Saudi prince says CIA can not be trusted in assessment of Jamal Khashoggi’s murder

A senior member of the Saudi royal family today dismissed the CIA’s finding that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Prince Turki al Faisal said the US agency could not be trusted to come to the correct conclusion, after it was reported that the CIA believes the Crown Prince was directly responsible for Khashoggi’s murder last month.

“The CIA is not necessarily the highest standard of veracity or accuracy in assessing situations. The examples of that are multitude,” Prince Turki al Faisal said today, Reuters reported.

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump said the US would remain a “steadfast partner” of Saudi Arabia, regardless of whether its leader had been aware of the assassination plot.

“We may never know all of the facts surrounding the murder of Mr Jamal Khashoggi,” he said.

“In any case, our relationship is with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They have been a great ally in our very important fight against Iran.”

Trump added that Saudi Arabia had been “very responsive” to his “requests to keeping oil prices at reasonable levels".

Khashoggi, a US resident and Washington Post journalist, disappeared after entering the Saudi consulate on 2 October, with subsequent reports suggesting he was strangled the moment he entered the building before his body was dismembered and removed.