'Issues occur' - Trump defends Saudi crown prince over Khashoggi killing

[ad_1] Watch: Trump says Saudi crown prince "knew nothing" about Jamal Khashoggi's homicide

US President Donald Trump mentioned Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman "knew nothing" in regards to the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as he welcomed the dominion's de facto ruler to the White Home.

Trump's feedback appeared to contradict a US intelligence evaluation in 2021 which decided the crown prince had authorised the operation that led to Khashoggi's dying on the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.

The crown prince, who has denied any wrongdoing, mentioned on the White Home that Saudi Arabia "did all the precise issues" to research Khashoggi's dying, which he known as "painful".

It was his first US go to because the assassination, which despatched shockwaves by means of the US-Saudi relationship.

Within the Oval Workplace on Tuesday, Trump shot again at a reporter who requested a query in regards to the killing.

"You are mentioning somebody that was extraordinarily controversial," the US president mentioned.

"Lots of people did not like that gentleman that you just're speaking about. Whether or not you want him or did not like him, issues occur."

"However he [the Crown Prince] knew nothing about it," Trump added. "You do not have to embarrass our company."

The crown prince added that Saudi Arabia "did all the precise steps" to research the homicide, which he known as "painful" and a "large mistake".

A US intelligence report made public in 2021 - underneath President Joe Biden's administration - decided that the crown prince had authorised of a plan to "seize or kill" Khashoggi in Istanbul. Throughout his first administration, Trump White Home officers declined to launch the report.

Whereas dozens of Saudi officers confronted sanctions within the wake of the assassination, none immediately focused the crown prince.

On the time, Saudi Arabia rejected the report as "adverse, false and unacceptable".

On Tuesday, Khashoggi's widow known as on the crown prince to apologise for her husband's homicide, for which she mentioned there was "no justification".

"The Crown Prince mentioned he was sorry so he ought to meet me, apologize and compensate me for the homicide of my husband @JKhashoggi," Hanan Elatr Khashoggi posted on X. Granted political asylum within the US, she lives within the Washington DC space.

Tuesday's assembly between Trump and Mohammed bin Salman was anticipated to incorporate offers on civilian nuclear energy, synthetic intelligence and Saudi funding within the US, which the crown prince mentioned was being upped to $1tr (£761bn) from $600bn pledged earlier this yr.

Echoing Trump's personal phrases, bin Salman mentioned that the US was the "hottest nation on the planet" and praised the US president for creating "long-term alternative".

The 2 males additionally mentioned the potential sale of superior F-35 fighter plane to the Saudis.

Trump mentioned that whereas export licences had been nonetheless being introduced, he anticipated a deal between the Saudis and US defence big Lockheed Martin.

The potential sale has precipitated alarm amongst some Israeli officers, who've mentioned that it may probably damage the nation's "qualitative army edge" within the Center East, the place it's so far the one nation to have F-35s.

The US president mentioned the mannequin bought to the Saudis can be broadly much like the one the Israelis function.

"This [Saudi Arabia] is a superb ally, and Israel is a superb ally," Trump mentioned. "I do know they'd such as you to get planes of lowered calibre.

"However so far as I am involved, I believe they're each at a stage the place they need to get high of the road," he added.

The crown prince's go to to Washington continues with a gala dinner on Tuesday night time, adopted by an funding summit on Wednesday.

Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo - who performs within the Saudi skilled league - was additionally anticipated to be on the White Home on Tuesday, a White Home official confirmed to the BBC.

Biden didn't host the crown prince and vowed to make Saudi Arabia a "pariah" over its human rights document. In 2022, nonetheless, Biden visited the dominion to succeed in settlement on different points.