CIA concludes Saudi crown prince ordered Jamal Khashoggi’s killing: reports

Christal Hayes | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Saudi FM distances crown prince from writer death Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said on Thursday Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had "absolutely" nothing to do with the killing of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi. (Nov. 15)

WASHINGTON - The CIA has concluded in an assessment that Saudi Arabia's crown prince ordered the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, according to the Associated Press and Washington Post.

The assessment comes weeks after the Saudi government admitted Khashoggi, a fierce critic of the royal family, was killed in its Turkish consulate at the hands of interrogators. Saudi officials, however, denied that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was involved or aware of the killing.

The CIA reached its conclusions on intelligence, including phone calls between the crown prince's brother, Khalid bin Salman, the Saudi ambassador to the United States, and Khashoggi, the Washington Post reported, citing unnamed officials.

The Post reported the CIA had evidence showing Khalid told Khashoggi he should visit the Saudi's consulate in Istanbul, the location where Khashoggi was killed and dismembered.

Khalid denied having any recent communications with Khashoggi, saying in a statement from an Embassy spokesperson that the last time he'd communicated with the columnist was in October of 2017.

Unfortunately the @washingtonpost did not print our full response. This is a serious accusation and should not be left to anonymous sources. Our full response was the following: pic.twitter.com/vo1JcNAswx — Khalid bin Salman خالد بن سلمان (@kbsalsaud) November 17, 2018

"The claims in this purported assessment is false," the statement read. "We have and continue to hear various theories without seeing the primary basis for these speculations."

The Trump administration this week sanctioned individuals for their alleged role in the killing, but the intelligence officials’ conclusion bolsters efforts in Congress for a harsher U.S. response.

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Khashoggi's death caused tensions between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, a key ally in the Middle East, and put pressure on the president to hold the royal family responsible. Trump has repeatedly said he worried about harming an arms deal with the regime, which he said would generate jobs in the U.S.

Since Khashoggi disappeared in October, the Saudi government offered a wide array of explanations. First, saying they had no idea what happened to him, then explaining he was killed in a scuffle during an interrogation gone wrong.

But the explanation continues to change. On Thursday, a Saudi prosecutor examining the case said Khashoggi's death was planned out by a team of 15 Saudi officials and he was injected with a drug that led to an overdose.

The Saudi government blames a rouge group of officials for the killing and has attempted to distance the royal family from Khashoggi’s death.

More: The conflicting statements given by Saudi Arabia about journalist Jamal Khashoggi

More: Trump on Saudi handling of Khashoggi death: ‘Worst cover-up ever’

Jamal Khashoggi's fiancée: Pain is still fresh Jamal Khashoggi's fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, had messages for President Donald Trump and America in a video shown at his memorial service in Washington.

Contributing: Associated Press