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U.S. intel implicates Saudi heir in Khashoggi hit

Saudi Arabia's crown prince "approved" the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a declassified U.S. intelligence report concluded.

Turkish scientist Hatice Cengiz talks about her slain fiancé, Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi
Turkish scientist Hatice Cengiz, left, talks about her slain fiancé, Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, at a World Press Freedom Conference in December at The Hague (AN/Martijn Beekman)

WASHINGTON (AN) — Saudi Arabia's crown prince "approved" the murder of one of his leading critics, Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and Washington Post contributing columnist, concluded a declassified U.S. intelligence report released by U.S. President Joe Biden's administration on Friday.

The report, kept under wraps by the former Trump administration for two years, was generally known due to news leaks. But its release enabled U.S. officials to formally blame Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, heir to the throne and the kingdom’s de facto ruler. That complicated U.S.-Saudi relations, and set off a clamor among human rights organizations to hold the kingdom accountable.

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