Jan 22, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Schiff asks new intel chief Avril Haines to declassify Jamal Khashoggi report

Ursula Perano

House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff on Friday formally asked Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines to declassify a report on the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Why it matters: The Washington Post has reported that the CIA concluded with a high degree of confidence that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — a close ally of the Trump administration — ordered Khashoggi's assassination. The Trump administration never released the report to the public.

A 2019 United Nations investigation into Khashoggi's death also concluded that he was murdered by associates of MBS.
Haines, who was confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday, vowed in her confirmation hearing to release the report.

What they're saying: "The brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi was an assault on human rights," Schiff tweeted. "But for a year the Trump Admin refused to make public an unclassified report on Saudi Arabia's culpability. I have asked Director Haines to declassify this report. There must be accountability and justice."

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Schiff asks new intel chief Avril Haines to declassify Jamal Khashoggi report

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