who is “complicit in themurder of Mr Khashoggi to the highest level possible,” Graham said inwithering criticism of an American ally.
“There’s not a smoking gun but a smoking saw.”
The South Carolina senator was directly repudiating comments by top Trumpadministration officials, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who justlast week said there was “no smoking gun” implicating the crown prince.
US newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal, have reported that theCIA has evidence that Prince Mohammed exchanged 11 messages with his closeaide Saud al-Qahtani, who allegedly oversaw the murder, just before andafter it took place.
Some of the most important evidence may be an audio recording of the murderthat Turkey said it has distributed. Graham said that was not played inTuesday’s briefing.
– ‘He is dangerous’ –
The Saudi government went into damage control mode, with a spokesperson forthe Saudi Embassy, Fatimah Baeshen, saying the kingdom maintains its”steadfast” commitment to the US-Saudi relationship and does “categoricallyreject” accusations linking the prince to the killing.
“At no time did HRH the Crown Prince correspond with any saudi officials inany government entity on harming Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi citizen,” shesaid on Twitter.
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Graham stressed that he believes the crown prince has put the decades-longUS-Saudi relationship at risk.
“If the Saudi government is going to be in the hands of this man for a longtime to come, I find it very difficult to be able to do business, because Ithink he’s crazy, I think he is dangerous,” he said.
After reports that the CIA concluded that the crown prince orderedKhashoggi’s assassination in the Istanbul consulate on October 2, Trumpwarned that US-Saudi ties and oil market stability were too important torock over the scandal.
Under mounting pressure from lawmakers who wanted action against Riyadh,Mattis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told senators there was no directevidence linking the crown prince to the murder.
Graham rejected their assessment outright, saying “you have to be wilfullyblind” not to conclude that the murder was orchestrated by people underPrince Mohammed’s command.
Democrats provided similar reactions after the briefing, which was given toleaders of Senate committees that focus on national security.
“I am now more convinced than I was before — and I was pretty convinced –that in fact the United States must have a strong response to both the warin Yemen as well as the killing” of Khashoggi, Senate Democrat Bob Menendezsaid.
With many senators furious about being excluded from the briefing, SenateMinority Leader Chuck Schumer demanded Haspel “brief the full Senatewithout delay.”
The White House faced a rebuke last week when the Senate voted to advancelegislation that would end US support for the Saudi-led coalition fightinga war in Yemen, which has been described as the world’s worst humanitariancrisis.
The Yemen legislation, which may face another procedural vote this week,could set up a bitter year-end Senate floor fight over US war powers. Somelawmakers like Graham want a bill with teeth that will punish Saudi Arabia,while others are keen not to antagonize the White House.
There are several proposals in the works, including freezes on all US armssales to Riyadh and tightening sanctions on those involved in Khashoggi’smurder. – APP / AFP
