Saad al-Jabri Accuses Saudi Crown Prince of Forgery

Saad al-Jabri, a former Saudi intelligence official now in exile in Canada, has accused Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of forging his father's signature on the royal decree that initiated Saudi Arabia's prolonged war in Yemen. Al-Jabri claims that the crown prince signed the decree without the knowledge of King Salman, who was 88 and in declining mental health at the time. The Yemen war, which was expected to be a brief conflict, has resulted in over 150,000 deaths and a severe humanitarian crisis. The Saudi government has labeled al-Jabri a 'discredited former official' and has not responded to his allegations. Al-Jabri also alleges that his two children are being imprisoned to coerce his return to Saudi Arabia and that the crown prince seeks his assassination. The allegations add to growing scrutiny of Prince Mohammed's aggressive consolidation of power.