Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has issued an intelligence report to the Biden administration “reckless” and “political”, implicating Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the 2018 assassination of Virginia-based Saudi columnist Jamish Khashogi.
Speaking to Fox News on Sunday afternoon, the nation’s former top diplomat made the comment after Khashogi’s report was announced for public viewing.
“Our administration took the killing of Jamal Khashogi very seriously. We held many people accountable in Saudi Arabia who did this, ”the Bimpe administration began beating the Biden administration before it took over the report.
“The release of this report was negligent. It was political. It was in a way aimed at damaging a relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through the use of intelligence, as a former CIA director, I would never have stood up, “he continued,” so I’m sorry That they chose to do so. It was a political stunt. “
Pompeo noted that “we know a lot there.” Our administration held those we knew accountable.
“I regret that because this administration wants to develop a relationship with Iran and destroy one with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, they chose to use that idea to do so.”
When asked about the Left’s claims that the Trump administration offered MBS for the assassination, Pompeo said he rejected those criticisms.
“We didn’t cover it at all. We worked hard, in fact, I worked hard in every role, I had to make sure that we understand exactly what happened there. And in fact we held more than a few dozen people responsible for the murder of Jamal Khashogi.
“It was outrageous, it shouldn’t have happened. It was a wrong thing to do, and we held people responsible for it, whom we could identify.
The former foreign minister said that he “did not know his motivation well, but we have already seen the idea that somehow this administration wants to take this important security partner to the United States and make it an enemy.” is.” And they want to cut down by sitting with the Iranians, who have killed far more people around the world than in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, during our four years and eight years before that. “
Khashogi, a Washington Post columnist and critic of the Prince’s consolidation of power, was assassinated on October 2, 2018, inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.
He was strangled before being disbanded by a hit team of 15 Saudi officials, the US intelligence report released under Biden confirmed.
His remains were never returned.
The intelligence report blamed Khashogi’s death on the ruler of the empire, bin Salman.
“We believe that the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey to capture or kill Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi,” the report said.
It cited bin Salman’s “decision-making” control in the oil-rich country and involvement of a top adviser and members of his security expansion as evidence.
Former President Trump argued that by punishing Saudi Arabia over Khashogi’s death, particularly with respect to Iran, given some of their shared priorities, the US-Saudi strategic alliance was too important to risk.
The 45th president also argued at the time that if the US opted not to sell Saudi weapons, the Kingdom would only turn to Russia or China, enrich those countries and offer their loyalty elsewhere.
Saudi Arabia has insisted that there was no role in the assassination of bin Salman.
Biden has shifted US-Saudi relations, including ending US support for a long-standing Saudi military campaign to restore Yemen’s President Abdrabub Mansoor Hadi, ousted by Iran-affiliated militants in 2015 Gaya which still controls most of the populated areas of the country. .
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