US intel report finds Saudi crown prince approved Khashoggi operation, reports

A U.S. intelligence report released Friday on the murder of Jamal Khashoggi states Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Mohammad bin Salman, approved the operation to capture or kill the journalist, according to new reports.

"We assess that Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey to capture or kill Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi," states the report's executive summary, according to CNN. 

"We base this assessment on the Crown Prince's control of decision-making in the Kingdom, the direct involvement of a key adviser and members of Muhammad bin Salman's protective detail in the operation, and the Crown Prince's support for using violent measures to silence dissidents abroad, including Khashoggi," the report says.

The Biden administration released the long-awaited declassified intelligence report, which includes the three-page executive summary.

The administration gave the declassified report to Congress, which mandated its release, ahead of its public release, CNN also reports.

Khashoggi, a U.S.-based Saudi journalist, was killed on Sept. 28, 2018, in Istanbul, Turkey while obtaining documents needed to marry his fiancée, who is Turkish.

Khashoggi was known for his monthly column in the Washington Post and reporting on the Saudi royal family.