Nikki Haley: Saudi Crown prince must stop ‘thuggish’ behavior

Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said Tuesday that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman must shed the “thuggish nature in which he has been acting.”

Haley told Tom Rogan of The Washington Examiner during a gaggle with reporters that the crown prince has been “careless at times,” but that he has shown he has “a lot of good ideas.”

She also indicated that how Crown Prince Mohammed handles the aftermath of the killing of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi will be key to his ability to lead the kingdom moving forward.

{mosads}”First and foremost, [the crown prince] owes us some accountability for what happened to Khashoggi. Without question,” Haley said.

The U.S. Mission to the U.N. did not immediately respond to a request for Haley’s full comments on Tuesday.

The remarks came on the same day that Haley delivered her final address to the U.N. Security Council. Haley announced in October that she would step down as ambassador at the end of the year.

President Trump has nominated State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert to replace Haley.

Khashoggi’s death has prompted international outcry and rebukes from U.S. lawmakers.

The Virginia resident and Washington Post columnist was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.

Turkish officials have alleged high-ranking Saudi leaders were involved in Khashoggi’s killing, and the U.S. Senate passed a resolution last week labeling the crown prince “responsible” for the journalist’s death.

Trump has drawn criticism for failing to condemn the crown prince over Khashoggi’s death. While the Trump administration has sanctioned a handful of Saudis deemed responsible for Khashoggi’s killing, the president has opted not to pursue further punishment, citing the importance of diplomatic and economic ties with the kingdom.

The Saudis have provided changing explanations for what happened to the outspoken critic of the kingdom’s leadership. The crown prince has denied involvement in the incident.