Mohammed bin Salman has admitted “mistakes” in relation to the murder of US-based journalist and critic Jamal Khashoggi.
In a wide range interview with Fox News, the controversial 38-year-old crown prince He said he was reforming the kingdom’s security system to avoid such “mistakes” in the future.
‘It was a mistake. “It was painful,” the crown prince said, insisting that “everyone involved” served prison sentences.
‘We are trying to reform the security system to make sure these kinds of mistakes don’t happen again, and we can see that in the last five years nothing like that happened. It’s not part of what Saudi Arabia does.
“We took all the legal measures that any country took… We did it in Saudi Arabia and the case was closed,” MbS said.
Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist who wrote for the Washington Post and was critical of the Saudi government, was brutally murdered on October 2, 2018 inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, in a case that sparked international outrage.
Biden vowed to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah” for the assassination while campaigning for president in 2020 after multiple international intelligence agencies flagged MbS’s involvement in the assassination.
But he has since bowed to that reality, mending relations with the Crown Prince while seeking his help in controlling oil prices and managing other regional affairs.
In a wide-ranging interview with Fox News, the controversial Crown Prince also admitted “mistakes” over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and warned that his country will obtain nuclear weapons if Iran does so.
Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist who wrote for the Washington Post and was critical of the Saudi government, was brutally murdered on October 2, 2018 inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, in a case that sparked international outrage.
Biden promised to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah” for the assassination while campaigning for president in 2020, but walked back the comments and has since worked to improve relations (Mohammed bin Salman, right, welcomes the US president Joe Biden at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, July 15, 2022)
MbS was also asked about the possibility of Iran ever creating a nuclear weapon, and confirmed that if Iran were to start building an arsenal, Saudi Arabia would try to do the same. (Pictured: a suspected Iranian military bunker)
The Biden administration released a declassified US intelligence report concluding that MbS “approved” the operation that killed Khashoggi, but took no action against the crown prince himself.
MbS was also asked about the possibility of Iran ever creating a nuclear weapon, and confirmed that if Iran were to start building an arsenal, Saudi Arabia would try to do the same.
“We are concerned that a country acquires a nuclear weapon: that is a bad decision,” he said. “They don’t need to get nuclear weapons because they can’t be used.”
Asked how he would respond if Iran got a nuclear bomb, he said: “If they get one, we have to get one.”
This has worried nuclear nonproliferation experts, who say that if the United States grants the kingdom the ability to enrich uranium, it could fuel a regional arms race.
During the interview with Baier, MbS also said that he sees no problem with a Saudi Arabia A wealth fund that injects $2 billion into Jared Kushner’s private equity, despite his family ties to former President Donald Trump.
Six months after Trump left the White House in 2020, his son-in-law and former senior adviser Kushner secured a $2 billion investment from the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) led by MbS.
Asked if this created a conflict of interest – and whether the royal family would withdraw the money if Donald Trump won re-election – MbS said “if it’s legal, what’s the problem?”
“We look for investment opportunities,” he said. “We have a lot of investments around the world and a lot of people with economic opportunities.”
On whether the $2 billion would remain in Kushner’s hands even if Trump were president again, MbS responded affirmatively.
“It is a commitment that the PIF has and when the PIF has a commitment with any investor around the world, we maintain it,” he stated.
When asked if he recognized that this could create a conflict of interest, he said: “Saudi Arabia is so big, so I’m pretty sure that almost anyone around the world, directly or indirectly, has something to do with Saudi Arabia. “.
“So if that can affect President Trump’s decision if he becomes president, that means it can affect the decision of every president in the world and every person in the world.”
“Because they directly and indirectly have some kind of interest in something to do with Saudi Arabia.”
The Biden administration released a declassified US intelligence report concluding that MbS “approved” the operation that killed Khashoggi (pictured), but took no action against the crown prince himself.
Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman has said he sees no problem with his wealth fund pumping $2 billion into Jared Kushner’s fledgling private equity despite his ties to former President Donald Trump. (In the photo: MbS with Kushner and his wife Ivanka Trump in 2017)
Six months after Trump left the White House in 2020, his son-in-law and former senior adviser Jared Kushner secured a $2 billion investment from the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) led by MbS. (In the photo: MbS with Trump and Kushner in 2017)
The other major topic on the agenda was Saudi Arabia’s efforts to improve bilateral relations with Israel.
Saudi Arabia is discussing a major deal with the United States to normalize relations with Israel in exchange for a U.S. defense pact and help developing its own civilian nuclear program.
But the Saudis have said any deal would require major progress toward creating a Palestinian state, which is a tough sell for the most religious and nationalist government in Israel’s history.
‘For us, the Palestinian issue is very important. We have to solve that part,” MbS told Baer.
“We have to see where we are going,” said the prince. “We hope that this comes to fruition, that it makes life easier for the Palestinians and that Israel becomes an actor in the Middle East.”
He also denied reports that talks had been suspended, saying “every day we are getting closer.”
The interview aired shortly after President Biden met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while both were in New York for the UN General Assembly meeting.
Biden expressed concern about the far-right Israeli government’s treatment of Palestinians and urged Netanyahu to take steps to improve conditions in the West Bank at a time of heightened violence in the occupied territory.
Netanyahu’s office said the meeting “mainly addressed ways to establish a historic peace deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which could go a long way toward ending the Arab-Israeli conflict and facilitating the establishment of an economic corridor to link Asia.” , Middle East and Europe.’
When asked during the interview about working with someone as conservative as Netanyahu, Prince Mohammed said: “If we make a breakthrough, reaching an agreement that meets the needs of the Palestinians and (brings) calm to the region, we have to work with whoever is there.” .
