US Intelligence Report Singles Out Saudi Crown Prince in Khashoggi Killing
The Claim
Jamal Khashoggi was killed under the command of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
News posted on
Emerging story
Claims online circulating that Jamal Khashoggi was killed under the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's command in the Consulate of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul.
Users linked the claim to an intelligence report released by the United States.
Misbar’s Analysis
In 2018, Jamal Khashoggi, a US-based reporter who often criticized the Saudi Arabian monarchy, was killed in the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.
Saudi Arabia denied that the de facto ruler of the kingdom, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, was involved in Khashoggi’s killing.
In 2021, the Biden administration released an intelligence report.
It concludes that not only did the prince know about Khashoggi’s assassination, but he also approved it.
Several news publications have written about the report since, coming to their own conclusions and analyzing the report's fallout.
The report is real and can be read in its entirety on different reputable news publications.
The report’s conclusion is based on these findings. First, that Prince Mohammad has absolute control over Saudi Arabia’s military and intelligence operations. Second, that he tends to react violently to dissent. Third, that the group who assassinated Khashoggi are members of the Rapid Intervention Force, a group loyal to the prince and he alone. Lastly, the prince viewed Khashoggi as a threat to his rule.
