- Biden claimed the crown prince, also known as MbS, denied any participation in the assassination and claimed he had held those responsible accountable.
- Biden referred to Khashoggi’s treatment as outrageous.
- As a presidential candidate, Biden had argued that the murder of Khashoggi should make the country a “pariah” on the international scene.
Following a fist bump with the de facto ruler of the kingdom, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to U.S. President Joe Biden, was informed on Friday that he was held accountable for the death of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
After Khashoggi’s murder in 2018, Biden travelled to a nation he had previously labelled a pariah. Biden claimed the crown prince, also known as MbS, denied any participation in the assassination and claimed he had held those responsible accountable.
According to Biden, “I brought up the Khashoggi murder at the top of the discussion, making it clear what I thought of it at the time and what I think of it now.”
“I discussed it in a straightforward and direct manner. My point of view was really apparent. I made it very clear that it was incongruous with who I am and who we are for an American president to be mute on a human rights problem.”
Saudi insider-turned-critic Jamal Khashoggi was killed and dismembered by Saudi operatives inside the country’s consulate in Istanbul, according to U.S. intelligence, and the crown prince reportedly gave the go-ahead for an operation to either arrest or kill him. Biden referred to Khashoggi’s treatment as outrageous.
In response to the question during their discussion, the crown prince “essentially said that he was not directly responsible for it,” according to Biden. I said that I believed he was.
The president stated that they also talked about energy and that he anticipated Saudi Arabia, a significant oil producer, to take action on energy in the coming weeks.
As a presidential candidate, Biden had argued that the murder of Khashoggi should make the country a “pariah” on the international scene. On Friday, he claimed he had no regrets about his remark.
At the beginning of Biden’s Middle East visit, officials had advised him to avoid personal contact, such as shaking hands, as a safety measure against COVID-19. But the president did end up shaking hands with people in Israel as well.
Immediate criticism of Biden’s interactions with the crown prince came from domestic sources, including as The Washington Post and the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Khashoggi had been exiled in Virginia on his own terms. Hatice Cengiz, the late journalist’s fiancée, tweeted a picture of the fist bump and stated that Khashoggi would have written: “Is this the restitution you promised for killing me? You are responsible for MBS’s upcoming victims’ blood.”
In Jeddah, Biden expressed his regret to the media for the way she felt.
At the start of the meeting, American journalists yelled questions about Khashoggi at the crown prince. One yelled, “Will you apologise to his family?” MbS did not answer and looked to smile slightly as the reporters were escorted out of the room, with the Saudi energy minister sitting next to him.
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