The murder of Washington Post columnist and Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi by men with close ties to the highest levels of the Saudi government continues to affect the U.S.-Saudi partnership, with the State Department recently rejecting a plan to train Saudi intelligence services over concerns the kingdom continues to exhibit lawless behavior, reports The Washington Post.
Khashoggi was killed and dismembered Oct. 2, 2018, in the Saudi consulate. The CIA concluded the crown prince personally ordered Khashoggi's murder, though President Donald Trump said he would not take strong action against Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. ally.
Saudi Arabia continues its abusive practices, per the Post, including attempts to force dissidents living in the U.S. back to the kingdom.
The licensing request to train the Saudi intelligence service by DynCorp's Culpeper unit was rejected following Khashoggi's murder, but the State Department is discussing ways to assist in the training while ensuring the U.S. does not engage in enabling lawless operations.
One possibility is the CIA could do the training directly, per the Post. The U.S. could also install formal oversight mechanisms.
"We want the GIP to be stronger, but we don't think this is the way," a State Department official told the Post.
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