Sen. Lindsey Graham, after his closed-door meeting with CIA director Gina Haspel, told reporters that “you have to be willfully blind” to believe Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman wasn’t involved in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and that “business as usual has come to an end”:
“You have to be willfully blind” to believe MBS didn’t orchestrate Khashoggi killing, @LindseyGrahamSC says. He says Pompeo being a “good soldier” last week when he said there was no direct evidence pic.twitter.com/AAsK7njr3O
— Garrett Haake (@GarrettHaake) December 4, 2018
“Business as usual as come to an end for me,” Graham says. He won’t support arms sales to Saudi until justice is done for all- including MBS
— Garrett Haake (@GarrettHaake) December 4, 2018
“There’s not a smoking gun, there’s a smoking saw”:
After the briefing with the CIA director, Sen. Lindsey Graham says he's confident MBS is responsible for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. “There’s not a smoking gun, there’s a smoking saw.”
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) December 4, 2018
Video here:
Sen. Lindsey Graham says he went into briefing with CIA head Haspel "believing it was virtually impossible" for Khashoggi killing to be carried out without crown prince's knowledge and left briefing with "high confidence" that his assessment is "correct" https://t.co/iZZbpgzx7c pic.twitter.com/Jr5FDynm9K
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) December 4, 2018
Graham also announced that he will no support arms sales to Saudi Arabia, which will quickly put him in conflict with President Trump:
Sen Graham now says he will work for a Congressional resolution citing Saudi Crown Prince as complicit in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, and cannot support arms sales to Saudi Arabia as long as he's in charge.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) December 4, 2018
FWIW, Graham will push for sanctions under the Magnitsky act and not the bill to end the war in Yemen from Senators Sanders, Lee and Murphy:
Senator Graham wants action against #Saudi for #Khashoggi murder but not the Sanders/Lee resolution on #Yemen war: wants more sanctions & a senate statement condemning #Saudi prince #MBS
— Barbara Plett Usher (@BBCBarbaraPlett) December 4, 2018
Graham says he will NOT vote for the Sanders-Lee-Murphy resolution itself but will try to build support for an amendment cutting off arms sales For war in Yemen and imposing Global Magnitsky sanctions on those responsible, including MBS
— Nicholas Fandos (@npfandos) December 4, 2018
More @LindseyGrahamSC: “I cannot support arms sales to Saudi Arabia so long as he’s in charge of Saudi Arabia." "I will not support the war in Yemen as constructed." Against Sanders/Lee resolution, for Global Magnitsky sanctions, Senate declaration #MBS was responsible.
— Nick Schifrin (@nickschifrin) December 4, 2018
Other Republicans in the briefing agreed with Graham’s assessment:
Republican Senator Richard Shelby says CIA director's briefing on Jamal Khashoggi's homicide confirmed "a lot of our thoughts about the reprehensible killing, something no one in the US would approve of" https://t.co/jcV6Z73ddv
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) December 4, 2018
"If the crown prince went in front of a jury, he would be convicted in 30 minutes,” GOP Sen. @BobCorker says after CIA Director Gina Haspel's briefing on the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.
When asked if the crown prince would be convicted of murder, Corker responded: “Yes." pic.twitter.com/zDUkmb5Ifv
— CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) December 4, 2018
To be continued:
BREAKING: After CIA Chief Gina Haspel just briefed Senators, it’s clear there is a bipartisan agreeement that the Saudi Crown Prince was behind the murder of WaPo journalist Jamal Khashoggi. A bill to respond to the assassination could hit the Senate floor as early as Monday.
— Scott Dworkin (@funder) December 4, 2018
***
Related:
NEW: James Mattis talks to reporters about Trump-troop visits, border security and James Khashoggi murder https://t.co/bwsSFwij0E
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) November 21, 2018
Donald Trump's new statement on Saudi Arabia and Jamal Khashoggi raises some eyebrows https://t.co/aIp86uel37
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) November 20, 2018
Evan McMullin: Trump’s violent rhetoric against the press emboldened peaceful Saudis to kill Jamal Khashoggi https://t.co/5uVtooBKxy
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) October 20, 2018
