Saudi Arabia’s October murder of Jamal Khashoggi continues to weigh heavily on opinions of the kingdom, and a new UN report says that there is credible evidence that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was responsible.



The report came out of the UN Office of the High Commission for Human Rights, which concluded it was “inconceivable” that the Crown Prince was not involved in the 15-man kill team sent to Istanbul to murder Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate.



The report noted that the kill team was referring to Khashoggi as a “sacrificial animal” in communications leading up to his capture and killing. One of the team members, an autopsy specialist, assured the others that it would be “easy” to dismember the body.



It wasn’t even just a 15-man kill team with many members who had close ties to the Crown Prince. Within a day of the murder, there were multiple new teams established to cover up the murder and destroy evidence.



The report further warned that the Saudis haven’t changed their behavior since the murder, and that there is evidence the CIA has been notifying countries of “foreseeable and immediate threats” against Saudi expats.



The report reached some pretty particular conclusions, including determining that there is enough space in front of the Saudi consulate to build a statue of Khashoggi that would stand for press freedom.



The biggest deal is what happens with the Crown Prince, as his role has been driving a lot of concern within the US about arms sales and close ties with the kingdom. This is further going to add for calls to do something about his role in the murder, something the Saudis clearly aren’t inclined to do, and which the Trump Administration has long warned it doesn’t want this.

Author: Jason Ditz Jason Ditz is news editor of Antiwar.com. View all posts by Jason Ditz