 Here at the New York Times says four Saudis who participated in the 2018 killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi received paramilitary training in the United States the previous year under a contract approved by the State Department. The training was provided by Tier 1 Group, which is owned by the private equity firm Sabera's Capital Management, and was defensive in nature and devised to protect Saudi leaders. Sabera did not immediately respond to a request for comments. In response to the Times' report, State Department spokesman Ned Price said under the law the department cannot comment on any of the licensed defense-exports licensing activity alleged in media reporting. Prince Price rather also said U.S. policy towards Saudi Arabia would prioritize the rule of law and respect of human rights. Khashoggi, U.S. resident, who wrote opinion columns for the Washington Post, critical of Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman was killed and dismembered by a team of operatives linked to the prince in the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul in October 2019.