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News > World

Khashoggi Killing: Trump Will Remain Saudi Arabia 'Partner'

  • U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during an official visit in Washington D.C., March 20, 2018.

    U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during an official visit in Washington D.C., March 20, 2018. | Photo: Reuters

Published 20 November 2018
Opinion

The CIA has tied Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. 

United States President Donald Trump vowed Tuesday to remain a "steadfast partner" of Saudi Arabia despite an assessment by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), according to which Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was directly tied to the killing of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

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Defying pressure from U.S. lawmakers to impose tougher sanctions on Saudi Arabia, Trump also said he would not cancel military contracts with the kingdom, saying such a "foolish" move would only benefit Russia and China.

Trump said U.S. intelligence agencies were still studying the evidence around Khashoggi's murder inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 and who planned it.

"Our intelligence agencies continue to assess all information, but it could very well be that the Crown Prince had knowledge of this tragic event – maybe he did and maybe he didn’t!"Trump said in a statement issued by the White House,

U.S. intelligence sources say the CIA's assessment is that Khashoggi's death was ordered by the crown prince, who is Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler and the man responsible for the over 50,000 Yemenis killed during the ongoing war in Yemen.

Democratic and Republican lawmakers have urged Trump to drop his support for bin Salman, but the president has been reluctant. Even before the Khashoggi murder, U.S. lawmakers have sought to end U.S. military support for the Saudi-led coalition for its atrocities in Yemen.

He said on Tuesday that both Saudi Arabia's King Salman and the crown prince "vigorously deny any knowledge of the planning or execution of the murder," and that the truth may never be known.

Trump also stressed that Saudi Arabia, a major oil producer, is an important business partner and a "great ally" in the fight against Iranian power in the Middle East.

"The United States intends to remain a steadfast partner of Saudi Arabia to ensure the interests of our country, Israel and all other partners in the region," Trump said.

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