WASHINGTON/LONDON ¨C Saudi Arabia on Sunday called the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at its Istanbul consulate a ¡°huge and grave mistake¡± but sought to shield its powerful crown prince from the widening crisis, saying Mohammed bin Salman had not been aware.
The comments from Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir were some of the most direct yet from Riyadh, which has given multiple and conflicting accounts about Khashoggi¡¯s killing on Oct.2, first denying his death before admitting it on Saturday amid an international outcry.
The kingdom¡¯s weeks of denial and lack of credible evidence in the face of allegations from Turkish officals that Khashoggi had been killed have shaken global confidence in ties with the world¡¯s top oil exporter, Western governments say.
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