Donald Trump with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, White House, March 14, 2017 (Mark Wilson/Getty)
Donald Trump wobbles in his support of Saudi Arabia’s monarchy over the disappearance and probable murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Following a phone call with King Salman on Monday, Trump said that the Saudi leaders were being unjustly treated as “guilty until proven innocent” and suggested that “rogue killers” had slain Khashoggi, who disappeared after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey on October 2.
But US intelligence agencies have backed the claims of Turkish services, citing evidence from audio surveillance, that Khashoggi was killed and dismembered by Saudi personnel. Eleven of the 15 Saudis named by Ankara have links to the security services and monarchy, including service on the security detail of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, seen by many as the effective ruler of the Kingdom.
On Thursday, Trump expressed confidence in the intelligence, saying he believes Khashoggi is dead. The shift came soon after a briefing by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, just returned from consultations with Saudi and Turkish leaders.
“This one has caught the imagination of the world, unfortunately,” Trump said in an interview. “It’s not a positive. Not a positive.”
Trump said the killing raised questions about the Administration’s ties with the Saudi monarchy, which include the close relationship between Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Mohammad bin Salman: “Well, [our response] will have to be very severe. I mean, it’s bad, bad stuff.”
He stopped short of pinning responsibilty on the Crown Prince.
But Trump has reportedly begun to distance himself from Mohammed bin Salman, saying he barely knows him and playing down Kushner’s ties. He also approved the withdrawal of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin from a high-profile investor conference in Riyadh next week.
Mnuchin announced the withdrawal after an Oval Office meeting that included Pompeo.
Leading business and media executives had already pulled out of the Future Investment Initiative, putting pressure on the Administration.
Pompeo said on Thursday that the US will give the Saudis a few more days to conduct their investigation. He maintained to reporters that Riyadh’s report will be “transparent for everyone to see, to ask questions about, and to acquire”.
Trump said it was still “a little bit early” in the process to draw definitive conclusions about who ordered the killing: “We’re working with the intelligence from numerous countries. This is the best intelligence we could have.”
The Trump Administration was initially reticent as Turkey released evidence pointing to Khashoggi’s murder. Then Trump indicated last week that he would take no action, as Khashoggi was a permanent resident and a citizen of the US — and as Trump did not want to lose a $110 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia, announced during his visit to Riyadh in May 2017.
Over the weekend, Trump spoke of “severe punishment” if the Saudi monarchy was found responsible. But after Monday’s phone call with King Salman, he deflected blame onto the “rogue killers”.
On Thursday, Trump found time for praise even as he pondered a “severe” response: “They’ve been a very good ally, and they’ve bought massive amounts of various things and investments in this country, which I appreciate.”
Kushner is urging Trump to stand by Mohammad bin Salman, saying furor over Khashoggi’s disappearance will pass, according to “two people who have had recent discussions with White House officials”.
Things keep going from bad to worse for the Saudis. Even Trump says he no longer believes their bullshit. The Turks allowed the CIA to listen to the audio they have of the attack and the report is that they found is shocking.
No one believes the latest pack of lies and the Saudis are on the ropes.
Enjoy the show
Update. Saudi State TV admits Khashoggi was killed in the embassy but is blaming it on a fight they claim Khashoggi started.
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/19/world/saudi-arabia-khashoggi-intl/index.html
Not only is this ridiculous and refutes their own lies, but it does not explain what happened to his body.
Why would Khashoggi take on 15 assassins?
Why did the assassins have a bone saw?
Why are the Saudis requiring a month to complete the report into themselves?
18 people involved have been arrested.
The head fo MBS security is being thrown under the bus
So wow is this the fault of the Qataris?
“Where is the audio and video if it exists of Khashogi being hurt and how was it obtained now that we know that the apple watch story is bullocks?”
The Saudis must be in a panic to be rallying their minions to do damage control.
We know that all countries bug embassies, especially given the recent acrimony between Turkey and the KSA. The story about the Apple watch was likely circulated for public consumption as a means to avoid admitting the Turks had been bugging the KSA consulate all this time. If the audio and video exists, it is clearly being kept to extract as much advantage and currency as possible. More to the point, it is more than likely that the US already have a copy, hence the shuttle diplomacy by Pompeo.
Notice how the Saudis have nothing to say about the constantly changing Saudi lies how Kashoggi left the embassy, to how their CCTV was not working or how their CCTV is the only version in the world that does not record video, to the latest version about an interrogation gone wrong? I am sure all interrogators bring bone cutting saws to interrogations, along with teams of 15 killers and experts in body dissection.
How come the Saudis have nothing to say about the Saudi consul fleeing to Saudi Arabia? How come the Saudis have nothing to say about the 15 man team who flew in during the early hours of the morning and out again later than day on privately chartered planes?
“Where is the supposed Fiance and how come she has links to Erdogan and Qatari royals?”
Yeah right. Why wouldn’t she walk around in public with a big target on her after her fiancé was just turned into mince meat? What relevance do her connections have? It’s not hard to believe that someone like Khashoggi, who has links to the Saudi royals, and is related to the most infamous Saudi arms dealer, would move in similar circles to a woman with links to Turkish and Qatari leaders.
“How come we dont see her on Tv or being interviewed?”
How come we have not seen any representative from the KSA on Tv or being interviewed? If the Saudis had nothing to hide, you would have seen Jubeir all over the air waves putting this issue to bed and doing so with one consistent story that did not change from one day to the next.
“How come there was no evidence found inside the embassy or the Saudi consulates home if a 6″2 large mans body was dismembered inside of it?”
You mean the same Saudi who hopped on a plane and fled to Saudi Arabia? That might have something to do about the 2 weeks of stonewalling before investigators were allowed to enter, during which time cleaners were sent in armed with gallons of bleach and the fact that a number of surfaces were freshly painted by the time investigators entered the premises.
“20 man team with dogs and forensics experts found now clues, no smell of blood. No new paint on the walls. No blood in sinks or in cracks of floor for example???
Ever been inside an operating theatre that smelled of blood?
This was not some crime of passion. The hit team were hand picked and would have either rehearsed this procedure with cadavers some forgotten prison inmates in a Riyadh prison.
Clearly the team of butchers sent in to carry out the slaughter were capable enough to avoid leaving such traces. Why else do you think a 15 man team was sent to carry out the murder? You certainly do not need that many to carry out a murder, let alone an abduction, let alone a routine interrogation.
And yes, the Turks reported there was fresh paint on walls. The smell of blood would have easily been removed with all that bleach along with hours and hours of cleaning.
The latest reports claim Khashoggi was drugged and incapacitated so there was no struggle from him as he was dismembered while still alive. This would have minimised blood splatter, which is usually associated with a struggle, and the autopsy specialist would have been well versed in the prevention of blood splatter.
Based on the photos of the Saudi Consulate, most of the floors are tiled of marble apart from the office of the Consul, so cracks in the floor would not have been an issue.
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2018-10-06/saudi-arabia-opens-up-consulate-after-journalist-vanishes
http://saudigazette.com.sa/uploads/images/2018/10/07/1013787.jpeg
“Why was the Pastor released so quickly this time when previously Erdogan ranted he will not give him up unless in return for Gulen?”
Probably for leverage with Washington in light of the friction between the two. The Turks can smell blood in the water and decided to use this ace up their sleeve. BTW.. Why did the Saudis wire $100 million to the US shortly after the meeting between Pompeo and the MBS if they had nothing to hide?
“Why was Jamal not killed outside of the embassy if they so badly wanted to get him?”
Where do you propose he be killed? Saudis are not known for their assassination teams and given the trail of evidence they have left behind, would likely have been captured had they not carried out the crime inside the consulate.
“He had been living in Virginia the previous year and visited the embassy several times there, why choose inside the consulate and incriminate yourself.”
You are making the mistake of assuming MBS didn’t want this to be made public. On the contrary, this was intended to send a message to any expats who dared to criticise him or the House of Saud. His mistake was misreading how this reverberate in the West. Since becoming such BFFS with Trump Kushner, MBS has grown increasing carelessness and reckless.
Saudi leaders have never been known for their judgement or sophistication. The Trumps are desperate to protect them and the clown prince. MBS probably assumed that the royals enjoyed such immunity that he could get away with it. He has clearly made a bad miscalculation and shocked by the extent to which this story has been reported and covered in the US and western media in general, given all the favourable PR the Saudis have been able to buy in the US.
“Wouldnt someone with all this expertise and money to fly in expert killers on private planes, be able to find his residence and do this somewhere not less incriminating.”
Don’t confuse a fat wallet for expertise.. As has been explained, MBS was not the least bit concerned about being incriminated. Just look at the limited news coverage that took place when the Saudis kidnapped Hariri or when MBS incarcerated all the Saudi princess, not to mention disappearing a few of them.
Your explanations are hilarious. A drone strike in Turkey would have been considered an act of war. Even the US would not dare conduct a drone strike in Turkey. In fact, the US would not even dare conduct one against Syrian officials in Syria. BTW. Love your conspiracy theory about the Diana incident being a hit by the British.
“The entire Jamal Khashogi death and dismemberment and gory details is fiction.”
On the contrary. The fact that the Saudis have been stunned like a deer in the headlights and are paralysed suggests otherwise. Even Saudi State Media admit Khashoggi died in Istanbul. They have a massive lobby in the US with unlimited funds and all they have produced are the sounds of crickets.
The information blackout speaks volumes and with each day that passes, their guilt is solidified. They are clearly struggling to come up with a message that the public will find plausible and allow Trump and Congress to give MBS a pass and return to business as usual, but all the trial balloons they are releasing are coming back negative.
The elephant in the room that you clearly are not able to address is the fact that Khashoggi is missing. The Saudis could so easily have debunked this story had they produced Khashoggi and showed that he was alive and well. Surely with all that money and resources at their disposal, they could have found him by now. Rather than wire $100 million to Washington, they could have offered a reward of a fraction of that amount to anyone who could lead to Khashoggi’s whereabouts. Not only wold they have saved a lot of money, but it would have been money much better spent.
Add to that the combine the total capabilities of US/British and Israeli intelligence, why has there been no alternative credible explanation given to Khashoggi’s disappearance?
“The same country that has enough money to bribe FIFA for the world cup, and that had the chechen president Zelimkhan murdered on its ground (2004) and that has been funding the muslim brotherhood worldwide and is not in cahoots with both Iran and Turkey now, QATAR, is ready always with deep pockets to pay any media source to post stories with fiction and anonymous sources.”
Who are you trying to kid? If this was a matter of throwing money at the problem, the Saudis could have killed this story long ago. Are you forgetting how the Saudis were able to pay of the US government to whisk the Saudis out the country on the evening of 911, when all other planes including government planes were grounded. Or how the Saudis were able to bribe Washington to block any lawsuits by families of survivors against the KSA, not to mention reacting the 28 pages of the 911 Commission Report that incriminated them?
FYI, Jabhat al Nusra and ISIS are being funded by the KSA not Qatar.
“ Khashogi was never as anti-Saudi as them and never called for the fall of the Saud family or MBS. Somehow it now dawns upon the Saudis to kill its dissidents and even more comically, inside of their embassy. Gimme a break”
Keep spinning those wheels. Khashoggi was an insider writing for the Washington Post so not only did he have credibility, but he knows where the bodied are buried and he clearly has enough inside knowledge about the Saudis to bring down the whole house of cards. While he never called for the fall of the Saud family he did call for MDS to be removed.
MBS is finished as is his 2030 vision along with his delusional Neom pie in the sky. Investors are running for the exists and the Saudi hubris and stupidity will lead to their inevitable downfall.
Goodbye and good riddance.
@dragan
Excellent post. I was going to write something to nonayoubiz but after reading your post there was no need for mine.
Thanks Hayri,
Nonayoubiz really puts the BS in MBS. The stories being put out by the Saudis are going from bad to worse as they seem to be digging a deeper and deeper hole for themselves. One has to wonder if the Saudis are so detached from reality that they really expect the public to buy this crap or whether they are setting the bar low enough to give Trump an opening to pretend he believes in their plausible deniability.
The bottom line is that no story they come up with will b credible unless they can produce Khashoggi’s body intact. The fact that they lied for 18 days only to do a 180 degree about face exposes them as desperate liars who are guilty as sin. Throwing his closest advisers and head of Saudi security under the bus is not going to save MBS.
The Saudis are in a serious bind because even if Trump comes out and declares their crack pot story about Khashoggi going all Neo from the Matrix and single handed lay taking on 15 goons who just happened to be waiting for him at the Turkish Embassy, it’s Congress that needs to be convinced. Judging by the comments from lawmakers like Graham, they clearly are not buying this pathetic story.
Expect MBS to be removed from his position using the excuse that he wants to spend more time with his family.
Where is the audio and video if it exists of Khashogi being hurt and how was it obtained now that we know that the apple watch story is bullocks?
Where is the supposed Fiance and how come she has links to Erdogan and Qatari royals? How come we dont see her on Tv or being interviewed?
How come there was no evidence found inside the embassy or the Saudi consulates home if a 6″2 large mans body was dismembered inside of it? 20 man team with dogs and forensics experts found now clues, no smell of blood. No new paint on the walls. No blood in sinks or in cracks of floor for example???
How come the fiance posted the wrong birthday in her recent tweet about Jamal and how come his children have never of her before?
Why was the Pastor released so quickly this time when previously Erdogan ranted he will not give him up unless in return for Gulen?
Why was Jamal not killed outside of the embassy if they so badly wanted to get him? He had been living in Virginia the previous year and visited the embassy several times there, why choose inside the consulate and incriminate yourself. Wouldnt someone with all this expertise and money to fly in expert killers on private planes, be able to find his residence and do this somewhere not less incriminating. The Russians poison people, (Alexander Litvinenko), the British hit them with cars (Diana), the chinese have them randomly disappear (Interpol cheif), The Americans have them sniped or droned somewhere abroad, this is the way of the deep state, and each country has its preferred method. They have been doing it for decades, to say that any countries state agency doesn’t know how and when to do this type of operation would be silly.
The entire Jamal Khashogi death and dismemberment and gory details is fiction. The same country that has enough money to bribe FIFA for the world cup, and that had the chechen president Zelimkhan murdered on its ground (2004) and that has been funding the muslim brotherhood worldwide and is not in cahoots with both Iran and Turkey now, QATAR, is ready always with deep pockets to pay any media source to post stories with fiction and anonymous sources. Qatar stoked all the flames about the suicide in Tunis that started the arab spring. They stoked it in Egypt and pushed for the Muslim brotherhood until it imploded on them. They pushed it in Syria and destroyed any unity that the Syrian opposition was to have by pushing for Islamic groups like Jabhat al Nusra and ISIS. Qatar has now been isolated and was also found to be feeding the Houthis information when the Qataris were still part of the Arab coalition in 2017.
The last point I will add is that there are known anti-Saudi critics like Masaari who lives in London somehow they are alive and well. Khashogi was never as anti-Saudi as them and never called for the fall of the Saud family or MBS. Somehow it now dawns upon the Saudis to kill its dissidents and even more comically, inside of their embassy. Gimme a break
This is timed right before the midterm elections and before the Iran oil embargo gets into full swing. Turkey just last night said not to listen to any media source before the investigation results are posted.