Joe Biden confronts Saudi crown prince over Jamal Khashoggi murder, expects action on energy
- The US president says he told the royal he held him responsible for the journalist’s killings, but the leader denied involvement
- Biden’s interaction with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, including a fist bump, signals a contentious bid to reset relations with the kingdom he vowed to snub
US President Joe Biden said on Friday he told Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman he held him responsible for the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi as they held talks meant to reset relations with the key Arab ally.
Biden, speaking after meetings with Saudi Arabia’s top leaders, said the crown prince, known as MBS, denied involvement and said he had held those responsible to account.
Biden shared a fist bump with MBS and shook hands with King Salman after arriving in Saudi Arabia.
“With respect to the murder of Khashoggi, I raised it at the top of the meeting, making it clear what I thought of it at the time and what I think about it now,” Biden told reporters.
“I was straight forward and direct in discussing it. I made my view crystal clear. I said very straightforwardly, for an American president to be silent on an issue of human rights is inconsistent with who we are and who I am.”
