Saudi crown prince threatened to use 'bullet' on Khashoggi - NY Times

US intelligence analysts interpret the "bullet" comment metaphorically, meaning the crown prince did not necessarily mean to have Khashoggi shot but they do think it showed his intent to have the journalist killed.

A demonstrator holds picture of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a protest in front of Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, October 5, 2018.
Reuters

A demonstrator holds picture of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a protest in front of Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, October 5, 2018.

A year before Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told an aide he would use "a bullet" on the journalist if he did not return home and end his criticism of the kingdom, the New York Times reported on Thursday.

The crown prince's comments to a top aide in 2017 were made well before Khashoggi was killed last October in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, the Times reported, citing current and the former US and foreign officials knowledgeable about intelligence reports.

The comments were intercepted by American intelligence agencies, the newspaper reported.

The US intelligence analysts have interpreted the "bullet" comment metaphorically, meaning the crown prince did not necessarily mean to have Khashoggi shot, but they do think it showed his intent to have the journalist killed if he did not return to the kingdom, the Times said.

Jamal Khashoggi was murdered by a team of Saudi operatives on October 2 in the kingdom's Istanbul consulate. 

The US intelligence agencies believe the crown prince ordered an operation to kill Khashoggi, whose body was dismembered.

Riyadh initially denied knowledge of Khashoggi's disappearance before offering contradictory explanations. It has steadfastly insisted the kingdom's crown prince was not involved in the killing.

Representatives for the Saudi Embassy in Washington, the CIA and the National Security Agency did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment on the Times story.

The New York Times report was published one day before a congressional deadline for the White House to submit a report on whether the crown prince ordered Khashoggi's killing and if it intends to impose sanctions on the de facto ruler.

The United States has imposed sanctions on 17 Saudi officials for their role in the journalist's death, but US President Donald Trump has said he stands by the crown prince.

The United Nations' human rights investigator looking into Khashoggi's murder is on a week-long visit to Turkey and said the killing was planned and carried out by Saudi officials on Thursday.

"Evidence collected during my mission to Turkey shows prime facie case that Mr Khashoggi was the victim of a brutal and premeditated killing, planned and perpetrated by officials of the State of Saudi Arabia," Agnes Callamard, UN special rapporteur for extrajudicial summary or arbitrary executions, said in a statement.

Saudi officials had "seriously undermined" and curtailed Turkey's "prompt, effective, independent, impartial, transparent" efforts to investigate the crime scene at its Istanbul consulate for 13 days last October, she added.

Route 6