INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
prince and heaped praise on the judiciary Monday, in his first public remarks since critic Jamal Khashoggi's murder tipped the country into
one of its worst crises.The public prosecutor last week exonerated Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the king's son, of involvement in the
murder in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, but the CIA reportedly concluded he had ordered the assassination.The prosecutor
called for the death penalty against five men, announced indictments against 11 people, and said a total of 21 individuals were in custody
in connection with the killing."The kingdom was founded on Islamic principles of justice and equality, and we are proud of the efforts of
the judiciary and the public prosecution," the 82-year-old monarch said in his annual address to the Shura Council, a top advisory
body.Saudi Arabia has offered shifting accounts of what happened, initially saying Jamal Khashoggi left the embassy after receiving his
documents and later that he was killed when an argument degenerated into a fistfight (File Photo)"We ensure that this country will never
deviate from implementing God's law without discrimination," he added, without directly addressing the murder of The Washington Post
columnist in his speech.In Saudi Arabia's absolute monarchy, only the king has the authority to oust the powerful crown prince -- who faces
intense global criticism over the murder -- but he has repeatedly indicated that he has no intention to do so.In his speech, the king
praised his son's economic reform program aimed at creating jobs for a swelling youth population and preparing the kingdom for a post-crude
era.Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya television reported the prince will attend the upcoming Group of 20 summit in Argentina, his first overseas trip
since the murder.In a show of defiance, the prince will come face-to-face with international leaders from Turkey, the United States and
other European nations at the two-day summit that begins November 30."The crown prince is sending a very clear message to the international
community that nothing they say or do over the Khashoggi affair will interfere with Saudi decision making," said Kristian Ulrichsen, a
fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute in the United States.Saudi King Salman stood by crown prince Mohammed bin Salman and heaped
praise on the judiciary Monday, in his first public remarks since critic Jamal Khashoggi's murder tipped the country into one of its worst
crises (File Photo)"Effectively, he is daring his international critics to put their rhetoric into action and betting that they
won't."Shoring Up SupportTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who claims the orders for the killing came from "the highest levels" of the
Saudi government, has pledged that no cover-up of the crime will be allowed.But US President Donald Trump has praised Saudi Arabia as a
"truly spectacular ally" and has refrained from blaming Prince Mohammed despite the Central Intelligence Agency's reported assessment that
he was behind the killing.Saudi Arabia -- which quickly dismissed the reported CIA findings -- has offered shifting accounts of what
happened, initially saying Khashoggi left the embassy after receiving his documents and later that he was killed when an argument
degenerated into a fistfight.In the latest version, the Saudi prosecutor said a 15-member team went to Istanbul to bring Khashoggi back to
the kingdom "by means of persuasion", but killed him instead in a rogue operation.The United States has sanctioned 17 Saudis for the crime,
including close aides of Prince Mohammed, and is set to make final conclusions this week over the killing.In a sign of further international
pressure, Germany on Monday said it will bar 18 Saudis from entering its territory and Europe's Schengen passport-free zone over their
alleged links to the murder.But shrugging off the scrutiny, the king and crown prince resumed an unprecedented domestic tour Monday with a
visit to northern Tabuk region, as they seek to leverage links with different tribes and religious leaders and shore up support for the
leadership.The visit follows a trip to central Qassim province and the neighbouring region of Hail earlier this month.King Salman has
pardoned some "insolvent prisoners" on his trips and last month ordered the resumption of annual bonus payments -- which were suspended
under austerity measures in 2016 -- to all government workers from the beginning of next year."The actions point to a campaign inside the
kingdom to shore up support within the ruling family and to demonstrate public confidence in the crown prince," said Kristin Diwan, of the
Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington."The king, relying upon the more traditional assets of prestige and patronage, has been central to
these efforts, in a clear bid to save the most valuable achievement of his reign: the consolidation of power and future rule in the hands of
his direct descendant."(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by TheIndianSubcontinent staff and is published from a
