RTFri, 19 Oct 2018 16:50 UTC
© Reuters / Kevin Lamarque
Journalist Jamal Khashoggi died in a "fight" with individuals inside the Saudi consulate in Turkey, Saudi authorities said after nearly two weeks of speculation. A senior Saudi intelligence official was fired over the incident.
Khashoggi lived in Turkey and was last seen entering the consulate in Istanbul two weeks ago. The Turkish government almost immediately accused the Saudi authorities of killing the journalist, which Riyadh denied.
On Saturday, however, a Saudi prosecutor announced on state television that an investigation into Khashoggi's disappearance
confirmed he was dead. An argument between Khashoggi and men who met him inside the consulate on October 2
escalated into "a fistfight that led to his death," the prosecutor said, adding that the men then tried to cover it up.
"The Kingdom expresses its deep regret at the painful developments that have taken place," the prosecutor's statement adds.
The investigation is still underway and
18 Saudi nationals have been arrested so far, the authorities said. Saudi TV also confirmed that
General Ahmad al-Asiri, deputy director of General Intelligence Directorate, was fired over the incident.
Al-Asiri was
a senior adviser to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as was another official fired over the incident, Saud al-Qahtani, who was
in charge of Saudi propaganda overseas.
The Saudi admission seems to confirm at least some of the accusations made by anonymous Turkish officials over the past two weeks,
though some of the more lurid claims - that it was a hit ordered by bin Salman personally, or that the assassins cut Khashoggi's body into pieces with a bone saw - remain in the realm of rumors.
International outrage, fueled by media reports of Turkish claims, has already resulted in many countries and companies dropping out of a major investment conference in Saudi Arabia, and the US Senate calling for Magnitsky Act sanctions against Riyadh.
Comment: See also:
Here's a more detailed
version of events:
In a statement issued early Saturday morning in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, the Saudis claimed that some number of unnamed "suspects" had traveled to the consulate to meet with Khashoggi, "as there were indications of the possibility of his returning" to Saudi Arabia. ...
"The discussions that took place . . . did not go as required and developed in a negative way," the statement continued, leading to a "fight and a quarrel" and a "brawl" that led to Khashoggi's death. The unnamed suspects then attempted "to conceal and cover what happened," the Saudi government claimed, without elaborating.
As
Moon of Alabama sardonically translates: "Khashoggi started a tussle with the fifteen men we sent to kindly ask him to come home. Unfortunately he stumbled, fell onto the chainsaw and severed his head."
So far, Trump has
said he finds the Saudis' version of events "credible":
"It is a good first step. It is a big step," Trump said, admitting, though, that "some questions" do remain and that he will be dealing with Congress on how to proceed to address the issue. "Saudi Arabia has been a great ally but what happened is unacceptable," Trump emphasized.
"I would prefer if there is going to be some form of sanction, or what we may determine to do if anything," the president said. "But I would prefer that we don't use as retribution, canceling the $110 billion-worth of work, which means 600,000 jobs."
"They have been a great ally in the Middle East. We need them as a counter-balance to Iran. So it's not the simplest solution. It's not the simplest situation to be in," Trump reiterated, expressing hope that "it will get solved, it will get solved."
Just like the U.S. needed/needs al-Qaeda and ISIS as a counter-balance to Syria, as a counter-balance to Iran...
Not everyone is
buying the Saudis somewhat ridiculous sounding explanation, however:
"It does not add up! I mean who did they have at the consulate - Mike Tyson?" Richard Becker from the anti-war ANSWER Coalition noted ...
"The idea that he was killed in a fistfight and then his body was disappeared ... makes no sense. The idea that the order did not come from the top makes no sense either," Becker added. ...
"I think President Trump opened the door to this kind of thing when he used that it could be a 'rogue operation' remark," Jatras told RT. "The Saudis were not willing to walk through that a few days ago, but now I think they are getting desperate that the noose is tightening around Mohamad bin Salman."
"The story is a story meant, I think, for Donald Trump, so he can say, 'Okay, there is an explanation, and now we can go on with our money grabbing relationship with Saudi Arabia," Becker added.
Lawmakers and journalists are
also skeptical, including Lindsey Graham WaPo editor Karen Attiah, among others:
But the Saudis' MidEast allies are
voicing support, including the (illegitimate) Yemeni government, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt.
Pompeo
denied an ABC News report that the Turks had played the alleged audio tape of the murder for him, but all the Turkish FM could muster was to
deny sharing the tape with him. So it's at least possible that Pompeo heard the tape, which probably does not sound like a fist-fight resulting in accidental death. Regardless, the ruling Turkish party has
vowed to reveal what happened - eventually.
Erdogan and the Saudi King have reportedly agreed on the importance of
cooperating on the case. And MBS
denies any involvement:
"There were no orders for them to kill him or even specifically kidnap him," said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity and adding that there was a standing order to bring critics of the kingdom back to the country.
"MbS had no knowledge of this specific operation and certainly did not order a kidnapping or murder of anybody. He will have been aware of the general instruction to tell people to come back," the source said, using the initials of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The source said the whereabouts of Khashoggi's body were unclear after it was handed over to a "local cooperator" but there was no sign of it at the consulate.
The Saudis are clearly lying, but that does not mean that MBS or the King were responsible. They can't really admit that it was a torture or kidnap operation gone wrong - or that some high-ranking and closely-connected operatives engaged on this mission without proper orders (either on their own initiative thinking it would please their superiors, or as a result of intrigue aimed at making MBS look bad). That would make the Saudis look incompetent or divided (never mind the fact that they're both). The best solution in this case: copy the Israelis with their self-defense defense. Well, we'll see how the Turks react. Maybe they'll get something they want and let the Saudis get away with this version. Or maybe they'll release the tapes (presuming they actually exist) and make a further fool of MBS?
Comment: See also:
So far, Trump has said he finds the Saudis' version of events "credible": Just like the U.S. needed/needs al-Qaeda and ISIS as a counter-balance to Syria, as a counter-balance to Iran...
Not everyone is buying the Saudis somewhat ridiculous sounding explanation, however: Lawmakers and journalists are also skeptical, including Lindsey Graham WaPo editor Karen Attiah, among others:
But the Saudis' MidEast allies are voicing support, including the (illegitimate) Yemeni government, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt.
Pompeo denied an ABC News report that the Turks had played the alleged audio tape of the murder for him, but all the Turkish FM could muster was to deny sharing the tape with him. So it's at least possible that Pompeo heard the tape, which probably does not sound like a fist-fight resulting in accidental death. Regardless, the ruling Turkish party has vowed to reveal what happened - eventually.
Erdogan and the Saudi King have reportedly agreed on the importance of cooperating on the case. And MBS denies any involvement: The Saudis are clearly lying, but that does not mean that MBS or the King were responsible. They can't really admit that it was a torture or kidnap operation gone wrong - or that some high-ranking and closely-connected operatives engaged on this mission without proper orders (either on their own initiative thinking it would please their superiors, or as a result of intrigue aimed at making MBS look bad). That would make the Saudis look incompetent or divided (never mind the fact that they're both). The best solution in this case: copy the Israelis with their self-defense defense. Well, we'll see how the Turks react. Maybe they'll get something they want and let the Saudis get away with this version. Or maybe they'll release the tapes (presuming they actually exist) and make a further fool of MBS?