S intelligencereportoutFridaysaysSaudiPrinceMohammedbinSalmanapprovedofanoperationtocaptureorkilljournalistJamalKhashoggi, whowasmurderedin 2018 in a mannerchoreographedtolimitdamagetoUSSaudities.
S resident, whowroteopinioncolumnsforTheWashingtonPostcriticalofthecrownprince's policies, waskilledanddismemberedby a teamofoperativeslinkedtothecrownprinceinthekingdom's consulateinIstanbul.
S officeofthedirectorofNationalIntelligencesaidQuote, WebasedthisassessmentontheCrownPrincess, controlofdecisionmakinginthekingdom, thedirectinvolvementof a keyadviserandmembersofMohammedbinSalman's protectivedetailintheoperationandtheCrownPrincesssupportforusingviolentmeasurestosilencedissidentsabroad, includingKashiwagi.
However, Bidenistryingtotread a finelinetopreservetieswiththekingdomasheseekstorevivethe 2015 nucleardealwithitsregionalrival, Iran, toaddressotherchallenges, includingfightingIslamistextremismandadvancingArabIsraelities.