Saad al-Jabri, a former high-ranking Saudi intelligence official now exiled in Canada, has accused Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of forging his father’s signature to launch Saudi Arabia’s ongoing war in Yemen.
In an interview with the BBC and a statement to the Associated Press, al-Jabri claimed that the crown prince, who was then the defense minister, signed the war decree without King Salman’s knowledge.
Al-Jabri, who is embroiled in a bitter dispute with the Saudi government, alleges that the crown prince has orchestrated an assassination plot against him.
His two children remain imprisoned in Saudi Arabia, which he believes is an attempt to force his return to the country.
According to al-Jabri, the original military strategy, coordinated with the Obama administration, focused on aerial bombardments rather than a ground invasion.
However, he claims that Crown Prince Mohammed overruled this plan by using a forged royal order to authorize a ground offensive.
The conflict, which began in 2015, has resulted in over 150,000 deaths and a severe humanitarian crisis in Yemen, despite earlier assurances from the crown prince that the war would be brief.
The Saudi government has dismissed al-Jabri as a “discredited former official,” while the U.S. State Department has declined to comment on the matter.
Al-Jabri continues to advocate for the release of his children, stating that he was left with no choice but to speak out for their well-being and the future of Saudi Arabia.