Senate Demands Action following CIA Report that Saudi Prince was Behind Journalist’s Murder

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The Hill reports:

“The CIA has concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the country’s consulate in Istanbul last month, The Washington Post reported Friday.

“The agency has high confidence in its assessment, the newspaper reported. The CIA reportedly examined multiple sources of intelligence in reaching its conclusion, including a call between the crown prince’s brother Khalid bin Salman and Khashoggi.”

U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, this week released the following statement in response to the Trump administration’s sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act against Saudi Arabian officials who were responsible for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and columnist for The Washington Post.

“I have a lot of concerns about the trajectory that Saudi Arabia is on right now, and I think a price needs to be paid,” said Corker. “I, along with others in the Senate, requested the administration conduct a thorough Global Magnitsky sanctions determination regarding the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. The administration’s sanctioning today of 17 individuals who were involved is a significant step in that process that hopefully will involve additional action as well. I’ve asked for a high-level meeting with Secretary Mattis, Secretary Pompeo, and CIA Director Gina Haspel to share with us exactly what is happening with the U.S. response to Saudi Arabia, both in regards to the conflict in Yemen and the assassination of Mr. Khashoggi. It’s very important for them to be forthcoming given the heightened level of concern and increasing demand for action here in the Senate.”

In a letter to President Donald J. Trump last month, Corker and Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), chairman and ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, triggered an investigation and Global Magnitsky sanctions determination regarding the disappearance of Khashoggi.