Republican and Democratic lawmakers, citing evidence of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s role in the Khashoggi case and incensed over the civilian toll from the Saudi air campaign in Yemen, have ramped up efforts to block Trump’s arms sales to Saudi Arabia. Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and US resident who had become a vocal critic of the prince, disappeared after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct 2. Eleven Saudi suspects have been put on trial in secretive proceedings but only a few hearings have been held since January. The CIA has determined with "medium to high confidence" that the crown prince, commonly known by his initials MbS and considered de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, ordered the killing, US government sources have said. The administration is making clear to the Saudis the controversy will persist until they demonstrate a "very clear case of culpability," the senior administration official said.

Source: bd News24 June 11, 2019 21:45 UTC