The Hill reported:
A U.S. intelligence report released last year concluded that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had personally approved the killing and dismemberment of the U.S.-based journalist, who was critical of the Riyadh government, at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
Before winning the 2020 election, President Biden vowed to make Saudi Arabia "pay the price" for the Khashoggi killing and turn the country into a "pariah."
The Crown Prince of Thuggery said:
"If that's the way we did things, Khashoggi would not even be among the top 1,000 people on the list. If you're going to go for another operation like that, for another person, it's got to be professional and it's got to be one of the top 1,000."
Reminds me of the rapist whose defense is "the woman was too ugly to attack." This level of arrogance is beyond belief and patently laughable.
Update 3-7-22: President Biden is said to be considering a trip to Saudi Arabia to encourage the kingdom to produce more oil.
Update 3-9-22: The Prince of Thuggery wouldn't take President Biden's phone call but did take calls from Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Update 4-7-22: Turkey turned over justice for Jamaal Khashoggi's murder and dismemberment to the very kingdom that ordered and executed the crime. Thugs win.
Update 5-16-22: Former golf great Greg Norman said in a response to the Crown Prince ordered killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a media day for his Saudi-backed LIV Golf’s inaugural event in London next month:
"Look, we’ve all made mistakes and you just want to learn from those mistakes and how you can correct them going forward."
Part of rectifying a mistake is accepting responsibility and taking accountability for one's action. The Prince of Thuggery has done nothing in that regard. If Greg Norman has an inside information about the murder he should inform authorities.
Update 8-1-22: The Saudi Crown Prince's image rehab tour took a stop in France, a country used to laying down for strongmen.
Update 10-24-22: The Crown Prince mocked President Biden according to the WSJ.
Update 10-26-22: Crown Prince prefers Insane Red Team.
Biden aides believed they'd reached an agreement with the Saudis to increase oil production until December. Instead of handing Biden a much-needed political win, the crown prince abandoned the deal.
Update 10-27-22: Saudi Crown Prince seeks to humiliate President Biden. That's a very poor ally. The Prince intends to increase ties with nondemocratic China and Putin's Russia.
Update 11-2-22: Saudi surveillance, intimidation and pursuit of Saudis on U.S. soil have intensified as the kingdom steps up repression under its de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Update 11-18-22: The Blue Lucys plan to shield the Saudi Crown Prince from a U.S. civil suit filed by the widow of WaPo journalist Jamaal Khashoggi.
Update 11-19-22: A former top State Department advisor called the move to protect the Saudi Crown Prince a bad strategy and is "carrying MBS's water."Update 12-6-22: The U.S. court case against the Crown Prince was dismissed under the guise of sovereign immunity, something the Prince did not have at the time of the execution. The judge said his hands were tied by the Biden administration's recommendation to the court. Thugs win.
Update 5-5-23: Biden will dispatch top aide Jake Sullivan to Saudi Arabia for meetings this Saturday.
Update 5-6-23: The Saudi government plans to execute three tribesmen who protested against the new mega-city Neom. The three resisted forced evictions.