Former CIA Director John Brennan, during an interview on MSNBC Wednesday night, claimed the White House and the Saudis are working together to “concoct a story” about what happened to Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and urged Congress to “hold the administration’s feet to the fire.”
In an interview discussing the disappearance of Khashoggi on “All In” with Chris Hayes, the host told Brennan, “It also seems now we’re in this surreal and morally horrific situation in which the White House and the Saudis seem to be trying to sort of figure out what story they can come up with that they can both have plausibility for Mohammad bin Salman.”
Brennan agreed, stating, “Yes, and their challenge is that they don’t know the full extent of what the U.S. Intelligence agencies and the Turks know. So I’m sure that they have been working to try to concoct a story that’s going to stand up to the scrutiny that will be immediately put on it. And so how can they claim then that Mohammad bin Salman had no responsibility whatsoever? And is he looking for the scapegoats inside of Saudi Arabia? Has he already taken action against them to silence them? Even if he does that though, if U.S. Intelligence has damning authorization about his role, or his authorization his story is going to fall apart.”
Brennan continued, “That’s why it’s so important for the intelligence agencies, and CIA, to fully brief the intelligence committees on the hill so that they have full insight into what happened there and they can then hold the administration’s feet to the fire.”
President Trump earlier in the day, when asked about Khashoggi, said, “I’ll have a full report on that from Mike when he comes back.” The President was referring to Secretary of state Mike Pompeo, who went to Turkey and Saudi Arabia to find out more about the possible murder of Jamal Khashoggi.