Biden confronts Saudi crown prince over Khashoggi murder

US President Joe Biden said on Friday that he told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that he holds him responsible for the murder of Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi.

Speaking after talks with senior leaders in Saudi Arabia, Biden said the crown prince, known as MbS, denied involvement and said he was holding those responsible to account. After arriving in Saudi Arabia, Biden fist bumped with MbS and shook hands with King Salman. "Regarding the Khashoggi murder, I raised the issue at the beginning of the meeting and made it clear what I thought then and what I think now," Biden told reporters. "I was frank and direct in discussing it, I made my position clear, I said very clearly that it is incompatible with who we are and who I am for an American president to be silent on human rights." US intelligence says the crown prince directly authorized the killing of Khashoggi, a Saudi insider critic, by Saudi agents. Biden said what happened to Khashoggi was outrageous "He basically said he was not personally responsible for it," Biden said of the Crown Prince's response during their meeting. "And I indicated that I thought he was responsible." The president said they also discussed energy and that he expects "more action" on energy from Saudi Arabia, a major oil producer, in the coming weeks. As a presidential candidate, Biden had said the kingdom should be made a "pariah" on the world stage because of the murder. He said Friday that he did not regret that comment. Energy and security interests prompted Biden and his aides to decide not to isolate the Gulf oil giant, which has strengthened ties with Russia and China. The president's interaction with the crown prince sparked criticism at home, starting with a fist bump. At the start of Biden's Middle East trip, officials had said he would avoid close contact, such as shaking hands, as a precaution against COVID-19. However, the President began shaking hands during the Israeli leg of the tour.