Posted on 10/06/2018 9:38:07 PM PDT by robowombat
ISTANBUL Turkey has concluded that Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent journalist from Saudi Arabia, was killed in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul earlier this week by a Saudi team sent specifically for the murder, two people with knowledge of the probe said Saturday.
Turkish investigators believe a 15-member team came from Saudi Arabia. It was a preplanned murder, said one of the people. Both spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation.
They offered no specific evidence to back up the account. Earlier Saturday, however, Turkeys Anadolu news agency said the Istanbul public prosecutors office had opened a probe into Khashoggis disappearance. Turkish authorities have said that Khashoggi never left the consulate
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Erdogan is asking On whose orders was the team in Turkey? Why was the consulate not opened to investigators immediately? Why were so many different statements given by Saudis? Who is the local collaborator who disposed of Khashoggi’s body, and where is the body? KSA must answer all these questions.
Erdogan: Turkey has evidence that it was premeditated murder, and that the Saudi team made investigations in the forest before the killing.
(Note: A Saudi diplomatic car has been found outside the city)
Erdogan is not backing down he want to have a trial in Turkey for the team, and assistance from other countries.
The speech is in the parliament and it looks as he has full support from all the members of the parliament incl the opposition. They are chanting patriotic slogans. What is the next step?
Comment: This indicates that Erdogan has some very juicy information about the case, perhaps even some of it is coming from KSA from those that are against MbS.
Prince Hicham: Prince Hicham bin Abdullah, cousin of the Moroccos King Mohammed VI and maternal cousin of the Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, is one of the voices who, in his writings and lectures, has warned about the adventurism of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Prince Hicham is the only member of an Arab royal family to have written following the death of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Consulate of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul on 2 October 2018, describing this operation as savage and calling upon the Saudi authorities to address it transparently.
Regarding other aspects associated with this issue, including its international ramifications and also royal implications in Saudi Arabia, Prince Hicham who in the past enjoyed a close relationship with this family said: There is great tension within the Saudi royal establishment because Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman has violated all written laws and established traditions and customs, not least of which includes the siege of Qatar and the Ritz Carlton affair. Here is something new: a heinous murder where a peaceful and unarmed citizens body was cut to pieces, which is contrary to not just Islamic law but also the traditions of Saudi society. This has instigated a sense of horror among many Saudi.
After reviewing all of this, Prince Hicham concludes: If Saudi Arabia escapes this crisis without damage, it could encourage other, even more serious adventures. Compounding the problem is a structural deficit within the decision-making process in Saudi Arabia and in the implementation of decisions.
Regarding the role of King Salman in all these developments, Prince Hicham adds, I am sure that King Salman was not aware of all the details of this issue, and that he only became aware after the recent visit of Prince Khalid al-Faisal in Turkey (which involved a personal meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan), and the subsequent visit of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Riyadh.
Commenting about the Saudi royal familys internal dynamics, Prince Hicham commented: Social relations and trust between the princes have virtually disappeared, as former spaces of communication have vanished. The Crown Prince destroyed this old model but without presenting a realistic and viable alternative model. In this climate, the last decision belongs to King Salman himself. I think that he will try to restore confidence and reduce the tensions borne of this case by encouraging some checks-and-balance mechanisms, but it seems to me that it is already too late. Let us not forget that the current situation is itself the result of such superficial and fragile arrangements that have been adopted in the past.
Prince Hicham assures: US and Saudi efforts to absolve the Crown Prince of this mess will only deepen the structural crisis of the decision-making process, as they will try to save Mohammad bin Salmans power and authority. Any drastic new attempt to impose an arrangement by King Salman will be condemned to failure since the Crown Prince is going to feel that this threatens his interests and power. Even if Saudi Arabia manage to contain the crisis, this crime will weigh heavily on the image of the Crown Prince and the country, which increases the likelihood of a shift to a violent solution. Likewise, the decision to sacrifice senior officials and security officers in the crisis will lead to the consequence that these bodies will no longer trust the Crown Prince, which will result in another dangerous situation.
In the news today the Saudis are saying that Kershogi died in a brawl and they will punish those in their government that did this (the prince did not know).
Erdogan is saying it goes all the way to the top.
Who is telling the truth I doubt we will ever know.
He's his nephew. He's also the nephew of Mohammed Al-Fayed and the first cousin of Doadi Fayed. Not to mention muslim brotherhood and best buddies with Osama bin Laden.
When I wrote his I was under the impression he was an American citizen - and that there was a level of responsibility.
My mistake.
This should provide conspiracy and hidden hand aficionados with a veritable banquet of possibilities.
Money talks https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/24/middleeast/pakistan-saudi-khashoggi-loan-intl/index.html
the Saudis are desperate to avoid Erdogan’s publication of evidence that would point to bin Salman’s culpability. Erdogan may not have this evidence, but the Western intelligence community does. And we should note that Erdogan chose his words very deliberately on Tuesday when he demanded Turkey identify everyone involved in Khashoggi’s killing. This complement, Erdogan said, had to include the “one giving the order to the one who carried it out....”
Erdogan knows that he must strike a balanced line with the Saudis. Riyadh is already furious with Erdogan for what it regards as his excessive support for Islamist movements beyond Saudi control. But with the Turkish economy struggling, Erdogan has little appetite for punitive Saudi economic measures. For the Turkish leader, then, the great balancing act is extracting maximum concessions from Saudi Arabia, bringing significant negative attention to Saudi Arabia, but also avoiding a complete diplomatic breach with Saudi Arabia. That’s why Erdogan is putting the ball in bin Salman’s court as to whether he wants to play hardball or not. Both sides, Erdogan ventures, will choose Erdogan’s blackmail choice.
BBC 9 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8TLLDLXt9Q
Who is the Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman? - BBC Newsnight
Riyadh, Safar 16, 1440, October 25, 2018, SPA — The General Attorney stated that further to the statement issued on 10/2/1440 H on the findings of preliminary investigations conducted by the Public Prosecution in the case of citizen Jamal Ahmad Khashoggi, the Public Prosecution received information from the Turkish side through the Joint Working Team between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Turkey indicates that the suspects in the incident had committed their act with a premeditated intention.
The Public Prosecution continues its investigations with the accused in the light of what it has received and the results of its investigations to reach facts and complete the course of justice.
—SPA
Prince Ahmed Bin Abdulaziz, younger bro of King Salman, reportedly arrived in Riyadh early today from self-imposed exile in London.
https://twitter.com/FrankRGardner/status/1057195663019130880
He would not have returned to Riyadh for nothing, see https://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3694311/posts?page=75#75
The question is open: will MbS be replaced as Crown Prince, and if so by his brother Khalid or the Kings brother Ahmed Bin Abdulaziz? or, by the former Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, or
will Khalid be appointed deputy Crown Prince?
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, Russia's Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan meet in Sochi, Russia November 22, 2017. (photo credit: SPUTNIK/MIKHAIL METZEL/KREMLIN VIA REUTERS) The Three Amigos
Speculations:
Prince Ahmad bin Abdulaziz returns to Riyadh with UK and US security guarantees and a brief to cut the crown prince down to size
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/exclusive-saudi-dissident-prince-flies-home-tackle-mbs-succession-58983364
Ahmad was never very good at taking on the role of the big guy at the top. I recall his post-Hajj briefing in 2012 when he essentially spent half of it thanking MbN amongst plenty of inshallahs. He didn't come across as a man of strength, or authority.
Assist other senior princes with taking on more responsibility and evening out power balances within the family. This is my hunch, I have no proof of it, but I know this. MbS is totally safe, and this development at most is about capacity in the Royal Household, not some plot.
https://twitter.com/MStephensGulf/status/1057594067595522048
Expect a busy weekend in the palace.
This is from Sabah, i.e. leaks from the Turkish government:
It publishes the names and personal details about the three persons that were supervising the case and writes that the body of Khashoggi was put in 5 suitcases and transported to the house of the consul.
Turkish: https://www.sabah.com.tr/galeri/turkiye/iste-cesedi-yok-eden-cellatlar
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