Saudi rejects US Senate ‘interference’ on Khashoggi

RIYADH (AA) – Saudi Arabia has rejected a U.S. Senate resolution blaming Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

On Thursday, the Senate passed a resolution ending U.S. military aid for the Saudi-led air campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen. It also approved a resolution condemning Khashoggi’s murder and holding bin Salman responsible for it.

In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry described the Senate resolution as “interference” that was based on “unsubstantiated claims and allegations”.

It said the Senate resolution “contained blatant interferences in the Kingdom’s internal affairs, undermining the Kingdom’s regional and international role”.

The oil-rich kingdom said it “categorically rejects any interference in its internal affairs, and all accusations, in any manner, that disrespects its leadership”.

“The Kingdom hopes that it is not drawn into domestic political debates in the United States of America, to avoid any ramifications on the ties between the two countries that could have significant negative impacts on this important strategic relationship.”

"The Kingdom has previously asserted that the murder of Saudi citizen Jamal Khashoggi is a deplorable crime that does not reflect the Kingdom's policy nor its institutions and reaffirms its rejection of any attempts to take the case out of the path of justice in the Kingdom."

Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post, went missing after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.

After producing various contradictory explanations, Riyadh acknowledged he was killed inside the diplomatic building, blaming the act on a botched rendition operation.