Jared Kushner told Trump outrage over Khashoggi will pass: report

A New York Timesreport published Thursday suggests that the Saudi regime is looking to pin blame for the apparent torture and dismemberment of journalist Jamal Khashoggi on a senior intelligence official.

The official is apparently high enough in the Saudi intelligence hierarchy that it might appear plausible that he ordered the operation without Mohammed bin Salman's knowledge or expressed approval.

The article also notes that Jared Kushner, who's been the main connect between the Trump administration and Salman, has urged the President to stick by the Saudi crown prince.

According to senior officials who spoke to the Times, Kushner has made the case that international outrage over Khashoggi's fate is bound to fade.

"Mr. Kushner has argued that the crown prince can survive the outrage just as he has weathered past criticism," the article notes.

Read the full report here.

(Note: This article has been updated, after the New York Times removed a paragraph that stated: "Mr. Kushner has argued that the outrage over Mr. Khashoggi’s disappearance and possible killing will pass, just as it did after other Saudi errors like the kidnapping of the prime minister of Lebanon and the killing of a busload of children in Yemen.")