In the Headlines
September 2, 2021

U.S. Intelligence Chief Intervenes to Block State Secrets in Saudi Crown Prince's Feud with Former Saudi Official

CNN

Jason Klitenic, who leads Holland & Knight’s National Security, Defense and Intelligence Team, was quoted in CNN's article about the U.S. Director of National Intelligence's intervention in a federal court case brought against a top former Saudi intelligence official, invoking the rarely used state secrets privilege to stop classified information from coming out that could cause "exceptionally grave" harm to U.S. national security.

The declaration by Director Avril Haines was submitted to the Massachusetts District Court and says it is "based upon my own knowledge" of what could be revealed in the civil case brought by a state-owned Saudi holding company against former Saudi counterterrorism official Saad Aljabri, who claims Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince has tried to kill him and whose children are being held in the Kingdom.

"Assertion of state secrets privilege is a formal regimented process that is taken very seriously," Mr. Klitenic said.

READ: U.S. Intelligence Chief Intervenes to Block State Secrets in Saudi Crown Prince's Feud with Former Saudi Official

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