Trump's son-in-law allowed Saudi Crown Prince MBS to arrest Khashoggi

Donald Trump's son-in-law and advisor, Jared Kushner gave a green light to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) to arrest journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a whistleblower claims. The consent came before the dissident of the Saudi Royal was brutally murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018, 

According to international reports, Turkish intelligence intercepted the call between Kurshner and the Crown. The information was later reportedly leveraged by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to drive Donald Trump out of northern Syria, and abandon US' Kurdish ally.  Investigators on the Democratic-led House intelligence Committee are reportedly aware of the accusations against Kushner, and plan to further probe the matter. 

The Kushner- Mohammed bin Salman relationship is reportedly at the crux of the US-Saudi Arabia alliance. It was also, until the whisleblower's claim, was known to be the significant reason for Trump to cover the Saudi Crown Prince from the accusation of Khashoggi's murder.

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On November 18, 2018, the CIA had concluded that Saudi Crown Prince, himself ordered the murder of Khashoggi, despite the repeated denials of the Kingdom. Even UN special rapporteur Agnes Callamard had stated that Saudi Arabia's Mohammed bin Salman should be investigated in the assassination of the Saudi journalist. 

Donald Trump on Khashoggi

Irrespective of the global condemnation, for US President Donald Trump unworried with the serious allegations on its ally, Saudi Arabia. On June 29, this year, Trump conducted a bilateral meet with their ally and 'great friend', Saudi Arabia and heaped praises for the 'reformer'. At the meeting, the media questioned the US President about the prominent journalist, to which he brazenly ignored by saying, "Thank you very much," while the Crown Prince sitting opposite Trump had a smirk on his face.

Trump said that he is 'extremely angry' about the murder, but that nobody had "pointed a finger" at the Kingdom's crown prince."I am extremely angry and unhappy" about the murder of Jamal Khashoggi at Saudi's consulate in Istanbul, Trump said. But "nobody has directly pointed a finger at the future King of Saudi Arabia", the US president added when asked about whether he raised the issue during a meeting with the royal. On October 17 last year, days into the mystery missing of Khashoggi, prior to the confirmation of his death, Trump had said, "I think we have to find out what happened first."

Donald Trump had even declined to penalize Saudi Arabia last year over the killing. Khashoggi had been living in the US at the time he was murdered and dismembered by a Saudi hit-team inside a consulate. Trump said he’s not like a fool that will refuse to do business with the US ally, while prioritising Saudi arm sales over the investigation into Khashoggi's murder on June 24. 

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The US President had even dismissed a UN request for the FBI to probe the murder, stating that it would jeopardise the US arm sale to the Kingdom. Asked if he would permit the FBI to investigate, Trump said, “I think it’s been heavily investigated.” Trump's fragile approach in the murder of the Washington Post coliminist enabled Saudi Arabia to effortlessly cover-up the assassination and reintegrate the 'reformer' in the world community, subsequent to the global outrage. 

Jamal Khashoggi, was reportedly killed on the direct orders of Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, by a team of 15 Saudi officials, comprising of Mohammed bin Salman's own security official. On October 2, 2018, Khashoggi was tortured for 7 minutes, where he was suffocated and his body was dismembered with a bone saw. 

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