The ‘smoking saw’: US senators say there is ‘zero’ doubt Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman directed killing of Jamal Khashoggi
- The explosive declarations by Bob Corker and Lindsey Graham, members of Donald Trump’s Republican Party, came after a briefing by CIA chief Gina Haspel
- Graham said he won’t support arms sales to Saudi Arabia while Prince Mohammed is in power
Two key US Republican senators said Tuesday after a briefing by the CIA’s director they have “zero” doubt Saudi Arabia’s crown prince directed the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The explosive new declarations by members of US President Donald Trump’s party run counter to the White House narrative playing down possible links between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the October killing of journalist and palace critic Khashoggi at the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate.
“I have zero question in my mind that the crown prince directed the murder and was kept appraised of the situation all the way through it,” Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Bob Corker told reporters after CIA director Gina Haspel briefed a small group of senators.
“If MBS were in front of a jury he’d be convicted in less than 30 minutes.”
CIA says Saudi Crown Prince MBS messaged adviser on Khashoggi
Fellow Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who has urged Trump to take a far tougher stance against Riyadh over the killing, also attended the hour-long briefing.