Riyadh - Asked if he ordered the murder of Khashoggi, the Saudi Crown Prince replied: "Absolutely not."
Published: Tue 1 Oct 2019, 12:01 PM
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in a television interview that he takes full responsibility for the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but denied allegations that he ordered it.
"This was a heinous crime," the Saudi Crown Prince told 60 Minutes in an interview that aired Sunday. "But I take full responsibility as a leader in Saudi Arabia, especially since it was committed by individuals working for the Saudi government."
Asked if he ordered the murder of Khashoggi, the Saudi Crown Prince replied: "Absolutely not."
The slaying was a mistake, he said.
Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Turkey on October 2, 2018, to collect a document that he needed to marry his Turkish fiancee. Agents of the Saudi government killed Khashoggi inside the consulate. Saudi Arabia has charged 11 people in the slaying and put them on trial.
"Some think that I should know what 3 million people working for the Saudi government do daily," he told 60 Minutes. "It's impossible that the 3 million would send their daily reports to the leader or the second-highest person in the Saudi government."
The Saudi Crown Prince also addressed the September 14 missile and drone attack on Saudi oil facilities. While Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed the assault, Saudi Arabia has said it was "unquestionably sponsored by Iran".
"There is no strategic goal," he said of the attack. "Only a fool would attack 5% of global supplies. The only strategic goal is to prove that they are stupid and that is what they did."
He urged "strong and firm action to deter Iran".
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