Mohammed bin Salman denies personal involvement in Khashoggi killing in ‘60 Minutes’ interview but says it was carried out by Saudi officials
CNNCNN — Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman denied any personal involvement in the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi but took full responsibility as the country’s leader during a CBS “60 Minutes” interview that aired Sunday night. Bin Salman said he takes responsibility for the crime because it was “committed against a Saudi citizen by officials working for the Saudi government” and “as a leader I must take responsibility.” But the crown prince insisted he knew nothing about the operation, saying it’s impossible for “3 million people working for the Saudi government” to send daily reports to the leader “or the second highest person in the Saudi government.” Some of bin Salman’s closest aides have been blamed for Khashoggi’s killing. The foreign minister for Saudi Arabia later called the report “flawed.” Bin Salman said in the interview there “isn’t an official statement announced by the American government” saying he ordered the killing. Saudi Arabia wants to negotiate end to Yemen war, leader says In the Sunday interview, the Saudi Arabian leader said his country was working to negotiate an end to the war in Yemen “every day.” A Saudi-led coalition has been fighting Houthi rebels – backed by Iran – in Yemen for years.