Saudis who killed Jamal Khashoggi ‘received paramilitary training in US’
- Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018
- New York Times report says four Saudi operatives got paramilitary training at US-based Tier 1 Group
Four Saudis who took part in the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi received paramilitary training in the United States the previous year under a contract approved by the State Department, The New York Times reported on Tuesday.
The training was provided by Tier 1 Group, which is owned by the private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, and was defensive in nature and devised to protect Saudi leaders, the Times reported.
Cerberus did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
In response to the Times report, State Department spokesman Ned Price said under the law the department cannot comment “on any of the licensed defence export licensing activity alleged in media reporting”.
Price also said US policy towards Saudi Arabia “will prioritise the rule of law and respect for human rights.”