In a television interview on CBS' 60 Minutes, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said he takes “full responsibility” for the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but denied allegations that he ordered it.
Referring to it as a “a heinous crime” and a “mistake,” MBS said that he takes “full responsibility as a leader in Saudi Arabia, especially since it was committed by individuals working for the Saudi government.” When the interviewer asked him if he ordered the murder of Khashoggi, who had criticized him in columns for The Washington Post, Bin Salman replied: “Absolutely not.”
In his first on-camera interview about the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman denies involvement but says he takes “full responsibility” for the “heinous crime” https://t.co/0i8faMZq2L pic.twitter.com/ELIgFgITUE
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) September 30, 2019
Reactions to the interview varied between MBS supporters, and people who criticized the crown prince and the interviewer for “normalizing” the crime.
There's no ethical way of @60Minutes interviewing #MBS short of reading the transcript of Kashogi's dismemberment to him until the dictator threatens to stop the interview. Short of that, @NorahODonnell normalized the butchery of a US resident journalist with an American family.
— Mark Kraft (@mrkraft) September 30, 2019
#MBS in an interview to 60minutes: Yes ma’am, I prefer diplomatic solution (re Iran crisis) while holding in his hands a saw (Khashoggi) and a missile (war on Yemen) #cartoon https://t.co/qCaOrwIftu
— orit perlov (@oritperlov) September 30, 2019
Supporters of Mohammad Bin Salman backed the crown prince, praising him for his "heroism."
As awful an episode that was. #MBS #SaudiPrince IS making reforms, fantastic to see him make an appearance on 60 minutes. He is such an important figure for #Sunni ?. To help it modernise. #Saudi crown prince warns of 'Iran threat' to global oilhttps://t.co/yyJPWAXMXN
— Z-Pac (@ZakriaCaan) September 30, 2019
I am so proud to call him my future leader. Honesty what makes him so special. Taking responsibility is heros act... #MBS #future #2030vision #Khashoggi #proudtobesaudi #WelcomeToArabia #60Minutes #CBSnews https://t.co/Skrqgd7OiX
— توت (@who_cares_006) September 30, 2019
A year has passed since Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Turkey on Oct. 2, 2018, to collect a document that he needed to marry his Turkish fiancee. Agents of the Saudi government killed Khashoggi inside the consulate and apparently dismembered his body, which has never been found. Saudi Arabia has charged 11 people in the slaying and put them on trial, which has been held in secret. However, no one has been convicted to this day.
On Wednesday it will have been a year since Saudi government agents murdered Jamal Khashoggi, but still no one has been convicted, just a secret prosecution which threatens to kill off some of the key participant-witnesses. https://t.co/CCCYFZ16qd pic.twitter.com/M7doNEYhjV
— Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) September 30, 2019
A United Nations report blamed Saudi Arabia for the murder, insisting that the crown prince’s possible involvement in it should be investigated. In Washington, Congress has said it believes Prince Mohammed is “responsible for the murder.” Over the past year, Saudi Arabia has denied all allegations against Mohammad Bin Salman, insisting that the crown prince had no involvement in the murder, and that the assassination was carried out by agents of the Saudi government.
In a preview of another documentary by PBS about the crown prince, MBS says, "I get all the responsibility because it happened under my watch." Khashoggi's fiancee reacted by saying that MBS is "sending the world a message that he's more influential than the king of Saudi Arabia, and is the real head of the country."
As the anniversary of Khashoggi's death approaches, many questions surrounding his murder remain unanswered.
