The
CIA director was absent from last week’s briefing by
Trump administration officials, drawing the ire of some lawmakers
CIA Director
Gina Haspel will give a closed briefing to leaders of several US Senate committees on Tuesday on the killing of Saudi journalist
Jamal Khashoggi, according to two sources familiar with the planned meeting.
Some lawmakers were angry Haspel did not participate in a Senate briefing by Trump administration officials last week on Khashoggi’s death at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
The CIA has assessed that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing of Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi government.
The Wall Street Journal first reported that Haspel would conduct a briefing.
At last week’s briefing, the secretary of state, Mike Pompeo and the defense secretary, Jim Mattis, said there was no hard evidence the crown prince was behind the killing and urged senators not to downgrade ties with Saudi Arabia over the incident.
Haspel will brief the Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations, Armed Services and Appropriations committees, the source said, adding that the Senate Intelligence Committee already had been briefed by the CIA chief.
A Senate source said Senate leaders would also participate in the briefing, which is scheduled for 11.30am ET. (4.30 GMT)
The CIA had no immediate comment.