Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Tuesday, Mar 17, 2026

A chilling new chapter of alleged perfidy by the Saudi crown prince

A chilling new chapter of alleged perfidy by the Saudi crown prince

New allegations remind us Saudi Arabia is led by a ruthless despot.
SAUDI ARABIA’S assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi took place Oct. 2, 2018. Khashoggi, a Post contributing columnist then living in exile, went to the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul for paperwork so he could remarry. As has been documented by United Nations envoy Agnes Callamard, a Saudi hit squad arrived with forensic tools, including a bone saw. The Khashoggi killing came after previous attempts by the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, to lure the journalist back to the kingdom and silence him.

The Khashoggi case is one of deception and murder with impunity. Khashoggi’s body has never been found. Now comes a chilling new chapter of alleged Saudi perfidy that should once again remind all that the kingdom is led by a ruthless despot.

When Khashoggi disappeared, the kingdom said he had requested the paperwork at the consulate and “exited shortly thereafter.” On Oct. 7, a Saudi official, responding to reports that Khashoggi was killed in the consulate, “strongly denounced these baseless allegations.” On Oct. 8, the Saudi ambassador to the United States said reports Khashoggi was detained or killed “are absolutely false, and baseless.” On Oct. 15, President Trump said he talked to the crown prince and “his was a flat denial.”

However, a lawsuit filed Thursday alleges that about the same day the crown prince made the “flat denial,” a second Saudi hit squad traveled to Canada. This time, the target was Saad Aljabri, a former top Saudi intelligence official who had worked closely with U.S. officials on counterterrorism in the past. The crown prince apparently wanted to silence him, too. The lawsuit, brought by Mr. Aljabri, contains unproven allegations, but they have eerie parallels to Khashoggi’s assassination. According to the complaint, the Saudi killers who flew to Toronto belonged to the “Tiger Squad,” the crown prince’s “personal mercenary group”; they carried two bags of forensic tools; and the squad included an instructor in the same criminal evidence department as the executioner who dismembered Khashoggi. The squad members, traveling on tourist visas, were asked by Canadian officers at border control if they knew each other. They lied, saying they did not. On secondary screening, a photograph was discovered of them together and their plot was thwarted, the lawsuit says.

In his final minutes of life, Khashoggi was told by his killers, “There is an order from Interpol. Interpol requested you to be sent back.” Mr. Aljabri alleges in his complaint that the crown prince threatened him on WhatsApp on Sept. 10, 2017, that if he did not return to the kingdom on his own, a worldwide manhunt would be initiated based on bogus corruption charges diffused by Interpol, the international police organization. The crown prince tried to make good on the threat, but fortunately Interpol rejected the material in 2018 as “politically motivated.”

The new allegations, if proved, reinforce the conclusion that the kingdom is led by a crown prince who commands death squads and continues to evade accountability for murder.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Saudi Arabia Targets South African Professionals in New Recruitment Drive Amid Regional Uncertainty
Formula One Faces Major Financial Hit as Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix Cancelled Amid Middle East Conflict
U.S. and Saudi Firms Launch Local Production of Attritable Drone Systems in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia and UAE Warn Rising Gulf Tensions Could Endanger Regional Security
Saudi Arabia Rejects Claims It Encouraged Prolonged War With Iran
Saudi Arabia to Host World’s Largest Single-Cell Protein Plant as Food Security Push Accelerates
Saudi Crown Prince Urges Trump to Continue Military Pressure on Iran
Iran Intensifies Drone Campaign Against Saudi Arabia as Gulf Conflict Escalates
When Is Eid al-Fitr 2026? Saudi Arabia Awaits Moon Sighting to Confirm End of Ramadan
When Is Eid al-Fitr 2026? Saudi Arabia Awaits Moon Sighting to Confirm End of Ramadan
Iranian Missile Strike Damages Five U.S. Refueling Aircraft at Saudi Air Base
Iranian Missile Strike Damages Five U.S. Refueling Aircraft at Saudi Air Base
Washington State Pilot Among Six U.S. Airmen Killed in Military Aircraft Crash Over Iraq
Severe Storm Threat Looms Over Washington as Tornado Risk and Damaging Winds Target Mid-Atlantic
Trump Supports FCC Warning to Broadcasters Over Iran War Reporting
Trump Supports FCC Warning to Broadcasters Over Iran War Reporting
Saudi Stocks Edge Lower as Tadawul All Share Index Slips Slightly at Market Close
Iranian Missile and Drone Strike Targets Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base Hosting US Aircraft
Saudi Air Defenses Intercept Drone Over Eastern Province as Iranian Strike Campaign Intensifies
Middle East War Reshapes Gulf Economies as Saudi Arabia and Oman Gain Strategic Leverage While UAE Faces Economic Shock
Iranian Ambassador in Riyadh Blames ‘Enemies’ for Attacks Across the Gulf
Israeli Envoy Ron Dermer Reportedly Visits Saudi Arabia for Discussions on Potential Lebanon Talks
Formula One Cancels Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix Scheduled for April
Iran’s Ambassador in Riyadh Rejects Claims Tehran Targeted Saudi Oil Facilities
Saudi Arabia Declares 2026 ‘Year of Artificial Intelligence’ in Major Push for Data-Driven Economy
Saudi Arabia’s 2018 Budget Signals Strong Push for Non-Oil Economic Growth
Pakistan Envoy in Riyadh Says Regional Diplomacy Intensifying to Prevent Wider Middle East War
Saudi Arabia Intercepts Dozens of Drones as Regional Strikes Kill Two in Oman
Saudi Arabia Redirects Oil Exports to Red Sea Ports as Strait of Hormuz Tensions Escalate
Saudi Arabia Intercepts Missile and Drone Barrage as Regional Conflict Intensifies
Iran Expands Drone and Missile Campaign Across Gulf as Conflict With US and Israel Intensifies
Muslims Worldwide Await Saudi Moon Sighting to Confirm Eid al-Fitr 2026 Date
F1 Calendar Faces Major Disruption as Middle East Conflict Threatens Bahrain and Saudi Races
Trump Says Most US Aircraft Hit in Saudi Base Attack Suffered Minimal Damage
Trump Says Most US Aircraft Hit in Saudi Base Attack Suffered Minimal Damage
Strait of Hormuz Crisis Forces Saudi Arabia Into Major Oil Production Shut-In
Strait of Hormuz Crisis Forces Saudi Arabia Into Major Oil Production Shut-In
Saudi Arabia Slashes Oil Output as Strait of Hormuz Crisis Cuts Deep Into Gulf Revenues
Saudi Arabia’s Cultural Scene Presses Ahead as Nation Navigates Regional War
Saudi-Pakistan Defence Pact Faces Real-World Constraints as Iran War Escalates
Saudi Arabia Offers Two Million Barrels of Crude From Red Sea as War Disrupts Gulf Exports
Formula One Faces Tens of Millions in Lost Revenue if Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Races Are Cancelled
Formula One Set to Cancel Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix Amid Escalating Middle East War
Saudi Arabia Downs Dozens of Iranian Drones in Major Defensive Operation
Saudi Arabia Cuts Oil Output by About Twenty Percent as Iran War Disrupts Gulf Energy Flows
Formula One Set to Cancel Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix Amid Escalating Iran War
Asian Energy Security Tested as Strait of Hormuz Disruption Threatens Oil Supplies
Iran Sets Three Conditions for Ending Regional War as Diplomatic Efforts Intensify
Saudi Arabia Launches Royal Institute of Anthropology to Examine Social Transformation
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Arrives in Saudi Arabia for High-Level Talks
×