Updated November 17, 2018 13:19:27

Photo: Jamal Khashoggi was a critic of the Saudi Government. (Reuters)

The CIA believes Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul, a source familiar with the matter says, complicating President Donald Trump's efforts to preserve ties with a key US ally.

The source told Reuters the CIA had briefed other parts of the US Government on its assessment, which contradicted Saudi Government assertions that Prince Mohammed was not involved.

The CIA's finding, first reported by the Washington Post, was the most definitive US assessment to date tying Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler directly to the killing.

Both the White House and the State Department declined to comment.

Khashoggi, a contributing columnist for the Washington Post, was killed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 when he went there to pick up documents he needed for his planned marriage to a Turkish woman.

A critic of the Saudi Government, he had resisted pressure from Riyadh to return home.

Saudi officials said a team of 15 Saudi nationals were sent to confront Khashoggi at the consulate and that he was accidentally killed in a chokehold by men who were trying to force him to return to the kingdom.

Turkish officials said the killing was intentional and have been pressuring Saudi Arabia to extradite those responsible to stand trial. An adviser to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday accused Saudi Arabia of trying to cover up the murder.

Photo: Mohammed bin Salman was unaware of the operation to try return Khashoggi to Saudi Arabia, according to Riyadh. (Saudi Press Agency via AP)

CIA 'examined multiple intelligence sources'

The adviser's remarks came after Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor said he was seeking the death penalty for five suspects charged in Khashoggi's killing.

The Saudi prosecutor, Shalaan al-Shalaan, told reporters the Saudi Crown Prince knew nothing of the operation, in which Khashoggi's body was dismembered and removed from the consulate.

The Post, citing people familiar with the matter, said the CIA reached its conclusions after examining multiple sources of intelligence, including a phone call that the Prince's brother — Khalid bin Salman, the Saudi ambassador to the United States — had with Khashoggi.

Mr Khalid told Khashoggi he should go to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to retrieve the documents and gave him assurances that it would be safe to do so, the Post said.

The newspaper, citing people familiar with the call, said it was not clear if Mr Khalid knew Khashoggi would be killed but that he made the call at his brother's direction.

Mr Khalid said in a tweet on Friday the last contact he had with Khashoggi was via text on October 26, 2017, nearly a year before the journalist's death.

"I never talked to him by phone and certainly never suggested he go to Turkey for any reason. I ask the US Government to release any information regarding this claim," he said.

Reuters

Topics: world-politics, politics-and-government, death, murder-and-manslaughter, crime, foreign-affairs, saudi-arabia, turkey

First posted November 17, 2018 11:55:35