MbS tried killing me in Canada, alleges ex-Saudi intel officer
What's the story
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, already facing scrutiny for the killing of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, has been now accused of another serious crime by a former intelligence officer, Saad Aljabri. Saad filed a lawsuit on Thursday claiming that MbS sent a hit squad to Canada to have him killed. He also alleged that his kids have been taken hostage.
Profile
Who is Saad Aljabri, the officer on MbS' alleged "hitlist"
The right-hand man of deposed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, whose amicable ties with US-based CIA were well-known, Saad holds a doctorate degree in artificial intelligence from the University of Edinburgh. He aided the US' war against terrorism after 2001 attack on twin towers. Saad also played a pivotal role in Riyadh's relationship with the "Five Eyes," viz., US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
What happened
Saad remained an influential person until MbS became powerful
Notably, for Saad, who lived a fulfilling life, things took a grim turn in 2015 when Salman sat on the throne and made MbS the defense minister. In the next two years, MbS launched a concerted campaign to throw Nayef out of the succession line. With Nayef's downfall, his aides suffered too, and Saad took the conscious decision of moving to Canada.
Allegations
He claims to possessing incriminating evidence about MbS' "disgraceful" rise
While he remained in Canada, Saad said MbS made several attempts to reach out to him. In the lawsuit filed in Washington, the former official claimed he is being "wanted" by MbS because he carries damning evidence about his rise to power. To support his claims, Saad is learned to have approached former CIA officials. Some of these people vouched for his credibility.
Support
Former CIA officials have amazing opinions about Saad
Those who have said glowing things about Saad include Michael Morell, CIA's acting director during ex-President Barack Obama's regime. Another person who hailed Saad was Daniel Hoffman; he retired from the CIA in 2017. He said no one had "better understanding of counter-terrorism than Dr. Saad." In fact, on July 7, four senators also told President Donald Trump that Saad is a close ally.
Harassment
To bring Saad back to Saudi, MbS arrested his children
As per the lawsuit, that runs into more than 100 pages, Saad claimed that MbS has been harassing his family members. Since March, Saad alleged, the Kingdom has arrested his 22-year-old son Omar, 20-year-old daughter Sarah, and his brother. MbS has been taking to force to bring me back to Saudi, claimed Saad in the lawsuit. He, however, hasn't furnished enough supporting evidence.
Details
After Khashoggi died, "Tiger Squad" came for me: Saad
The most serious charge that Saad levied on MbS was that he sent his personal mercenary team — the Tiger Squad — to kill him in Canada, soon after Khashoggi was murdered inside Istanbul's Saudi consulate. The plan was foiled by Canadian customs officials, said the lawsuit. It's alleged the hitmen carried forensic tools, which could have been used for dismembering a body.
Reason
Family went to US court after running out of options
In an interview, Saad's son, Canada-based cardiologist, Dr. Khalid Aljabri, said they filed the lawsuit after exhausting all the options. "We hope that this will help end the torment that my family is suffering," he added. While the Kingdom hasn't said much on the allegations, unnamed Saudi officials told The Wall Street Journal last month that Saad was involved in high-scale corruption.