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U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo speaks during a press conference with Iraq's Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein at the State Department in Washington on Aug. 19, 2020. A demonstrator holds a poster with a picture of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi outside the Saudi Arabia consulate in Istanbul, Turkey October 25, 2018. "And as even the New York Times reported, Khashoggi was cozy with the terrorist-supporting Muslim Brotherhood," Pompeo wrote. I confirm it to you," Khashoggi's widow, Hanan Elatr Khashoggi, told NBC News on Monday. Hanan Elatr Khashoggi Widow of journalist Jamal Khashoggi

NSO had argued that it is immune from being sued because it was acting as an agent for unidentified foreign governments when it installed the "Pegasus" spyware. "NSO's spyware has enabled cyberattacks targeting human rights activists, journalists and government officials," Meta said. In one notorious case, NSO spyware was used - allegedly by the Saudi government - to target the inner circle of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi shortly before he was murdered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. According to court papers, the accounts of 1,400 WhatsApp users were accessed using the Pegasus tracking software, secretly using their smartphones as surveillance devices. The U.S. government in November 2021 blacklisted NSO and Israel's Candiru, accusing them of providing spyware to governments that used it to "maliciously target" journalists, activists and others.

A former Twitter employee found guilty of spying on users on behalf of the Saudi royal family has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison. He was sentenced Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The Justice Department has said it believes that another former Twitter employee accused of accessing user accounts and a man accused of helping the Saudi government with the scheme have fled to Saudi Arabia to evade American authorities. The Saudi government severely penalizes anti-government expression on social media sites like Twitter. In April, courts sentenced Salma al-Shehab, a Saudi citizen and 34-year-old mother of two children, to 34 years in prison for tweets protesting the government.

Dec 6 (Reuters) - A federal judge in Washington on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit filed by the fiance of slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi against Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, citing President Biden's grant of immunity. U.S. District Judge John Bates suggested he was reluctant to throw out the lawsuit but had no choice given the Biden administration's decision. Biden was criticized for fist-bumping the crown prince on a visit to Saudi Arabia in July to discuss energy and security issues. The White House said Biden had told Prince Mohammed that he considered him responsible for Khashoggi's killing. He had traveled to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain papers he needed to marry Cengiz, a Turkish citizen.

☆ Xi Jinping: Saudi's MBS rolls out the red carpet for China's president, in a not too subtle message to Biden
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Tamara Qiblawi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Saudi leaders will infuse the trip with a dose of spectacle. The Saudi king – or his powerful Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman – may bestow the Chinese leader with some honors and medals. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman fist bumps US President Joe Biden upon his arrival at Al Salman Palace, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on July 15. Today, the US consumes only a fraction of that Saudi oil, and China is Saudi Arabia’s biggest client and trading partner. Over the last year, Gulf Arab countries appear to have ramped up their independent-minded policy.

☆ U.S. court dismisses suit against Saudi crown prince in Khashoggi killing
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman receives U.S. President Joe Biden at Al Salman Palace upon his arrival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, July 15, 2022. Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post, had written critically of the harsh ways of Prince Mohammed, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler. The U.S. intelligence community concluded the Saudi crown prince ordered the operation against Khashoggi. The Biden administration already had spared Prince Mohammed from government penalties in the case, again citing sovereign immunity. Rights groups and Saudi exiles argued that sparing Prince Mohammed from accountability in Khashoggi's killing would give the crown prince and other authoritarian rulers around the world a green light for future abuses.

☆ Judge dismisses lawsuit over Khashoggi's murder after the Biden administration backed immunity for MBS
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( John Haltiwanger | Ashley Collman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A judge dismissed a suit against Mohammed bin Salman in connection to Jamal Khashoggi's death. The decision came just weeks after the Biden administration contended that the Saudi ruler, often referred to as "MBS," should be granted immunity. "Accordingly, the claims against bin Salman will be dismissed based on head-of-state-immunity," Bates added. A declassified intelligence report released by the Biden administration last year explicitly implicated MBS in Khashoggi's killing. On the campaign trail, Biden pledged to make the oil-rich kingdom a "pariah" over Khashoggi's murder.

[1/2] Saudi Arabia Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud arrives to attend the APEC Leader's Informal Dialogue with Guests during the APEC 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand, 18 November 2022. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday the immunity decision did not speak to a review of Washington's relationship with Saudi Arabia, which was ongoing. HISTORIC LOWSaudi ties with the United States and the wider West are still at a historic low point. When Saudi Arabia consequently took its security into its own hands with its war in Yemen, it saw Western criticism as hypocritical. Saudi Arabia would likely still prefer to have a U.S. security umbrella.

Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERSWASHINGTON, Nov 18 (Reuters) - The Biden administration ruled on Thursday that Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has immunity from a lawsuit over the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, drawing immediate condemnation from the slain journalist's former fiancee. In late September, Saudi King Salman named Prince Mohammed prime minister in a royal decree which a Saudi official said was in line with responsibilities that the crown prince was already exercising. FIST-BUMPBiden was criticized for fist-bumping the crown prince on a visit to Saudi Arabia in July to discuss energy and security issues. The White House said Biden had told Prince Mohammed that he considered him responsible for Khashoggi's killing. In a highly charged global atmosphere, the United States is keen to prevent its long-time ally from further distancing itself.

☆ U.S. moves to shield Saudi crown prince in killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The U.S. intelligence community concluded Saudi Arabia’s crown prince had approved the killing of the widely known and respected journalist, who had written critically of Prince Mohammed’s harsh ways of silencing of those he considered rivals or critics. The Biden administration statement Thursday noted visa restrictions and other penalties that it had meted out to lower-ranking Saudi officials in the death. Khashoggi’s fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, and DAWN sued the crown prince, his top aides and others in Washington federal court over their alleged roles in Khashoggi’s killing. Prince Mohammed serves as Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler in the stead of his aged father, King Salman. The Saudi king in September also temporarily transferred his title of prime minister — a title normally held by the Saudi monarch — to Prince Mohammed.

[1/2] Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman is pictured during his meeting with South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol in Seoul, South Korea, November 17, 2022. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERSNov 17 (Reuters) - The Biden administration has determined that Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has legal immunity from a lawsuit filed against him over the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a court filing on Thursday. The prince has denied ordering Khashoggi's killing but acknowledged later that it took place "under my watch." Biden, who fist-bumped the crown prince on a visit to Saudi Arabia in July to discuss energy and security issues, had told Prince Mohammed that he considered him responsible for Khashoggi's killing. He had traveled to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain papers he needed to marry Hatice Cengiz, a Turkish citizen.

☆ U.S. moves to shield Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Khashoggi killing
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Biden administration declared Thursday that the high office held by Saudi Arabia's crown prince should shield him from lawsuits for his role in the killing of a U.S.-based journalist, a turnaround from Joe Biden's passionate campaign trail denunciations of Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the brutal slaying. The State Department on Thursday called the administration's decision to try to protect the Saudi crown prince from U.S. courts in Khashoggi's killing "purely a legal determination." The State Department cited what it said was longstanding precedent. Saudi officials killed Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The U.S. intelligence community concluded Saudi Arabia's crown prince had approved the killing of the widely known and respected journalist, who had written critically of Prince Mohammed's harsh ways of silencing of those he considered rivals or critics.

☆ US officials say Saudi crown prince has legal immunity in Khashoggi murder, a stark contrast to Biden's pledge to hold him to account
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

It made the argument after Jamal Khashoggi's fiancée sued the Saudi crown prince in the US. It is an abrupt shift from Biden's earlier pledges to hold Crown Prince Mohammed to account. There, he was murdered and dismembered by agents the CIA says were working on Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's direct orders. The Biden administration argued that since Crown Prince Mohammed was recently appointed as Saudi Arabia's prime minister, he has "sovereign immunity" from prosecution. While there Biden said he confronted Crown Prince Mohammed over the murder, a claim Saudi officials later disputed.

☆ Khashoggi's fiancée says the slain journalist 'died again' after Biden argued for MBS to have immunity in lawsuit over the murder
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Azmi Haroun | John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The fiancée of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi criticized the Biden administration on Thursday. argued that the Saudi Crown Prince deserves immunity, per international law. Hatice Cengiz said Khashoggi "died again" as a result of the US position on Prince Mohammed. "I'm not going to meet with MBS," Biden told reporters in June. Khashoggi's fiancée also criticized the meeting between Biden and MBS, sharing a tweet captioned, "What Jamal Khashoggi would tweet today."

WASHINGTON — Sen. Chris Murphy on Monday called for an immediate investigation into the national security implications of Saudi Arabia's stake in Twitter after Elon Musk’s takeover of the social media company. “The purpose of these reviews is clear: to protect the national security interests of the United States and American citizens,” Murphy wrote to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who leads CIFIUS. Late last week, Saudi Arabia’s Kingdom Holding Company and the private office of Prince Alwaleed bin Talal said they would help Musk finance his Twitter deal by rolling over their ownership of shares of the company worth about $1.89 billion, according to a statement tweeted by Alwaleed. Together all the way @Twitter,” Prince Alwaleed tweeted. Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, led by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, owns nearly 17 percent of Kingdom Holding, according to Reuters.

☆ Saudi ruler Mohammed bin Salman is seeking to humiliate Biden as part of a global power play
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Saudi ruler Mohammed bin Salman wants to assert himself internationally. It is a change driven by the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, who is deliberately snubbing the US in an attempt to chart a more independent path, an expert told Insider. Specifically, this has taken the form of Saudi Arabia joining Russia other oil-rich nations to announce a steep cut in production. Cafiero, the analysts, said that Crown Prince Mohammed believes that drawing closer to Russia and China will secure more "leverage" internationally. "Bin Salman and others in Saudi Arabia took a tremendous amount of offense to that rhetoric.

☆ Retired military officials are finding high-paying jobs with the Saudi government and can make up up to 7-figure salaries working for other foreign governments: WaPo
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Hundreds of retired military officials took jobs in foreign governments since 2015, per WaPo report. Still, dozens of military personnel have accepted jobs contracted from Saudi Arabia since Khashoggi's killing. In an interview with The Post, Jones said that he was encouraged by the Trump administration to accept more contracts from the country's Defense Ministry. Eight are retired generals and admirals, and 32 are former lower-ranking military personnel, The Post reported. The Post also reported that some people negotiated jobs with foreign governments during active service.

☆ Too late for a Saudi rethink? Critics say oil cut was a predictable blow for Biden
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Hyder Abbasi | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The cut is also seen as helping Russia, the world’s second-largest oil exporter, finance its war in Ukraine. “It failed both on blood and on oil,” Dr. Khalid Aljabri, a Saudi rights activist, told NBC News Thursday by telephone. Lina Alhathloul / TwitterAs a presidential candidate, Biden made no bones about his stance on the U.S.-Saudi relationship. Shortly after announcing his candidacy, he declared he was going to “cancel the blank check” the Trump administration had given Saudi Arabia during its war in Yemen, in which thousands of people have lost their lives. The U.S. has several options on how it can respond to Saudi Arabia, such as “freezing all arms sales and security cooperation, to withdrawing U.S. troops from Saudi Arabia,” Sheline said.

☆ Germany's Scholz seeks to deepen energy partnership with Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterJEDDAH, Sept 24 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Saturday after a meeting with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that he wants to deepen the energy partnership between the two countries. Speaking to reporters, Scholz said that the partnership should go beyond fossil fuels to include hydrogen and renewable energies. Germany, until recently heavily dependent on Russia for gas, has been seeking to diversify its energy supply since Russia invaded Ukraine in February. Khashoggi's killing at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul four years ago triggered a global outcry and put pressure on Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Andreas Rinke, Writing by Tom Sims, Editing by Angus MacSwanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud Fast Facts
▼ + stars: | 2015-02-27 | by ( Cnn Editorial Research | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Here is a look at the life of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, who succeeded his half brother King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz on January 22, 2015. October 16, 2018 - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visits King Salman and Prince bin Salman in Riyadh to talk about Khashoggi’s death. Saudi officials maintain that King Salman and Prince bin Salman had no involvement. July 15, 2022 - US President Joe Biden visits King Salman and Prince bin Salman in Jeddah. Biden indicates to Prince bin Salman that he believes bin Salman was to blame for the killing of Khashoggi.

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