Saudi Crown Prince Threatened to Use ‘Bullet’ on Khashoggi, Reports NYTimes

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A year prior to the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly told an aide that he would use "a bullet" on Khashoggi if he did not return to Saudi Arabia and cease his criticism of the government, according to a report by the New York Times.

The remarks were made in 2017, well before Khashoggi’s death in October of the following year at a Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The report cites current and former U.S. and foreign officials who are familiar with intelligence findings.

American intelligence agencies intercepted these comments, as highlighted in the newspaper’s report.

U.S. intelligence analysts have interpreted the "bullet" remark as metaphorical, suggesting that while the crown prince did not literally intend to have Khashoggi shot, it demonstrates his intention to have Khashoggi killed if he refused to comply and return to the kingdom.

Initially, Riyadh denied any knowledge of Khashoggi’s disappearance, later providing conflicting statements. The Saudi government has consistently maintained that the crown prince was not involved in Khashoggi’s murder.

Attempts to obtain comments from representatives of the Saudi Embassy in Washington, as well as from intelligence agencies such as the CIA and NSA, were unsuccessful.

U.S. intelligence agencies believe the crown prince ordered the operation that led to Khashoggi’s killing. Khashoggi, a columnist for the Washington Post and previously an insider in royal circles, was reportedly dismembered after his death.

The New York Times article was published just one day before a congressional deadline requiring the White House to submit a report on whether the crown prince ordered Khashoggi’s murder and to outline any potential sanctions against him.

The United States has already imposed sanctions on 17 Saudi officials connected to the journalist’s death, although U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed his support for the crown prince.

Meanwhile, the United Nations’ human rights investigator looking into Khashoggi’s murder is currently visiting Turkey for a week and is set to meet with Istanbul’s chief prosecutor.

A U.N.-led inquiry released findings asserting that evidence indicates a brutal crime that was "planned and perpetrated" by Saudi officials.