Washington Post: CIA Believes Mohammed bin Salman Ordered Khashoggi's Murder

The Washington Post has reported, citing informed sources, that the CIA has concluded from its investigations into the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist opposed to the current rulers of Saudi Arabia, that Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, ordered his killing. According to the report, the Central Intelligence Agency reached this conclusion based on documents and information received from several sources. These documents include a phone call from Mohammed bin Salman's brother, Khalid bin Salman, the Saudi ambassador to the U.S., to Khashoggi shortly before his assassination, as well as an audio file that Turkish officials provided to the U.S. Informed sources told the Washington Post that Khalid bin Salman told Jamal Khashoggi to go to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain documents for his marriage, where Khashoggi was ultimately murdered. Khashoggi's fiancée was Turkish, and he himself resided in the U.S. According to the report, Khalid bin Salman assured Jamal Khashoggi that he would be safe there, but it remains unclear whether Khalid bin Salman knew at the time that Khashoggi would be killed. A spokesperson for the Saudi embassy in the U.S. confirmed that a conversation took place between Khalid bin Salman and Jamal Khashoggi but emphasized that Khalid bin Salman did not tell him to go to Turkey and that what is stated in the CIA's 'allegation' is incorrect. The Saudi government had previously stated that Mohammed bin Salman had no role in this incident. However, several senior Saudi security officials close to the Crown Prince have been dismissed following the murder, including General Ahmad Asiri and Saud al-Qahtani. The Saudi court has also sentenced five people to death in connection with this case. Initially, Saudi Arabia denied the murder but later claimed that 'rogue agents' were responsible for it.