26 February 2019•Update: 27 February 2019
By Umar Farooq
WASHINGTON
A cohort of Democratic senators on Tuesday introduced a bill requesting the head of U.S. intelligence submit an unclassified report on the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Within the report needs to be "identification of those who carried out, participated in, ordered, or were otherwise complicit in or responsible for the death of Jamal Khashoggi," the senators said in the legislation.
The bill was introduced by senators Ron Wyden, Martin Heinrich, Jack Reed, Kamala Harris and Chris Coons, and if passed, would require the director of national intelligence, Dan Coats, to submit the report within 30 days of the enactment of the act.
Khashoggi was brutally murdered inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul shortly after he entered the diplomatic facility late last year. Riyadh initially denied any role in the killing but has since sought to blame his death on a botched rendition operation being carried out by rogue agents.
In November, the CIA concluded with high confidence Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered Khashoggi's killing, according to The Washington Post.
U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration, however, have stayed away from placing any blame on the crown prince.
