New Delhi:
In what seems to be an unexpected turn of events, it has been reported that US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner offered some real pieces of advice to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman after the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Ivanka Trump's husband Kushner and MBS are to share an informal friendly relationship, according to a report in the New York Times. Kushner, who is also the senior adviser to the president, offered advice on how to “weather the storm” in the aftermath of the Saudi journalist’s murder in the Saudi consulate in Turkey’s Istanbul on October 2.
Kushner and MBS held one-to-one chats despite White House protocol that stipulated that the National Security Council staff be present on all talks with foreign leaders.
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A White House spokesman told the Times in a statement, "Jared has always meticulously followed protocols and guidelines regarding the relationship with MBS and all of the other foreign officials with whom he interacts," referring to the crown prince by his initials.
White House officials declined to explain those protocols and guidelines to the Times or to comment on Kushner's one-on-one communications with bin Salman since the killing of Khashoggi.
October 2, Khashoggi was reported missing after stepping into the Saudi Arabian consulate in Turkey to collect the paperwork that would let him marry his Turkish fiancée Hatice Cengiz, who later said that he never returned from the building.
Saudi Arabia had confirmed its role in Khashoggi’s killing after being pressed for an investigation after days of denial. Last week after a highly classified briefing by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director Gina Haspel, US senators were certain that the Saudi crown prince was involved in Khashoggi’s killing. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker had said that if the crown prince were to appear before a jury, he would be convicted in 30 minutes, according to news reports.
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Jamal Khashoggi was highly critical of the Saudi crown prince and had labelled him a “beast” and “pac-man” adding that “more victims he eats, the more he wants,” as reported by news agency ANI. As many as 400 WhatsApp messages were exchanged between Khashoggi and Canada-based activist and fellow Saudi exile Omar Abdulaziz. A number of messages were believed to be intercepted by Saudi officials this year in August, prompting Khashoggi to write “God help us”. He was killed two months later.
