In the last week of October, Jared Kushner made an unexplained trip to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) in Riyadh. Sometime in the days that follow, MBS tells UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and others that Kushner is “in his pocket.”
One of the people MBS told about the discussion with Kushner was UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, according to a source who talks frequently to confidants of the Saudi and Emirati rulers. MBS bragged to the Emirati crown prince and others that Kushner was “in his pocket,” the source told The Intercept.
The Intercept
It’s unknown what exactly Kushner and MBS spoke about during their meeting. MBS claims that Kushner gave him names of Saudis disloyal to his regime. Even if that’s not the case, saying so gives the impression that MBS has the support of the United States. A week after this meeting, and likely a couple days after MBS says Kushner is in his pocket, the Crown Prince launches an “anti-corruption crackdown.”
The Saudi government arrested dozens of members of the Saudi royal family and imprisoned them in the Ritz-Carlton Riyadh, which was first reported in English by The Intercept. The Saudi figures named in the President’s Daily Brief were among those rounded up; at least one was reportedly tortured…
Trump has the legal authority to allow Kushner to disclose information contained in it. If Kushner discussed names with MBS as an approved tactic of U.S. foreign policy, the move would be a striking intervention by the U.S. into an unfolding power struggle at the top levels of an allied nation. If Kushner discussed the names with the Saudi prince without presidential authorization, however, he may have violated federal laws around the sharing of classified intelligence.
The Intercept
External Sources
Photo: Public Domain
