(U) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
(U) This report is provided by the ODNI. Questions should be directed to the NIO for Near East.
█ We assess that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman approved an
operation in Istanbul, Turkey to capture or kill Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
• █ We base this assessment on the Crown Prince’s control of decisionmaking in the
Kingdom, the direct involvement of a key adviser and members of Muhammad bin Salman’s protective detail in the operation, and the Crown Prince’s support for using violent measures to silence dissidents abroad, including Khashoggi.
• █ Since 2017, the Crown Prince has had absolute control of the Kingdom’s security
This report is provided by the ODNI. Questions should be directed to the NIO for Near East.
We assess that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey to capture or kill Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
There’s no waffling here: US intelligence implicates the crown prince in the murder of Khashoggi. It’s a conclusion that’s long been known, but now has the weight of the US government behind it. That’s particularly notable because former President Donald Trump would not blame bin Salman and also refused to release a declassified intelligence assessment after Congress passed legislation requiring it to be made public.