Trump believes Muhammad Bin Salman knew Jamal Khashoggi’s Killing Plan

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The U.S President Donald Trump claimed that Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman probably knew the plan to kill journalist Jamal Khashoggi. He claimed when asked whether the country’s de facto leader was possibly involved. Trump said that if anyone were going to be, it would be him. The statement of the U.S President came as Riyadh admitted it sent a team of 15 officials to its Istanbul consulate. The team includes a forensics expert and a body doubles for the Washington Post columnist, while still insisting the death was accidental. Crown Prince Mohammed has assumed many of the duties of his elderly father King Salman, is due to address the Saudi-organized Future Investment Initiative summit on Wednesday.

The prince has repeatedly denied any involvement in the death of Khashoggi. Saudi Arabia has moved to distance its heir to the throne from the affair while blaming the killing on rogue operators. Trump said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that he remained unconvinced of the Saudi version of events and believed the crown prince had at least been aware of the plan. Trump said, “Well, the prince is running things over there more so at this stage. He’s running things and so if anybody were going to be, it would be him”. Trump described it as: “one of the worst in the history of cover-ups”. The U.S secretary of state Mike Pompeo also announced that the United States had revoked the visas of several Saudi officials implicated in the killing. Pompeo said individuals targeted included members of the “intelligence services, the royal court, the foreign ministry, and other Saudi ministries.