WASHINGTON — Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham accused the crown prince of Saudi Arabia on Tuesday of having Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi killed and said, “This guy has got to go.”
The comments by the South Carolina senator on Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends” were far less cautious than those of President Trump, who has called for a thorough investigation before assigning blame for Khashoggi’s disappearance from the Saudi Embassy in Istanbul two weeks ago.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “had this guy murdered in the consulate in Turkey. Expect me to ignore it? I feel used and abused,” Graham said, referring to his previous advocacy for Saudi Arabia as a senator. “I was on the floor every time defending Saudi Arabia because they are a good ally.”
Graham then suggested that King Salman should choose another prince to be Saudi Arabia’s presumptive leader.
“This MBS figure to me is toxic,” Graham said, referring to the crown prince’s moniker. “He can never be a world leader on the world stage. . . . This guy has got to go. Saudi Arabia, if you’re listening, there are a lot of good people you can choose, but MBS has tainted your country and tainted himself.”
The Washington Post reported last week that the crown prince had ordered an operation to lure Khashoggi back to Saudi Arabia from his home in Virginia and then detain him, according to U.S. intelligence intercepts of Saudi officials discussing the plan.
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