King Salman orders restructuring of Saudi Arabia's central intelligence agency

Saudi Arabian News AgencySPAKing Salman has ordered a restructuring of the central intelligence agency headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's foreign minister said yesterday. Three government bodies have also been created to oversee intelligence operations, ensuring they comply with the national security strategy, international law and "authorized procedures".

However, the Saudi Arabian government and media did not mention the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the decision to establish new intelligence oversight agencies.

After repeated denials, Saudi Arabia admitted responsibility for Khashoggi's murder after failing to convince him to return home. His body was cut into pieces and removed from the consulate. Khashoggi's murder was orchestrated by former deputy intelligence chief Ahmad al-Assiri and Saud al-Qahtani, a close adviser to Crown Prince Mohammed. Both were among six officials fired.

The international backlash has discredited Crown Prince Mohammed and severely weakened Saudi Arabia's diplomatic standing. Khashoggi's murder has also drawn global attention to the Riyadh-led military campaign in Yemen, which has been described as "one of the forgotten humanitarian crises of 2018."

Last week, the US Senate voted to pass two resolutions proposed by Republican lawmakers, asking the US government to stop supporting the Saudi Arabian coalition's campaign in Yemen and accusing Crown Prince Mohammed of being responsible for Khashoggi's death.

Riyadh has also charged 11 people in connection with the assassination, with five facing the death penalty. The CIA is said to have concluded that Crown Prince Mohammed ordered a team of 15 assassins to kill Khashoggi, but has refused to comment on the information.