Saudi Arabia has said that it has fired five high-ranking officials in connection with finally admitting that a journalist has died after offering various explanations for his disappearance more than two weeks ago.
Washington Post writer and veteran Saudi reporter Jamal Khashoggi, 59, disappeared in Istanbul, Turkey after walking into the consulate of Saudi Arabia on October 2.
After completing its own investigation into what happened to the Post's Global Opinions section columnist at the Saudi consulate in Turkey, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia claimed on Friday that Khashoggi died following an altercation on the day he entered the facility.
The kingdom said it has fired deputy intelligence chief Ahmed Assiri and royal court adviser Saud al-Qahtani, both of whom have been regarded as very close to the 33-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (commonly known as MbS), in connection with Khashoggi's death.
Assistant to the president of general intelligence for intelligence affairs Mohamed bin Saleh al Rumeh has also been fired, along with assistant to the president of general intelligence for human resources Abduallah bin Khalifa al Shaya, and director of the general department for security and protection in the command of general intelligence Rachad bin Hamed al Muhamadi, the nation said.
These five individuals are now being cast by Saudi Arabia as the people responsible for the death of a man who was visiting the consulate to obtain documents for his upcoming wedding, and who had also been critical of his home nation in his writings for the Post and otherwise, despite previous statements from the kingdom that Khashoggi had left the consulate alive and well.
A total of 18 suspects have also been arrested by Saudi officials. It's not known whether the five individuals named as fired are part of that group of 18 people, or in addition to them.
Turkey is conducting its own investigation into disappearance of Khashoggi, who would have turned 60 years old on October 13.
Turkey has named 15 suspects related to Khashoggi's death. It's not known whether any of those suspects are included in the 18 Saudi nationals who have been detained.
Scroll down for videos
Saudi Arabia has said that it has fired five high-ranking officials in connection with admitting that journalist Jamal Khashoggi (pictured) died at its consulate in Turkey on October 2
State-run Anadolu news agency said the Turkish prosecutor's office had obtained testimony from 20 consulate employees, and 25 more people including foreign nationals would be questioned.
The consulate employees questioned included accountants, technicians and a driver, Anadolu said. The investigation is being conducted by the prosecutor's terrorism and organized crime bureau, it added.
Turkey said it had not shared with any country audio recordings purportedly documenting Khashoggi's murder inside the consulate, dismissing reports it had passed them to the United States.
'We will share the results that emerge transparently with the whole world,' Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said.
Turkish pro-government newspaper Yeni Safak has published what it said were details from the audio, including that his torturers severed Khashoggi's fingers during an interrogation and later beheaded and dismembered him.
Turkish pro-government newspaper Yeni Safak has published what it said were details from the audio, including that his torturers severed Khashoggi's fingers during an interrogation and later beheaded and dismembered him.
Top intelligence officer General Ahmed al-Assiri (left) was fired in connection with Jamal Khashoggi's death. Saud al-Qahtani, the royal court adviser (right) was also ousted after the country's own investigation
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at the White House on Thursday that Saudi Arabia deserves a 'few more days' to get to the bottom of the disappearance of Khashoggi.
Pompeo spoke after he briefed President Trump on his meetings with Saudi Crown Prince MbS in Riyadh, where he warned the Saudi royal family they have 72 hours to finish the investigation into Khashoggi's disappearance.
Sources described a tough meeting between Pompeo and the crown prince, after smiling photos of the two men fed a narrative that the U.S. was willing to assist the Saudis in finding a cover for story for the killing.
The Saudis assured him they would 'conduct a complete, thorough investigation of all of the facts surrounding Mr. Khashoggi and that they'll do so in a timely fashion, and that this report itself will be transparent for everyone to see, to ask questions about, and to inquire with respect to its thoroughness,' Pompeo told reporters on Thursday morning.
A statement was then released by the Saudis on Friday, saying the 18 suspects who had been detained, but not named, got into a fight with Khashoggi, which led to his death.
'While the investigations are still ongoing into the case with the 18 Saudi detainees, the Kingdom expresses its deep regret at the painful developments that have taken place,' it added.
Saudi Arabia thanked Turkey for its 'exceptional cooperation' in the investigation. It added that it values Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's cooperation in investigating the case.
Saudi Arabia claims the suspects went to Istanbul to meet with Khashoggi over the possibility of him returning to the country. It's not know how they knew he was trying to obtain documents for a marriage license at the consulate.
His death occurred after a heated discussion turned into a quarrel and then a fist fight, they allege.
The vague statement has not explained exactly how he died, but the suspects then apparently tried to cover it up.
A Saudi official told Reuters it was unclear where the body was after it was handed over to a 'local cooperator' but there was no sign of it at the consulate.
Saudi has not yet named any of the 18 suspects, beyond the five men named who have been fired.
A message was posted to the Twitter account of Assiri, deputy intelligence chief, on Friday night, written in Arabic.
The user posted (rough translation): 'I extend my sincere thanks and gratitude to His Holiness the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and His Highness the Crown Prince, for the great confidence they have placed in me and for this great opportunity to honor my national service over the past years ...
'I will remain a faithful servant of my country for a long time, and our dear homeland will remain lofty, God willing.'
It's not clear whether Assiri posted it himself or whether someone else did so on his behalf.
The White House added it is 'saddened' by the confirmed death of the Saudi journalist
The New York Times previously said it had spoken to three people with knowledge of Saudi plans involving General Assiri, who had earlier served as the spokesman for the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen before being promoted to his current job in intelligence.
Two of the sources said Saudi rulers are set to explain that Assiri had been given verbal permission from the Crown Prince to capture Khashoggi for questioning in Saudi Arabia but that he either overstepped the authorization or misunderstood his orders.
According to CBS News Assiri was very close to the country's crown prince.
'You don't get much closer,' a source told Kylie Atwood.
US President Donald Trump says Saudi explanation for Jamal Khashoggi's killing is credible and a 'good first step'. The American leader said he does not believe Saudi Arabia's leadership lied to him, adding that the US needs Saudi Arabia to counteract Iran.
The White House added it is 'saddened' by the confirmed death of the Saudi journalist.
'The United States acknowledges the announcement from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that its investigation into the fate of Jamal Khasshoggi is progressing and that it has taken action against the suspects it has identified thus far,' Press Secretary Sarah Sanders wrote in a statement.
'We will continue to follow international investigations into this tragic incident and advocate for justice that is timely, transparent and in accordance with all due process.
'We offer our deepest condolences to his family, fiancee and friends.'
The country is to restructure its intelligence agencies after the killing of Khashoggi, under King Salman Abdulaziz Al Saud's orders.
Salman - who is the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Al-al-Haram (in Mecca) and Al-an-Nabawi (in Medina) - ordered that a ministerial committee be formed to restructure the General Intelligence Presidency, modernize its regulations and define its powers.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was a resolution concerning the journalist's death and is an extension of the Kingdom's commitment to consolidating justice.
However the mission is said to be led by his son Crown Prince MbS, who was suspected of being behind Khashoggi's disappearance in some versions of stories alleging what happened to the critical writer.
A Saudi official said on Friday the prince had no knowledge of details in the Khashoggi case.
'There were no orders for them to kill him or even specifically kidnap him,' said the official to Reuters, 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.'
Jamal Kashoggi is seen with his finacee Hatice Cengiz, who stood outside the consulate waiting for hours after he walked inside on October 2, never to emerge
The country is to restructure its intelligence agencies after the killing of Khashoggi, under King Salman Abdulaziz Al Saud's orders
However the mission is said to be led by his son Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who was suspected of being behind Khashoggi's disappearance in some reports
The former head of MI6, Sir John Sawers (pictured) has said evidence suggests Saudi's Crown Prince ordered the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi
But former British spy Sir John Sawers said earlier on Friday to BBC Radio 4 show, World at One: 'All the evidence points to it being ordered and carried out by people close to Mohammed bin Salman.
'I don’t think he would have done this if he hadn’t thought he had licence from the US administration to behave as he wished.'
Sawers, who headed MI6 between 2009 and 2014, said he had based his assessment on conversations with sources in Whitehall coupled with his understanding of Turkey's intelligence services.
Some politicians are not convinced by Saudi Arabia's story.
Republican senator Lindsey Graham said: 'To say that I am skeptical of the new Saudi narrative about Mr. Khashoggi is an understatement.
'First we were told Mr. Khashoggi supposedly left the consulate and there was blanket denial of any Saudi involvement. Now, a fight breaks out and he’s killed in the consulate, all without knowledge of Crown Prince.'
Democratic Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal also chimed in.
He said the explanation 'absolutely defies credibility' adding the country had been 'given a pass' for 'killing innocent civilians'.
'The world deserves an explanation, and not from the Saudis,' he told CNN.
It had been earlier reported that King Salman was personally intervening in the Khashoggi case after being kept in the dark about the crisis by his powerful son's aides.
Initially the king, who has handed the day-to-day running of Saudi Arabia to his son was unaware of the extent of the crisis, according to two of the sources with knowledge of the Saudi royal court. That was partly because MbS aides had been directing the king to glowing news about the country on Saudi TV channels, the sources said.
Since he acceded to the throne in January 2015, the king has given MbS, his favorite son, increasing authority to run Saudi Arabia. But the king's latest intervention reflects growing disquiet among some members of the royal court about MbS's fitness to govern, five sources said.
MbS has implemented a series of high-profile social and economic reforms since his father's accession, including ending a ban on women driving and opening cinemas in the conservative kingdom.
15 suspects identified by Turkey
Prior to the confirmation Jamal Khashoggi had died, Turkish police announced they were hunting fifteen Saudi suspects in connection with his disappearance.
It is not known whether these 15 people are among the 18 arrested by the Saudis.
Turkish newspaper Sabah released CCTV images of a group of men who flew into Istanbul on the day Khashoggi went missing after walking into the Saudi consulate.
They were pictured arriving at Ataturk airport's border control having flown into Turkey in two private jets from the Saudi capital Riyadh.
Saif Saad Q Alqahtani (left) and Mustafa Muhammed M. Almadani (right) are also being sought for questioning in connection with the incident last week
Waleed Abdullah M. Alsehri (left) and Abdulaziz Muhammed M. Alhawsawi (right) are also wanted for questioning over the disappearance
The group of men identified by Sabah included Salah Muhammad A Tubaigy, 47, the head of the Saudi Forensic Medicine Institute.
An expert on forensic evidence, he is known to have trained a large number of police officers in crime scene investigation.
Another man, Muhammed Saad H. al-Zahrani, was revealed to have served as one of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman's royal guards - a unit nicknamed the 'rough swords'.
Mugshots of the middle-aged men were released alongside details of their ages and travel itineraries.
Mansur Othman M. Abahüseyin and Badr Lafi M. Alotaibi passed through border control on Tuesday last week
Turkish television also revealed CCTV footage of them arriving at Istanbul airport and making their way through the streets of the city around the embassy.
The men arrived at the embassy half an hour before Khashoggi turned up for his appointment.
Saudi officials denied reports they sent a 15-man team to Istanbul on the day Khashoggi disappeared, saying that the only team they sent to Turkey consisted of investigators who arrived Saturday to help find the journalist.
But he has also marginalized senior members of the royal family and consolidated control over Saudi's security and intelligence agencies.
His reforms have been accompanied by a crackdown on dissent, a purge of top royals and businessmen on corruption charges, and a costly war in Yemen.
Khashoggi, who was specifically critical of Saudi's Crown Prince MbS, had been missing 17 days after entering the consulate on October 2, before Saudi Arabia confirmed his death. His partner Hatice Cengiz waited outside for hours but never saw him again after he walked in at 1.14pm.
The comments from Saudi on Friday evening marked the first time since Khashoggi went missing that the Saudis admitted to his death.
Turkish officials had previously said they believed he was killed in the building. But until Friday, Saudi Arabia haddenied the allegations and said Khashoggi had left the building.
Before the Saudi announcements, US President Donald Trump said he might consider sanctions against Saudi Arabia over the disappearance, while emphasizing the importance of the US-Saudi relationship.
His son Eric Trump said Thursday on Fox News' Outnumbered: 'Saudi Arabia has actually been a friend to the US in many ways. They're ordering from us, massive, massive orders. Hundreds of billions of dollars worth of arms that will create tens and tens of thousands of jobs.
'So what are you going to do? You're going to take that and you're going to throw all of that away?'
Turkish police had searched a forest on Istanbul's outskirts and a city near the Sea of Marmara for Khashoggi's remains
In Istanbul, Turkish prosecutors investigating Khashoggi's disappearance questioned Turkish employees of the Saudi consulate on Friday, widening the hunt for clues in a case straining Riyadh's alliance with Western powers.
Turkish police searched a forest on Istanbul's outskirts and a city near the Sea of Marmara for Khashoggi's remains, two senior Turkish officials told Reuters, after tracking the routes of cars that left the consulate and the consul's residence on the day he vanished.
Investigators have recovered samples from searches of both buildings to analyze for traces of Khashoggi's DNA.
Speaking to reporters in Scottsdale, Arizona, Trump said it was too early to say what the consequences for the incident might be, but that the US Congress would be involved in determining the American response.
Asked whether Saudi sanctions were one of the measures he was considering, Trump said, 'Could be, could be,' though he provided no details.
'We're going to find out who knew what when and where. And we'll figure it out,' Trump added.
The US Congress is controlled by Trump's fellow Republicans, some of whom have called for tough action against Saudi Arabia.
'I will very much listen to what Congress has to say. They feel very strongly about it also,' Trump said.
Trump, who said on Thursday he believed Khashoggi was likely dead and has warned of a potential 'very severe' response, has appeared unwilling to distance himself too much from the Saudis, citing Riyadh's role in countering Iranian influence in the Middle East and lucrative potential arms deals.
'Saudi Arabia has been a great ally, they've been a tremendous investor in the United States,' Trump said, adding, 'That's why this is so sad.'
'They agreed to spend $450 billion on buying in and investing in the United States, so I hope we can keep that open... There are plenty of other things we can do,' he said, adding: 'I might know a lot by Monday. I know a lot already.'
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and senior ministers from France, Britain and the Netherlands have abandoned plans to attend an Oct. 23-25 investor conference in Riyadh.
On Friday, the CEOs of Deutsche Bank and ABB, plus Airbus' defense chief and energy historian Daniel Yergin, joined a list of Western business executives who have withdrawn.
Pakistan's prime minister and a delegation led by Russian Direct Investment Fund head Kirill Dmitriev plan to participate. Britain's BAE Systems is sending senior representatives.
A conference spokesperson confirmed the conference would proceed with an updated program that includes heads of state from the Arab world, Africa and Asia.
All smiles: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shakes hands with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Tuesday
https://hienalouca.com/2018/10/20/saudi-officials-removed-from-posts-after-jamal-khashoggis-death/
Main photo article Saudi Arabia has said that it has fired five high-ranking officials in connection with finally admitting that a journalist has died after offering various explanations for his disappearance more than two weeks ago.
Washington Post writer and veteran Saudi reporter Jamal Khashoggi, 59,...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves US News HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/10/20/04/5155510-6296635-Saudi_Arabia_has_finally_admitted_journalist_Jamal_Khashoggi_pic-a-50_1540004925640.jpg
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий