2 years ago
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By Luc Cohen
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Tom Barrack, a onetime fundraiser for Donald Trump, testified connected Thursday astatine his proceedings connected charges of being an amerciable overseas cause that helium urged the then-president to usage the execution of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi arsenic a "lever" to get the kingdom to extremity a blockade connected Qatar.
The grounds from Barrack that helium pushed for Qatar's interests could undermine charges by national prosecutors successful Brooklyn that helium acted arsenic an cause of the United Arab Emirates - 1 of the countries that implemented the blockade - without informing the U.S. lawyer general, arsenic required by law.
Barrack, 75, is not charged with acting arsenic a Saudi agent, but the state is adjacent with the UAE. He has pleaded not guilty, and argues his interactions with Middle Eastern officials were portion of his relation moving backstage equity steadfast Colony Capital, present known arsenic DigitalBridge Group Inc.
On Thursday, his 4th time testifying successful his ain defense, Barrack said that during an October 2018 telephone telephone with Trump -following Khashoggi's execution successful Saudi Arabia's consulate successful Turkey - helium urged the then-president to usage planetary outrage implicit the sidesplitting "as a lever implicit this idiotic blockade."
U.S. quality says the execution of Khashoggi, a Saudi insider-turned-critic, was approved by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler. The prince has denied ordering the sidesplitting but acknowledged it took spot "under my watch."
The blockade of Qatar by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and others began successful 2017. Prosecutors accidental that during the blockade, Barrack told Rashid Al Malik - an subordinate besides accused of being an Emirati cause - that the United States was considering hosting a acme to resoluteness the conflict. Al Malik, who is astatine large, past told UAE officials astir the imaginable meeting, prosecutors say.
Barrack said helium spoke to Qatar's ambassador successful the United States arsenic good arsenic its overseas curate successful June 2017. That came aft Trump tweeted his enactment for the blockade connected the Gulf nation.
Barrack said helium past persuaded Trump medication officials to talk with Qatari counterparts, and yet spoke straight with Trump to promote him to big a acme astatine the Camp David statesmanlike retreat to resoluteness the quality involving U.S. allies.
"I had told him again from the inexpensive seats ... helium should nonstop his teams and reason this to unit Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia to the table," Barrack said. He denied telling Al Malik astir the plans for the summit.
CROSS-EXAMINATION
Barrack successful 2019 said astatine a league successful Abu Dhabi that it was a "mistake" to knock the kingdom implicit the killing. He aboriginal apologized for the comments.
On the basal connected Thursday, helium said helium should person prefaced the comments by saying that the taking of a beingness anyplace is unacceptable, but that helium "hesitated" astatine the league due to the fact that of a deficiency of escaped code successful the UAE.
Prosecutors are expected to inquire Barrack much astir the comments erstwhile they statesman cross-examining him aboriginal connected Thursday.
(Reporting by Luc Cohen successful New York; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
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