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Republican and Democratic U.S. senators introduced legislation on Thursday seeking to strike back at Saudi Arabia over the death of a Saudi journalist at a consulate in Turkey and for its role in Yemen's devastating civil war.
If it were to become law, the bill would suspend weapon sales to Saudi Arabia and prohibit U.S. refueling of Saudi coalition aircraft for Riyadh's campaign in Yemen against the Houthis, Shi'ite Muslim fighters that Yemen's neighbors view as agents of Iran, the lawmakers said.
A funeral prayer in absentia will be performed for slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Mecca and Medina on Friday.Salah Khashoggi, son of murdered Washington Post columnist, said on Twitter the prayer will be performed in Medina following the morning prayer, as well as in Mecca following the Friday prayer.Salah said earlier that condolences for his father will be accepted from Friday to Sunday in house in Jeddah.Khashoggi, a frequent contributor to The Washington Post, was killed Oct. 2 inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.After weeks of denying any involvement in the crime, Saudi Arabia later admitted that Khashoggi had been killed inside the consulate but claimed the Saudi royal family had no prior knowledge of any plot to murder the journalist.His body has yet to be returned to his family, which has been requesting its return, amid reports that it was chemically dissolved.Dutch FM to defend arms embargo to Saudi Arabia at UNSCWashington Post slams Riyadh's new Khashoggi account
Funeral prayer to be performed for Khashoggi
The Washington Post called "shocking in its audacity" Saudi Arabia’s new narrative Thursday on the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.Previously, the Kingdom said Khashoggi was killed in a "premeditated" operation and later acknowledged he was killed after he entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul by a hit team sent to return him to Saudi Arabia.The Saudi chief prosecutor's office said 11 suspects had been indicted and the death penalty was being sought for five of them.The office distanced Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman from the murder as well as his two aides alleged to have ordered the operation.In a statement, Saudi Deputy Public Prosecutor Shalaan al-Shalaan said an operation was ordered either to persuade or force Khashoggi to return to Saudi Arabia.Ahmed al-Assiri, a former deputy head of intelligence, issued an order for Khashoggi’s return Sept. 29, a day after the journalist's first visit to the consulate building.It was al-Assiri who formed a 15-member team, according to the prosecutor. He contacted a forensics expert to join it for the purpose of removing evidence from the scene in the event force had to be used.Khashoggi murder a very big mistake: Saudi FM"After surveilling the consulate, the head of the team concluded that it would not be possible to transfer the victim by force ... so the head of the team decided on murder," said the prosecutor."By offering up this incredible account, the Saudi regime is baldly defying all those, including leading members of [the U.S.] Congress, who called for full disclosure and accountability," wrote the Post's editorial board.Washington imposed sanctions on 17 individuals in connection with the murder, but the board said neither the crown prince nor Riyadh's top intelligence officials were among them.The Post said the new Saudi account revealed the operation was ordered by then-deputy chief of intelligence Ahmed al-Assiri and advised by Saud al-Qahtani, a court propagandist, who it said is close to bin Salman.Erdoğan adviser says Saudi Arabia trying to cover up Khashoggi murderRiyad did not say the two aides were complicit in the decision to kill Khashoggi and were fooled by their team’s claim that the journalist left the consulate alive."That doesn’t explain a portion of the audio recording reported by the New York Times, in which Maher Mutreb, a close associate of the crown prince, instructs an official by phone to 'tell your boss' that the mission was accomplished," it wrote.U.S. intelligence officials believe the “boss” is "almost certainly Prince Mohammed."The newspaper also urged Congress not to allow "this travesty" to continue."It should suspend all military sales and cooperation with Saudi Arabia until a credible international investigation of the Khashoggi killing is completed," it said.The cover story, it added, is just one "more instance of Mohammed bin Salman’s arrogant and reckless behavior."The true murderers of Jamal Khashoggi must be named and punished," said the board.Khashoggi’s body dismembered inside Istanbul consulate: Saudi prosecutor
Washington Post slams Riyadh's new Khashoggi account