RNA - Keeping open the possibility that Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman did order Saudi agents to kill Khashoggi, Trump said, in a phone interview with The Washington Post, that “nobody has told me he’s responsible. Nobody has told me he’s not responsible. We haven’t reached that point . . . I would love if he wasn’t responsible".
After two weeks of denial by Saudi officials, Riyadh confessed that Khashoggi was murdered in the Turkish city of Istanbul. Saudi Arabia also sacked a top general and arrested several people over the case.
The American leader told reporters on Friday that the Saudi explanation was credible, but US officials revealed that he has privately grimaced that his son-in-law and Middle East adviser Jared Kushner’s close relationship with the crown prince has become a liability and left the White House with no good options.
In the interview, Trump defended Kushner as doing a “very good job” but acknowledged that he and MbS, both in their 30s, are relatively young for the amount of power they wield.
The New Yotk Times reported on Thursday that Kushner has been urging Trump to stand by the crown prince, according to a person close to the White House and a former official with knowledge of the discussions. Kushner has argued that Prince Mohammad can survive the outrage just as he has weathered past criticism.
The Trump administration made its relationship with King's son a linchpin of its Middle East policy, relying on him to help strike a peace deal between the Palestinians and Israelis and unite the Arab world against Iran. Now, the Saudi government’s handling of the killing of Khashoggi has tarnished the first in line to the throne’s image as the Trump administration is questioning the value of its high-profile partnership with him.
Earlier on Saturday, Trump said questions remain unanswered over Khashoggi's killing following Saudi Arabia's admission that the journalist died in a "fist-fight" inside its consulate, adding that "I am not satisfied until we find the answer. But it was a big first step, it was a good first step. But I want to get answers".
But the American President warned against halting a Saudi arms deal, stressing that it would hurt American jobs, despite the international furor over the death in the kingdom's consulate of the journalist.
The Washington Post also reported that CIA officials have listened to an audio recording that Turkish officials say proves the journalist was killed and dismembered by the Saudi team, according to people familiar with the matter. If verified, the recording would make it difficult for the United States to accept the Saudi version that Khashoggi’s death was effectively an accident.
One diplomat who deals with the issue said that if Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had heard the audio, it would be a “total game changer” and require a much more forceful US response.
Trump also showed an interest in obtaining the recordings but said they have been out of reach so far, adding that “I’ve heard all about the videos or the tapes. Nobody would get it faster than me. Nobody has been able to show it to me".
One US official also expressed dismay that Kushner’s close relationship with bin Salman was not enough to provide guardrails against the killing and now leaves the administration vulnerable to criticism that the United States is beholden to the Saudis. The official declared that Trump is annoyed by a sense that he was blindsided and by what he sees as Kushner’s misjudgment. Kushner has in recent days been sidelined from the Khashoggi case, which many in the administration see as beneficial.
But, Trump suggested on Saturday that MbS was a stabilizing force in Saudi Arabia, despite the view of critics who note his government’s slaughter of civilians in Yemen, crackdown on dissent and jailing of political opponents.
“He’s a strong person. He has very good control,” Trump said, adding that “he’s seen as a person who can keep things under check, I mean that in a positive way”.
According to Fars News Agancy, Khashoggi, known for his criticism of Saudi Arabia's policies, went missing on October 2 after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain a marriage document. Ankara has accused Riyadh of murdering the Khashoggi and smuggling his body out of the consulate in pieces. Saudi Arabia first denied the charges as “baseless", stressing that the journalist left the consulate shortly after he arrived, without providing any evidence. But, after two weeks of denial by Saudi officials, Riyadh confessed that Khashoggi had been murdered by its security agents at the Istanbul consulate, but made no mention of where his body is.
US intelligence has also revealed that the the Saudi crown prince ordered an operation to detain Khashoggi after luring him back to Saudi Arabia, according to The Washington Post. US officials speaking on the condition of anonymity have told The Washington Post that MbS and other Saudi officials tried to get Khashoggi to return to Saudi Arabia, where he is from, with offers of government employment and protection.
Also, US intelligence agencies are increasingly convinced that the Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince played a role in Khashoggi’s disappearance in early October, according to a report.
Citing unidentified officials, The New York Times reported that information leaked to the public – names and photos of 15 Saudis who travelled to Istanbul on October 2 as well as claims Turkey possesses audio recordings of Khashoggi’s death – is helping convince the US intelligence community that the crown prince was involved.
847/940