Trump Met Saudi's Crown Prince And Defended Him For Ordering The Brutal Murder Of Journalist Jamal Khashoggi
"You're mentioning someone that was extremely controversial," Trump defended Bin Salman, adding that many people didn’t like Khashoggi and that “things happen”.
US President Donald Trump has welcomed Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBS, at the White House and said bin Salman “knew nothing” about the brutal assassination of US-based Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
59-year-old Khashoggi, who was a prominent Saudi journalist and a critic of the Saudi government, was murdered after entering the Saudi consulate in Turkey on Oct. 2, 2018.
Inside the consulate, Khashoggi was ambushed and tortured by 15 Saudi operatives who dismembered and beheaded him, disposing of his body parts in ways that have yet to be publicly revealed.
Turkish officials said the murder was premeditated and carried out by Saudi security officials, who also attempted to cover up his murder.
The case caused a huge global uproar, and the Saudi government did not admit Khashoggi had been killed until Oct. 25, although it denied that bin Salman had placed the order.
By November 2018, US intelligence had concluded that bin Salman had ordered the murder.
Former US President Joe Biden’s administration later created the “Khashoggi ban” to restrict at least 76 Saudi nationals, who were accused of intimidating Saudi dissidents, from entering the US, though it did not directly sanction the crown prince.
On Tuesday, Nov. 18, Trump hosted bin Salman to discuss security cooperation, economic projects and regional diplomacy between the US and Saudi Arabia, marking the first time bin Salman had visited the US since Khashoggi’s assassination.
During the press conference, a reporter asked bin Salman about the killing of Khashoggi.
"You're mentioning someone that was extremely controversial," Trump quickly defended Bin Salman, adding that many people didn’t like Khashoggi and that “things happen”.
“He knew nothing about it. You don’t have to embarrass our guest,” Trump said.
Bin Salman then said that the killing of Khashoggi was really painful, adding that Saudi authorities investigated the matter and took steps to improve their system.
The government has continued to crackdown on activists and journalists critical of it, with some facing even the death penalty.
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