Saudi Arabia faced a growing chorus of incredulity on Sunday over its belated explanation of how critic Jamal Khashoggi died inside its Istanbul consulate, as world powers demanded answers and the whereabouts of his body.
After a fortnight of denials, Saudi authorities admitted on Saturday that the Washington Post columnist was killed after entering the consulate on October 2, a disappearance that sparked outrage and plunged the Gulf kingdom into a spiralling international crisis.
Turkish officials have accused Riyadh of carrying out a state-sponsored killing and dismembering the body, with pro-government media in Turkey reporting the existence of video and audio evidence to back those claims.
Police have searched a forest in Istanbul where they believe his body may have been disposed of.
After initially saying Khashoggi left the consulate unharmed, and then that they were investigating his disappearance, Saudi authorities backtracked and admitted the 60-year-old was killed in a “brawl” with officials inside the consulate.
But that narrative, combined with the absence of Khashoggi’s body, quickly drew scepticism and scorn from many, including staunch allies.
Ankara vowed to reveal all the details of a two-week inquiry as US President Donald Trump said he was unsatisfied with Saudi Arabia’s response to the columnist’s death while the EU, Germany, France, Britain, Australia, Canada and the UN also demanded greater clarity.
The controversy has put the kingdom, for decades a key ally in Western efforts to contain Iran, under unprecedented pressure.
It has also evolved into a major crisis for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a Trump administration favorite widely known as MBS, whose image as a modernising Arab reformer has been gravely undermined.
Canada is among the latest countries to question Riyadh’s version of events.
“The explanations offered to date lack consistency and credibility,” Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a statement on Saturday.
Senior Republican senator Marco Rubio was more stark in his assessment.
“Saudi Arabia’s changing stories on #KhashoggiMurder is getting old. The latest one about a fist fight gone bad is bizarre,” he tweeted, renewing his call for sanctions against those responsible.
Ankara said it had a “debt of honour” to reveal what happened.
“We are not accusing anyone in advance but we don’t accept anything to remain covered (up),” said ruling Justice and Development Party spokesman Omer Celik.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said many questions remained unanswered while German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged transparency, adding that “available reports on what happened in the Istanbul consulate are insufficient.”
“This cannot stand. This will not do,” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison added on Sunday.
The EU’s top diplomat Federica Mogherini and UN chief Antonio Guterres both called for a proper investigation and for the perpetrators to be held to account.
Trump initially said he found the explanation credible, but later expressed more scepticism, although he warned against scrapping a multibillion-dollar arms deal with the conservative kingdom.
“No, I am not satisfied until we find the answer,” he told reporters. “It was a big first step. It was a good first step. But I want to get to the answer.”
Saudi Arabia’s Gulf ally, the United Arab Emirates, welcomed the Saudi disclosures, as did Egypt.
In the Saturday admission, Saudi Attorney General Sheikh Saud al-Mojeb also announced a series of moves including against people linked to the crown prince, who Khashoggi had criticised in his writings.
He said 18 Saudis had been arrested and two top aides of Crown Prince Mohammed had been sacked, together with three other intelligence agents.
The Saudi king also ordered the establishment of a ministerial body under the chairmanship of the crown prince, his son, to restructure the kingdom’s intelligence agency and “define its powers precisely,” Saudi state media said.
Saudi officials have roundly denied that the crown prince had any involvement in the affair.
But one suspect identified by Turkey was said to be a frequent companion of the young heir to the throne, three others were linked to his security detail and a fifth is a high-level forensic specialist, according to The New York Times.
The decision to overhaul the intelligence apparatus and sack members of Crown Prince Mohammed’s inner circle is designed to “distance the crown prince from the murder,” said analysis firm Eurasia Group.
In a recent off-the-record interview published posthumously by US magazine Newsweek, Khashoggi described the 33-year-old heir apparent as “an old-fashioned tribal leader,” but said he would have accepted an offer to work as his adviser.
“I’m not calling for the overthrow of the regime,” the one-time royal insider said. “I’m just calling for reform of the regime.”
Where are the other 14 men of the 15-member hit squad and their suitcases?? (1 has gone silent due to "traffic accident" – yeah right!!)
Who sent them over to Turkey for the kill job in the first place, and why? Where is the consulate-general?
Round them up. Put them all in one plane. Fly them back to Istanbul for a reenactment at the crime scene, but make sure the plane crashes with a big blast in a remote place.
Come on. The Saudis aren’t even trying to make it look like an "investigation".
Where are the other 14 men of the 15-member hit squad and their suitcases?? (1 has gone silent due to "traffic accident" – yeah right!!)
Who sent them over to Turkey for the kill job in the first place, and why? Where is the consulate-general?
Round them up. Put them all in one plane. Fly them back to Istanbul for a reenactment at the crime scene, but make sure the plane crashes with a big blast in a remote place.
Come on. The Saudis aren’t even trying to make it look like an "investigation".
Shawn, looks like regime change up ahead. Despicable people doing despicable things. The US, Turkey and Sawdi’s are the fathers of ISIS…what else can be expected from these three criminal and terrorist countries.
Shawn, looks like regime change up ahead. Despicable people doing despicable things. The US, Turkey and Sawdi’s are the fathers of ISIS…what else can be expected from these three criminal and terrorist countries.
Lol…..satanyahoo’s son is a good fit. These sawdi’s are related to the hasidic Jews anyway. At the end of the day……all in the family.
Lol…..satanyahoo’s son is a good fit. These sawdi’s are related to the hasidic Jews anyway. At the end of the day……all in the family.
There is nothing wrong with Saudi Arabia that one or two 20 megaton H-Bombs won’t fix.
There is nothing wrong with Saudi Arabia that one or two 20-megaton nukes won’t fix.
Ahson Aftab ..dont let the fog distort your view. You are underestimating the Israeli role here. Jared and his gang who control Wall Street and other levers are the advisors and the ones spinning the tales.ttales.thtales.ttales. This is all about saving the day before Iran Section kicks in on November 4th. Without Saudi Barbarians on board, Israel will be checkmate again.
Ahson Aftab ..dont let the fog distort your view. You are underestimating the Israeli role here. Jared and his gang who control Wall Street and other levers are the advisors and the ones spinning the tales.ttales.thtales.ttales. This is all about saving the day before Iran Section kicks in on November 4th. Without Saudi Barbarians on board, Israel will be checkmate again.
The first iteration of this story has been dictated to Crown Prince Bone Sawlmon just to test the water with Western population. The Israeli Junta is trying very hard to not to shake the apple cart. Ahmed al-Assiri, the deputy president of General Intelligence, and Saudi al-Qahtani have been given couple of suit cases of money and a vacation resort hideway for few years to stay away from the lime light. It remains to be seen if the Erdogan will have the balls to spill the beans or the money he has been granted and back channel deal with US in Syria will keep his mouth shut. This whole fiasco will go down in history has one of the biggest blunders in US human right record and fight against brutal regimes and terrorism. It remains to be seen how Democrats can gain from this incident in November 6th.
The first iteration of this story has been dictated to Crown Prince Bone Sawlmon just to test the water with Western population. The Israeli Junta is trying very hard to not to shake the apple cart. Ahmed al-Assiri, the deputy president of General Intelligence, and Saudi al-Qahtani have been given couple of suit cases of money and a vacation resort hideway for few years to stay away from the lime light. It remains to be seen if the Erdogan will have the balls to spill the beans or the money he has been granted and back channel deal with US in Syria will keep his mouth shut. This whole fiasco will go down in history has one of the biggest blunders in US human right record and fight against brutal regimes and terrorism. It remains to be seen how Democrats can gain from this incident in November 6th.
Non sense, the Saudi regime are murdering genocidal meniacs and must be thrown in the garbage heap of history
.
Non sense, the Saudi regime are murdering genocidal meniacs and must be thrown in the garbage heap of history
.
The US, Turkey and sawdi’s….. All three terrorist countries.
The US, Turkey and sawdi’s….. All three terrorist countries.
The thing the Saudis failed to mention was that the fight was between one guy in a suit vs a bunch of other guys with swords, and the guys with swords started the fight.
The thing the Saudis failed to mention was that the fight was between one guy in a suit vs a bunch of other guys with swords, and the guys with swords started the fight.
Ahson Aftab Religion of peace, or maybe pieces.
Ahson Aftab Religion of peace, or maybe pieces.
The only thing worse than this dispicable act, is the lies coming out of Saudi Arabia & the gloss over attempt by President Trump.
The only thing worse than this dispicable act, is the lies coming out of Saudi Arabia & the gloss over attempt by President Trump.
Yashad Rizvi Behind sunni Islam and Al-Qaeda and Isis and beheading videos and global terror sits sawdi Arabia…… Under the watchful eye of the US, as its protector. Every man and his dog is aware of this.
Yashad Rizvi Behind sunni Islam and Al-Qaeda and Isis and beheading videos and global terror sits sawdi Arabia…… Under the watchful eye of the US, as its protector. Every man and his dog is aware of this.
The US has been behind ISIS, from day dot!…..what could possibly be worse? With ISIS as its shock troops, this is the reality of the US and all its toadys in the ME.
The US has been behind ISIS, from day dot!…..what could possibly be worse? With ISIS as its shock troops, this is the reality of the US and all its toadys in the ME.
Moustapha Negueye you worry about Ebola Buddy, leave the ME drama for us to watch and comment. Thank you.
Moustapha Negueye you worry about Ebola Buddy, leave the ME drama for us to watch and comment. Thank you.
"But ~~Putin~~ MBS told me he didn’t do it!", I didn’t expect much else from the Orange Traitor.
The sooner the US can dump Saudi Arabia the better, the first step to that comes from exploring alternative energy sources. Can’t expect Trump to have that kind of foresight though when he thinks climate change is a "Chinese hoax."
"But ~~Putin~~ MBS told me he didn’t do it!", I didn’t expect much else from the Orange Traitor.
The sooner the US can dump Saudi Arabia the better, the first step to that comes from exploring alternative energy sources. Can’t expect Trump to have that kind of foresight though when he thinks climate change is a "Chinese hoax."
For all the posturing Trump did against Clinton in the 2016 election, he’s as soft as toilet paper here, and is harsher on Taylor Swift than MBS.
Walking reality show for his redneck supporters, and nothing more – an inflated orange doll.
For all the posturing Trump did against Clinton in the 2016 election, he’s as soft as toilet paper here, and is harsher on Taylor Swift than MBS.
Walking reality show for his redneck supporters, and nothing more – an inflated orange doll.
How many times TRUMP lied ? …so all those countries that are under USA umbrella will imitate Trumps LIES and get away with it …they don’t care sh…t about the World ?
How many times TRUMP lied ? …so all those countries that are under USA umbrella will imitate Trumps LIES and get away with it …they don’t care sh…t about the World ?