Senators are to vote on a measure holding Saudi Arabia’s powerful crown prince formally responsible for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Republicans and Democrats drafted a resolution stating Mohammed bin Salman was “complicit” and “in control of security forces” who killed Mr Khashoggi before dismembering his body.
It is largely symbolic but it registers the Senate’s growing unrest over the death and the response of President Trump’s administration. Senators emerged from a CIA briefing on Tuesday branding Prince Mohammed “dangerous”.
Key Republicans were meeting today to discuss how to punish Saudi Arabia. Restriction of US arms sales and support for the Saudis in Yemen are among the steps reportedly bring considered.
The resolution introduced by Republican Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, and Democrat Dianne Feinstein, says the Senate believes Prince Mohammed “was in control of security forces” during the killing and “based on evidence and analysis … [the Senate] has a high level of confidence that Mohammed bin Salman was complicit in the murder”.
Mr Graham said: “I believe it’s vitally important to US national security interests to make a definitive statement about the brutal murder of an American resident, Mr Khashoggi, who has three American citizen children.”
It came as Istanbul’s chief prosecutor filed arrests warrants for a former aide to Prince Mohammed and the ex-deputy head of Saudi foreign intelligence.
The prosecutor said there is “strong suspicion” Saud al-Qahtani and General Ahmed al-Asiri, removed from their jobs in October, were among the planners.
Mr Khashoggi, a Washington Post writer and critic of the Saudi regime, disappeared after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2. Saudi prosecutors have charged 11 people with murder.
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Turkish officials accuse the crown prince of ordering his murder, a claim Riyadh denies. Mr Trump has repeatedly sought to defend him.
Fatimah Baeshen, of the Saudi Embassy in Washington, tweeted: “We categorically reject any accusations purportedly linking the Crown Prince to this horrific incident.”
