Sen. Lindsey Graham on Tuesday blasted Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the putative leader of Saudi Arabia, over the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi, calling him "a wrecking ball" and alleging without citing evidence that he had the missing journalist "murdered."

"This guy is a wrecking ball, he had this guy murdered in a consulate in Turkey, and to expect me to ignore it, I feel used and abused," the South Carolina Republican said on "Fox and Friends."

Graham, who had previously been a staunch defender of Saudi Arabia, did not provide any evidence to support his claim that the crown prince is responsible for Khashoggi's disappearance.

Graham urged President Donald Trump to “sanction the hell out of Saudi Arabia" and said bin Salman, who is often referred to by his initials, MBS, has "gotta go."

"We deal with bad people all the time, but this is in our face. I feel personally offended. They have nothing but contempt,” he said.

Graham then turned to the camera and said, "Saudi Arabia, if you’re listening, there are a lot of good people you could choose, but MBS has tainted your country and tainted himself."

Graham’s comments come just a day after NBC News, citing three people with knowledge of the situation, reported that Saudi Arabia’s government is discussing a plan to admit that Khashoggi was killed after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.

According to two of the individuals, the Saudis are putting together an explanation that would absolve the crown prince of responsibility by giving him plausible deniability to say he didn’t order the killing and didn’t know about it.

A spokeswoman for the Saudi Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the discussions.

Khashoggi, a Saudi citizen and critic of the government who wrote for The Washington Post, vanished on Oct. 2 after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, triggering a major diplomatic crisis for the kingdom.

Turkish authorities have told U.S. officials that they have recordings from inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul that provide evidence that the missing journalist was killed inside. NBC News has not heard or seen any purported recordings.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Saudi King Salman and bin Salman in Riyadh on Tuesday to discuss the disappearance and alleged murder of Khashoggi. </s> US Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican close to President Donald Trump, on Tuesday accused Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of ordering the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and called him a “wrecking ball” who is jeopardising relations with the United States.

Many members of the US Congress, which has long had a testy relationship with Saudi Arabia, have issued strong criticism of the kingdom since Khashoggi’s disappearance at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.

Graham put the blame directly on the crown prince, who is known by his initials, MbS.

“Nothing happens in Saudi Arabia without MbS knowing it,” he said in an interview with Fox News.

“I’ve been their biggest defender on the floor of the United States Senate,” Graham said. “This guy is a wrecking ball. He had this guy murdered in a consulate in Turkey and to expect me to ignore it. I feel used and abused,” Graham said.

“The MbS figure is to me toxic. He can never be a world leader on the world stage.”

Saudi Arabia denies that it had any role in Khashoggi’s disappearance. But last week, 22 senators triggered a US investigation of whether human rights sanctions should be imposed over the disappearance of Khashoggi.

Graham said he did not know what Trump was going to do about the incident, which involves the United States’ close but complicated relationship with Saudi Arabia.

“I know what I’m going to do. I’m going to sanction the hell out of Saudi Arabia,” Graham said. “I feel personally offended. They have nothing but contempt for us. Why would you put a guy like me and the president and in this box after all the president has done? This guy’s gotta go.”

Trump has taken a less aggressive stance toward the Saudis, suggesting on Monday after speaking with Saudi King Salman that perhaps “rogue killers” were behind the disappearance of Khashoggi, a sharp critic of the crown prince.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met the Saudi king and crown prince on Tuesday to discuss the disappearance of Khashoggi. </s> • Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham on Tuesday said Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is "toxic" and can "never be a world leader on the world stage."
• Graham said the crown prince had Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi "murdered."
• The Republican senator said he plans to "sanction the hell out of Saudi Arabia."

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham on Tuesday said Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is "toxic" and can "never be a world leader on the world stage."

Graham said he believed the crown prince had Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi "murdered" in Turkey and said he felt "personally offended" by what's happened given how often he's defend the Saudi kingdom's interests on the Senate floor.

"This guy is a wrecking ball, he had this guy murdered in a consulate in Turkey, and to expect me to ignore it, I feel used and abused," Graham said of the crown prince in an appearance on "Fox & Friends."

Graham also said the US shouldn't do business with Saudi Arabian again "until we get this behind us." The Republican senator said he would not go back to Saudi Arabia as long as the crown prince is in charge.

When asked what President Donald Trump should do about the situation, Graham said "it's up to him," adding that he plans to "sanction the hell out of Saudi Arabia."

Since being named crown prince and heir to the throne in 2017, Mohammed bin Salman has made a number of controversial moves to consolidate power, including arresting other princes and prominent businessmen, part of the reason Khashoggi left Saudi Arabia for the US last June.

Khashoggi disappeared on October 2 after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, and Turkish officials have said he was interrogated and killed there. Saudi Arabia has so far denied harming Khashoggi in any way and claim he safely departed the consulate, but has not provided evidence to confirm this.

On Tuesday, a high-level Turkish official said police found "certain evidence" Khashoggi was killed in the consulate.

Khashoggi's mysterious disappearance has placed the historic relationship between the US and Saudi Arabian governments in a precarious position. A bipartisan group of senators have called for the US to cease arms sales to Saudi Arabia and many have also signaled support for economic sanctions in relation to the Khashoggi case. </s> WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican close to President Donald Trump, on Tuesday accused Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of ordering the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and called him a “wrecking ball” who is jeopardizing relations with the United States.

Many members of the U.S. Congress, which has long had a testy relationship with Saudi Arabia, have issued strong criticism of the kingdom since Khashoggi’s disappearance at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.

Graham put the blame directly on the crown prince, who is known by his initials, MbS.

“Nothing happens in Saudi Arabia without MbS knowing it,” he said in an interview with Fox News.

“I’ve been their biggest defender on the floor of the United States Senate,” Graham said. “This guy is a wrecking ball. He had this guy murdered in a consulate in Turkey and to expect me to ignore it. I feel used and abused,” Graham said.

“The MbS figure is to me toxic. He can never be a world leader on the world stage.”

Saudi Arabia denies that it had any role in Khashoggi’s disappearance. But last week, 22 senators triggered a U.S. investigation of whether human rights sanctions should be imposed over the disappearance of Khashoggi.

Graham said he did not know what Trump was going to do about the incident, which involves the United States’ close but complicated relationship with Saudi Arabia.

“I know what I’m going to do. I’m going to sanction the hell out of Saudi Arabia,” Graham said. “I feel personally offended. They have nothing but contempt for us. Why would you put a guy like me and the president and in this box after all the president has done? This guy’s gotta go.”

Trump has taken a less aggressive stance toward the Saudis, suggesting on Monday after speaking with Saudi King Salman that perhaps “rogue killers” were behind the disappearance of Khashoggi, a sharp critic of the crown prince.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met the Saudi king and crown prince on Tuesday to discuss the disappearance of Khashoggi. </s> WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, who has been sharply critical of Saudi Arabia after the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, said on Friday he was highly sceptical of the Saudi explanation for Khashoggi's death.

"To say that I am sceptical of the new Saudi narrative about Mr. Khashoggi is an understatement," Graham said on Twitter.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. </s> WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, who has been sharply critical of Saudi Arabia after the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, said on Friday he was highly skeptical of the Saudi explanation for Khashoggi’s death.

“To say that I am skeptical of the new Saudi narrative about Mr. Khashoggi is an understatement,” Graham said on Twitter. </s> Sen. Lindsey Graham said Tuesday on Fox News that he wants to see Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman forced out of his position after the mysterious disappearance of activist Jamal Khashoggi.

“This guy has got to go,” Graham, R-S.C., said on “Fox and Friends.” “Saudi Arabia, if you’re listening: There are a lot of good people you can choose, but MBS has tainted your country and tainted himself.”

He added, “The MBS figure is, to me, toxic. He can never be a world leader on the world stage.”

Khashoggi vanished two weeks ago during a visit to the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Turkish officials said they fear Khashoggi was killed and dismembered inside the consulate.

The Saudis have called the allegations “baseless," but multiple media outlets reported Monday that the Saudi government may say that rogue intelligence operatives murdered Khashoggi by mistake inside the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul earlier this month during an interrogation that went wrong.

Khashoggi had written critically about Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, son of King Salman, for The Washington Post. The prince is next in the line to the throne, and his rise to power prompted the writer’s self-imposed exile in the U.S.

Asked who should replace him, Graham said, “That’s up to them. Not my job.”

“I know this: Nothing what happens in Saudi Arabia without MBS knowing it,” Graham said.

He added, “I'm not going back to Saudi Arabia as long as this guy is in charge.”

Graham's remarks come as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo landed Tuesday in Saudi Arabia to meet with King Salman over the disappearance of Khashoggi.

SAUDI ARABIA CONSIDERS SAYING KHASHOGGI WAS KILLED BY MISTAKE, REPORTS SAY

Pompeo is set to visit the place where Khashoggi was last seen.

“I feel used and abused. I was on the floor every time defending Saudi Arabia because they’re a good ally,” Graham said.

President Donald Trump, after speaking with King Salman, had dispatched Pompeo on Monday to speak to the monarch of the world's top oil exporter about Khashoggi's disappearance.

“I am immediately sending our Secretary of State to meet with King!” Trump tweeted Monday.

Khashoggi has criticized Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen, its recent diplomatic spat with Canada and its arrest of women's rights activists after the lifting of a driving ban for women—policies seen as initiatives of the crown prince.

Fox News’ Amy Lieu and The Associated Press contributed to this report. </s> Graham, who had previously been a staunch defender of Saudi Arabia, did not provide any evidence to support his claim that the crown prince is responsible for Khashoggi's disappearance.

Graham urged President Donald Trump to "sanction the hell out of Saudi Arabia" and said bin Salman, who is often referred to by his initials, MBS, has "gotta go."

"We deal with bad people all the time, but this is in our face. I feel personally offended. They have nothing but contempt," he said.

Graham then turned to the camera and said, "Saudi Arabia, if you're listening, there are a lot of good people you could choose, but MBS has tainted your country and tainted himself."

Graham's comments come just a day after NBC News, citing three people with knowledge of the situation, reported that Saudi Arabia's government is discussing a plan to admit that Khashoggi was killed after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.

According to two of the individuals, the Saudis are putting together an explanation that would absolve the crown prince of responsibility by giving him plausible deniability to say he didn't order the killing and didn't know about it.

A spokeswoman for the Saudi Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the discussions.

Khashoggi, a Saudi citizen and critic of the government who wrote for The Washington Post, vanished on Oct. 2 after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, triggering a major diplomatic crisis for the kingdom.

Turkish authorities have told U.S. officials that they have recordings from inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul that provide evidence that the missing journalist was killed inside. NBC News has not heard or seen any purported recordings.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Saudi King Salman and bin Salman in Riyadh on Tuesday to discuss the disappearance and alleged murder of Khashoggi. </s> • King Salman of Saudi Arabia is reportedly tightening his grip on Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s power as an uncomfortable spotlight falls on the kingdom over Jamal Khashoggi’s mysterious disappearance.
• The king was apparently in the dark about the case at first, but the crown prince eventually asked him to step in.
• The king is reportedly “asserting himself” over the crown prince, who is suspected of orchestrating Khashoggi’s disappearance.

King Salman of Saudi Arabia is reportedly tightening his grip on Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s power as an uncomfortable spotlight falls on the kingdom over journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s mysterious disappearance.

Sources close to the royal court told Reuters the king was initially in the dark about the case, which was apparently due in part to efforts from the crown prince to shield him from the news.

But as the condemnation of Saudi Arabia spiraled into a foreign policy crisis, the crown prince reportedly asked his aging father to step in and take the lead. Now, the king is reportedly “asserting himself” over the crown prince as he works to put out the fire.

The 33-year old crown prince was already a controversial figure before this crisis due to his dubious means of consolidating power. At first, he painted himself as a modernizer and reformer, but that image quickly faded as he’s arrested fellow princes and prominent businessmen. He’s worked vigilantly to crackdown on dissent.

Amid the Khashoggi crisis, there have been widespread calls for King Salman to rethink his son’s immense influence in Saudi Arabia and position as heir to the throne.

“Even if he is his favorite son, the king needs to have a comprehensive view for his survival and the survival of the royal family,” a source close to the royal family told Reuters.

Relatedly, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham recently described bin Salman as “toxic” and said he’s “gotta go.”

“This guy is a wrecking ball, he had this guy murdered in a consulate in Turkey, and to expect me to ignore it, I feel used and abused,” Graham said in a Tuesday appearance on “Fox & Friends.”

Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist, went missing after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2. The Saudis have denied allegations of killing Khashoggi, but after over two weeks still haven’t provided any proof he safely departed the consulate.

The crown prince, referred to colloquially as MBS, is suspected of orchestrating Khashoggi’s disappearance.

Khashoggi had left Saudi Arabia in the past year over fears for his safety, after the royal court barred him from writing. He became a US resident and wrote columns for The Washington Post.
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• Lindsey Graham says ‘toxic’ Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had Khashoggi ‘murdered’ and can ‘never be a world leader’
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Senior U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham states that Mohammed bin Salman has murdered Khashoggi and that the country's crown prince has "got to go".