Saudi Arabia rejected on December 17 recent moves of the US Senate over the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi Press Agency reported.
Protestors hold
pictures of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a demonstration in front
of the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul on October 8, 2018, in Istanbul.
The US Senate on December 13 voted to recommend ending US
military assistance to the Saudi-led operation in Yemen, and accused Saudi
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of involvement in the death of Saudi
journalist Khashoggi.
The positions of the US
Senate were based on "unsubstantiated claims and allegations, and
contained blatant interferences in the Kingdom's internal affairs, undermining
the Kingdom's regional and international role,"the Saudi Foreign Ministry
said in a statement.
The statement said that the
murder of Khashoggi is a deplorable crime which does not reflect the Kingdom's
policy.
Meanwhile, it also reaffirmed
its commitment to continue to further develop relations with the United States.
Khashoggi has been missing since he entered the Saudi
consulate in Istanbul on October 2. The Saudi authorities said he died in a
"brawl" in the consulate, and denied that the Saudi crown prince had
ordered the killing. The US Congress has urged a thorough investigation into
his death, and threatened to take more actions against Saudi Arabia, such as
sanctions and suspension of military support for the Saudi-led attack in Yemen,
if those responsible were not held accountable. However, the Trump
administration has been reluctant to further punish the Saudi government.
Source: NDO
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