U.S. court tosses Saudi suit against former top Saudi intelligence officer

FILE PHOTO: Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines speaks during a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing about worldwide threats, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, U.S., April 14, 2021. Graeme Jennings/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A U.S. judge has dismissed a lawsuit against a former top Saudi intelligence official by a Saudi state-owned firm, ruling that a rarely used U.S. government intervention to stop the release of classified information prevented the case from proceeding.

The decision was a defeat for Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MbS, in a legal battle with Saad al-Jabri, the former senior intelligence officer who once collaborated closely with U.S. counter-terrorism efforts.