Saudi Arabia rejects US intel report on Khashoggi death
Al JazeeraMinistry of Foreign Affairs says US intel claiming MBS approved the hit on Khashoggi is ‘negative, false and unacceptable’. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has rejected a report by US intelligence agencies released on Friday that assigns accountability to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia completely rejects the negative, false and unacceptable assessment in the report pertaining to the Kingdom’s leadership and notes that the report contained inaccurate information and conclusions,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued by the Saudi Press Agency. “The concerned individuals were convicted and sentenced by the courts in the kingdom and these sentences were welcomed by the family of Jamal Khashoggi.” The four-page US report, required by Congress, had been held back from public view by former President Donald Trump but was released by new President Joe Biden who had pledged during his 2020 political campaign to hold the Saudis accountable for Khashoggi’s murder. #STATEMENT | The Government of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Completely Rejects the Assessment in the Report Submitted to US’ Congress Regarding Murder of Saudi Citizen Jamal Khashoggi pic.twitter.com/VQwYpBjvvX — Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 February 26, 2021 “It is truly unfortunate that this report, with its unjustified and inaccurate conclusions, is issued while the kingdom has clearly denounced this heinous crime, and the Kingdom’s leadership took the necessary steps to ensure that such a tragedy never takes place again,” the Saudi statement said.