Saudi says CIA report on writer murder is false

CAIRO - Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said on Tuesday that claims, including by the CIA, that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman gave the order to kill journalist Jamal Khashoggi were false, according to an Arabic-language newspaper interview.

"We in the kingdom know that such allegations about the crown prince have no basis in truth and we categorically reject them, whether through leaks or not," Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir was quoted as saying in Saudi-owned Al Sharq Al Awsat newspaper in the first Saudi official comment on the CIA report.

"They are leaks that have not been officially announced, and I have noticed that they are based on an assessment, not conclusive evidence," he added.

Jubeir was also asked about comments by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan that the kill order came from the highest level of the Saudi leadership but probably not King Salman, which has put the spotlight instead on the prince.

"We have already asked the Turkish authorities at the highest level about the meaning of these comments, and they confirmed to us categorically that the crown prince is not meant by these comments," he said.

"The leadership of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (the king) and the crown prince, is a red line, and we will not permit attempts to harm or undermine them," he added.

News outlets reported the CIA's finding over the weekend in a case that has sparked an international outcry against the world's top oil exporter. This was the most definitive US assessment to date tying Saudi Arabia's prince directly to the killing and contradicted Saudi government assertions that he was not involved.

A senior US senator on Monday called on the US intelligence community to issue a public assessment report on the death of Khashoggi.

US President Donald Trump on Saturday said the US full report over the death of Khashoggi would come in the next two days.

While Turmp described the coming CIA report as "a very premature" one, US media, citing insiders, reported on Friday that the CIA has concluded that the Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman had ordered to kill Khashoggi.

It was not clear if the report will be made public.

Meanwhile, King Salman on Monday gave his first major speech since the killing of Khashoggi by Saudi agents, expressing support for his son and making no mention of allegations that the young royal ordered the killing.

The king voiced support for his son, saying that the 32-year-old heir to the throne is focused on developing the capabilities of Saudi youth.

Reuters - Ap - Xinhua