Jamal Khashoggi death: Trump says Saudi explanation is 'credible' – as it happened

Jamal Khashoggi is dead, Saudis say
Obituary: high-profile campaigner who paid highest price 

Saudi foreign minister says Khashoggi killing a 'grave mistake'

https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2018/1021/1005668-jamal-khashoggi/

Journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul

The Turkish leader has so far refrained from making strong statements about the death of Mr Khashoggi

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir has said the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the country's Istanbul consulate was "an aberration" and "a mistake".

He said Saudi Arabia does not know how Mr Khashoggi was killed or where his body is, adding the country is still working on finding out where Mr Khashoggi’s body is and determining what happened.

He said Saudi Arabia wants to hold to account those responsible for the killing of Mr Khashoggi.

Mr Jubeir said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman was not aware of the incident.

Speaking in an interview with Fox News, the Saudi Foreign Minister said the incident was "a huge and grave mistake".

"This is a terrible mistake. This is a terrible tragedy. Our condolences go out to them. We feel their pain," he said.

"Unfortunately, a huge and grave mistake was made and I assure them that those responsible will be held accountable for this."

It comes as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to reveal the "naked truth" over the killing, saying that he would make a new statement on the case next week. 

"We are looking for justice here and this will be revealed in all its naked truth, not through some ordinary steps but in all its naked truth," Mr Erdogan told a rally in Istanbul.

He added: "Why did those 15 men come here? Why were 18 people arrested?"

The Turkish president said he would make a full statement on the case when he would address his ruling party MPs in parliament on Tuesday.

The Turkish leader has so far refrained from making strong statements about the death of Mr Khashoggi, often referring to a prosecutors' investigation into the killing. 

Britain, France and Germany have said there was an "urgent need for clarification" on the circumstances surrounding Mr Khashoggi’s death. 

In a joint statement released today the three countries said that Saudi Arabia needed to provide facts for its explanation of what happened to Mr Khashoggi to be considered credible.

"There remains an urgent need for clarification of exactly what happened on October 2nd - beyond the hypotheses that have been raised so far in the Saudi investigation, which need to be backed by facts to be considered credible," the three countries said in a joint statement.

"We thus stress that more efforts are needed and expected towards establishing the truth in a comprehensive, transparent and credible manner," they added.

"We will ultimately make our judgement based on the credibility of the further explanation we receive about what happened and our confidence that such a shameful event cannot and will not ever be repeated."

After two weeks of denials, Saudi authorities admitted that Mr Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and prominent critic of powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed after entering the consulate in Turkey on 2 October.

But the country has faced a growing chorus of incredulity over its belated explanation that he died in a "brawl", as world powers demand answers and the whereabouts of his body.

"The threatening, attacking or killing of journalists, under any circumstances, is unacceptable and of utmost concern to our three nations," added the European allies' statement.

"The quality and significance of the relationship we have with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also rests with the respect we have for the norms and values to which the Saudi authorities and us are jointly committed under international law," they warned.

Turkish government sources have claimed that Mr Khashoggi was tortured and murdered by a hit squad flown in from Riyadh.

The Saudis initially dismissed the allegations as baseless.

A number of Saudi nationals have since been arrested while deputy intelligence chief Ahmad al-Assiri and Saud al-Qahtani, a senior aide to the Crown Prince, have been dismissed, state TV reported.

Khashoggi critical of Saudi prince in final interview

https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2018/1020/1005495-jamal-khashoggi-interview/

Jamal Khashoggi said Mohammed bin Salman (pictured) is out of touch with Saudi's poor

Journalist Jamal Khashoggi criticised Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's "authoritarian rule" shortly before his death, in an interview published following confirmation he died at the kingdom's Istanbul consulate.

Speaking off the record to a Newsweek journalist working on a story about the Saudi leadership, he insisted he did not view himself as "an opposition" - he just wanted "a better Saudi Arabia".

"I'm not calling for the overthrow of the regime, because I know it's not possible and is too risky, and there is no one to overthrow the regime," Mr Khashoggi said.

"I'm just calling for reform of the regime."

He described Prince Mohammed as "an old-fashioned tribal leader" out of touch with Saudi's poor.

"Sometimes I feel that ... he wants to enjoy the fruits of First World modernity and Silicon Valley and cinemas and everything, but at the same time he wants also to rule like how his grandfather ruled Saudi Arabia," Mr Khashoggi told Newsweek.

"He still doesn't see the people. When he sees the people, that's when the actual reform will start."

Mr Khashoggi also criticised Prince Mohammed's lack of "proper advisers".

"He is moving toward a Saudi Arabia according to him, a Saudi Arabia according to Mohammed bin Salman only," said Mr Khashoggi.

He also described two of the prince's aides - sports chief Turki al-Sheikh and the since-dismissed media adviser Saud al-Qahtani - as "very thuggish".

"People fear them. You challenge them, you might end up in prison, and that has happened," he said.

Saudi Arabia has admitted that Mr Khashoggi had died inside the consulate, despite previous persistent claims by the Saudi authorities that the journalist had left the consulate alive.

The Saudi authorities have not yet said where his body is.

In the Newsweek interview, Mr Khashoggi said pushback from the international community was vital to keeping the Saudi regime in check.

"That is our only hope," he said.

Turkish President Erdogan promises to reveal the 'naked truth' about Jamal Khashoggi's death-UK Business Insider

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan makes a speech during a ceremony marking the second anniversary of the attempted coup at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, July 15, 2018.

 REUTERS/Umit Bektas

http://uk.businessinsider.com/turkey-president-erdogan-promises-to-reveal-the-truth-about-jamal-khashoggis-death-2018-10?r=US&IR=T

• Rosie Perper

Turkish President RecepTayyip Erdogan promised to reveal the "naked truth" regarding journalist Jamal Khashoggi's death on Tuesday. 

"We are looking for justice here and this will be revealed in all its naked truth, not through some ordinary steps but in all its naked truth," Erdogan added.

Several members of Erdogan's ruling AK Party also vowed not to "allow a cover-up" of what really happened to Khashoggi inside the Istanbul consulate during his final moments.

Erdogan's statement comes after Saudi Arabia officially admitted that Khashoggi died inside their consulate, claiming that he got into a "fistfight" which turned deadly. 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised to reveal the "naked truth" about the events leading up to journalist Jamal Khashoggi's death on Tuesday. 

"I will make my statement about this issue on Tuesday at the party group meeting," Erdogan said during a speech in Istanbul.

"We are looking for justice here and this will be revealed in all its naked truth, not through some ordinary steps but in all its naked truth".

On Saturday, Saudi Arabia confirmed that the 59-year-old Saudi dissident died inside their consulate. They claimed Khashoggi died after a "fistfight" escalated, and fired 5 top officials and arrested 18 Saudis.

On Sunday, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir reiterated the claims, and denied Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had any prior knowledge of what happened inside the Istanbul consulate on October 2. 

Turkish officials are conducting their own investigation, and believe Khashoggi was brutally murdered and dismembered, possibly by a 15-person hit squad sent in to confront him at the consulate. Video and audio evidence purported to be from the day of Khashoggi's disappearance reportedly back up these claims. 

Erdogan has largely remained silent on the matter, though he noted several inconsistencies in Saudi Arabia's version of the incident.

"Why 15 people came ... why 18 people were detained ... These things have to be told in detail," Erdogan said.

According to Al Jazeera, Erdogan's comments mark the first time a senior official has given an official end date to the ongoing investigations, which has seen conflicting narratives emerge from all sides. 

Several members of Erdogan's ruling AK Party vowed on Saturday to reveal the truth about what happened to Khashoggi in his final moments. 

Omer Celik, a spokesperson for AK Party, said Turkey was not "accusing anyone in advance, but we don't accept anything to remain covered."

AK Party deputy head Numan Kurtulmus, said Turkey  "would not abstain from sharing with the world" its own evidence. He called the case  "ugly, frightening, and inhumane" and promised not to "allow a cover-up" of what really happened. 

The US, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey are continuing their investigations into Khashoggi's death before Trump or the US Senate decide on whether to retaliate against Saudi Arabia.

On Monday, President Trump spoke to Erdogan on the phone and agreed that "all aspects" of the explanation into Jamal Khashoggi's death needed to be "cleared up."

Erdogan: Turkey will reveal 'naked truth' over Khashoggi killing

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/10/erdogan-turkey-reveal-naked-truth-khashoggi-killing-181021152727536.html

21st October, 2018

Turkish president says he will make all necessary statements about killing of Saudi journalist on Tuesday. 

Erdogan: 'We are looking for justice here' [Cem Oksuz/Presidential Press Office/Handout via Reuters] 

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has promised to reveal the "naked truth" over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, saying that he will make a new statement on the case on Tuesday.

His comments on Sunday are likely to increase speculation that Ankara may be about to reveal some of the results of its investigations into the killing of Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, who disappeared after entering the Saudi consulate in the Turkish city of Istanbul on October 2

On Saturday, after weeks of denying any involvement in Khashoggi's disappearance, Saudi Arabia said the 59-year-old, a prominent critic of the powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman(MBS), died in a fistfight at the consulate. 

"I will make my statement about this issue on Tuesday at the party group meeting," Erdogan said in a speech in Istanbul.

"We are looking for justice here and this will be revealed in all its naked truth, not through some ordinary steps but in all its naked truth," Erdogan added.

Erdogan has remained largely silent on the case, although Turkey's pro-government newspapers have released information detailing a 15-member team that purportedly arrived in Istanbul to confront Khashoggi at the consulate.

"Why 15 people came ... why 18 people were detained ... These things have to be told in detail," Erdogan said.

Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor on Saturday said 18 people were arrested in connection with the incident.

Tuesday deadline

"This is the first time that such a senior official - the president - has put essentially a deadline as to this ongoing to and fro of different narrations and leaks," said Al Jazeera's Jamal Elshayyal, reporting from Istanbul.

Hours after the Saudi admission on Saturday, Omer Celik, spokesperson for Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), said Turkey was not "accusing anyone in advance, but we don't accept anything to remain covered [up]".

Meanwhile, Numan Kurtulmus, AK Party's deputy head, promised Turkey "would not abstain from sharing with the world" evidence of Khashoggi's death and will never "allow a cover-up" of what he called an "ugly, frightening, inhumane case".

Turkish officials say the authorities have an audio recording purportedly documenting Khashoggi's killing inside the consulate.

Pro-government Turkish newspaper Yeni Safak, citing the audio, said his torturers cut off his fingers during an interrogation and later beheaded him.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

Turkey's president Erdogan promises to reveal the 'naked truth' about Jamal Khashoggi's death

https://www.aol.com/article/news/2018/10/22/turkeys-president-erdogan-promises-to-reveal-the-naked-truth-about-jamal-khashoggis-death/23567894/

ROSIE PERPER

Business Insider

Oct 22nd 2018  

• Turkish President RecepTayyip Erdogan promised to reveal the 'naked truth' regarding journalist Jamal Khashoggi's death on Tuesday. 
• 'We are looking for justice here and this will be revealed in all its naked truth, not through some ordinary steps but in all its naked truth,' Erdogan added.
• Several members of Erdogan's ruling AK Party also vowed not to 'allow a cover-up' of what really happened to Khashoggi inside the Istanbul consulate during his final moments.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised to reveal the "naked truth" about the events leading up to journalist Jamal Khashoggi's death on Tuesday. 

"I will make my statement about this issue on Tuesday at the party group meeting," Erdogan said during a speech in Istanbul.

"We are looking for justice here and this will be revealed in all its naked truth, not through some ordinary steps but in all its naked truth".

On Saturday, Saudi Arabia confirmed that the 59-year-old Saudi dissident died inside their consulate. They claimed Khashoggi died after a "fistfight" escalated, and fired 5 top officials and arrested 18 Saudis.

On Sunday, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir reiterated the claims, and denied Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had any prior knowledge of what happened inside the Istanbul consulate on October 2. #

Turkish officials are conducting their own investigation, and believe Khashoggi was brutally murdered and dismembered, possibly by a 15-person hit squad sent in to confront him at the consulate. Video and audio evidence purported to be from the day of Khashoggi's disappearance reportedly back up these claims. 

Erdogan has largely remained silent on the matter, though he noted several inconsistencies in Saudi Arabia's version of the incident.

"Why 15 people came ... why 18 people were detained ... These things have to be told in detail," Erdogan said.#

According to Al Jazeera, Erdogan's comments mark the first time a senior official has given an official end date to the ongoing investigations, which has seen conflicting narratives emerge from all sides. 

Several members of Erdogan's ruling AK Party vowed on Saturday to reveal the truth about what happened to Khashoggi in his final moments. 

Omer Celik, a spokesperson for AK Party, said Turkey was not "accusing anyone in advance, but we don't accept anything to remain covered".

AK Party deputy head Numan Kurtulmus, said Turkey "would not abstain from sharing with the world" its own evidence. He called the case "ugly, frightening, and inhumane" and promised not to "allow a cover-up" of what really happened. 

The US, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey are continuing their investigations into Khashoggi's death before Trump or the US Senate decide on whether to retaliate against Saudi Arabia.

On Monday, President Trump spoke to Erdogan on the phone and agreed that "all aspects" of the explanation into Jamal Khashoggi's death needed to be "cleared up".

Photos relating to the missing writer and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi went missing after leaving the Saudi Consulate, who went missing after visiting the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018,

https://www.aol.com/article/news/2018/10/22/turkeys-president-erdogan-promises-to-reveal-the-naked-truth-about-jamal-khashoggis-death/23567894/#slide=7441659#fullscreen

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - OCTOBER 05: People hold posters of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a protest organized by members of the Turkish-Arabic Media Association at the entrance to the Saudi Arabia Consulate on October 5, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey. Saudi Consulate officials have said that missing writer and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi went missing after leaving the consulate, however the statement directly contradicts other sources including Turkish officials who believe that the writer is still inside and being held by Saudi officials. Jamal Khashoggi a Saudi writer critical of the Kingdom and a contributor to the Washington Post was living in self -imposed exile in the U.S. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)  

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - OCTOBER 07: Members of the press report from in front of the entrance of the Saudi Arabia Consulate on October 7, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey. Fears are growing over the fate of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi after Turkish officials said they believe he was murdered inside the Saudi consulate. Saudi consulate officials have said that missing writer and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi went missing after leaving the consulate, however the statement directly contradicts other sources including Turkish officials. Jamal Khashoggi a Saudi writer critical of the Kingdom and a contributor to the Washington Post was living in self-imposed exile in the U.S. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)  

Missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi's Turkish fiancee Hatice (L) and her friend wait in front of the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, on October 3, 2018. - Jamal Khashoggi, a veteran Saudi journalist who has been critical towards the Saudi government has gone missing after visiting the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, the Washington Post reported. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP) (Photo credit should read OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images)  

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - OCTOBER 07: Security cameras are seen at the entrance to the Saudi Arabia Consulate on October 7, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey. Fears are growing over the fate of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi after Turkish officials said they believe he was murdered inside the Saudi consulate. Saudi consulate officials have said that missing writer and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi went missing after leaving the consulate, however the statement directly contradicts other sources including Turkish officials. Jamal Khashoggi a Saudi writer critical of the Kingdom and a contributor to the Washington Post was living in self-imposed exile in the U.S. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images) 

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - OCTOBER 05: People hold posters of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a protest organized by members of the Turkish-Arabic Media Association at the entrance to the Saudi Arabia Consulate on October 5, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey. Saudi Consulate officials have said that missing writer and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi went missing after leaving the consulate, however the statement directly contradicts other sources including Turkish officials who believe that the writer is still inside and being held by Saudi officials. Jamal Khashoggi a Saudi writer critical of the Kingdom and a contributor to the Washington Post was living in self -imposed exile in the U.S. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images) 

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - OCTOBER 07: A man passes through police barricades to enter the Saudi Arabia Consulate on October 7, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey. Fears are growing over the fate of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi after Turkish officials said they believe he was murdered inside the Saudi consulate. Saudi consulate officials have said that missing writer and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi went missing after leaving the consulate, however the statement directly contradicts other sources including Turkish officials. Jamal Khashoggi a Saudi writer critical of the Kingdom and a contributor to the Washington Post was living in self-imposed exile in the U.S. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)  #

Saudi officials gather outside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 7, 2018. - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he is following the developments on the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi who has gone missing after visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, to complete routine paperwork. (Photo by Yasin AKGUL / AFP) (Photo credit should read YASIN AKGUL/AFP/Getty Images)  

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - OCTOBER 07: Official cars are seen parked in front of the entrance of the Saudi Arabia Consulate on October 7, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey. Fears are growing over the fate of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi after Turkish officials said they believe he was murdered inside the Saudi consulate. Saudi consulate officials have said that missing writer and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi went missing after leaving the consulate, however the statement directly contradicts other sources including Turkish officials. Jamal Khashoggi a Saudi writer critical of the Kingdom and a contributor to the Washington Post was living in self-imposed exile in the U.S. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)  

Turkish journalist Turan Kislakci head of the Turkish-Arab Media Association talks to the media outside of the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul on October 7, 2018. - Jamal Khashoggi, a veteran Saudi journalist who has been critical towards the Saudi government has gone missing after visiting the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, the Washington Post reported. According to a Turkish unnamed government official the prominent Saudi journalist was murdered inside the Saudi mission in Istanbul after he went missing. (Photo by Yasin AKGUL / AFP) (Photo credit should read YASIN AKGUL/AFP/Getty Images) 

 ISTANBUL, TURKEY - OCTOBER 05: An entrance sign is seen at the front of the Saudi Arabia Consulate on October 5, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey. Saudi Consulate officials have said that missing writer and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi went missing after leaving the consulate, however the statement directly contradicts other sources including Turkish officials who believe that the writer is still inside and being held by Saudi officials. Jamal Khashoggi a Saudi writer critical of the Kingdom and a contributor to the Washington Post was living in self -imposed exile in the U.S. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - OCTOBER 05: The Saudi Arabia national flag is seen above the Saudi Arabia Consulate on October 5, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey. Saudi Consulate officials have said that missing writer and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi went missing after leaving the consulate, however the statement directly contradicts other sources including Turkish officials who believe that the writer is still inside and being held by Saudi officials. Jamal Khashoggi a Saudi writer critical of the Kingdom and a contributor to the Washington Post was living in self -imposed exile in the U.S. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images) 

 ISTANBUL, TURKEY - OCTOBER 05: Members of the media film and report outside the entrance to the Saudi Arabia Consulate on October 5, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey. Saudi Consulate officials have said that missing writer and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi went missing after leaving the consulate, however the statement directly contradicts other sources including Turkish officials who believe that the writer is still inside and being held by Saudi officials. Jamal Khashoggi a Saudi writer critical of the Kingdom and a contributor to the Washington Post was living in self -imposed exile in the U.S. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - OCTOBER 05: People hold posters of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a protest organized by members of the Turkish-Arabic Media Association at the entrance to the Saudi Arabia Consulate on October 5, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey. Saudi Consulate officials have said that missing writer and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi went missing after leaving the consulate, however the statement directly contradicts other sources including Turkish officials who believe that the writer is still inside and being held by Saudi officials. Jamal Khashoggi a Saudi writer critical of the Kingdom and a contributor to the Washington Post was living in self -imposed exile in the U.S. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images) 

A general manager of Alarab TV, Jamal Khashoggi, looks on during a press conference in the Bahraini capital Manama, on December 15, 2014. The pan-Arab satellite news broadcaster owned by billionaire Saudi businessman Alwaleed bin Talal will go on air February 1, promising to 'break the mould' in a crowded field.AFP PHOTO/ MOHAMMED AL-SHAIKH (Photo credit should read MOHAMMED AL-SHAIKH/AFP/Getty Images)  

 A Saudi diplomatic vehicle leaves the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul on October 3, 2018. - Jamal Khashoggi, a veteran Saudi journalist who has been critical towards the Saudi government has gone missing after visiting the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, the Washington Post reported. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP) (Photo credit should read OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images)

Missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi's Turkish fiancee Hatice (L) and her friends wait in front of the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, on October 3, 2018. - Jamal Khashoggi, a veteran Saudi journalist who has been critical towards the Saudi government has gone missing after visiting the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, the Washington Post reported. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP) (Photo credit should read OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images) 

 An employee waists beside an entrance to Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul on October 4, 2018. - Jamal Khashoggi, a veteran Saudi journalist who has been critical towards the Saudi government has gone missing after visiting the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, the Washington Post reported. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP) (Photo credit should read OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images)

An employee of the consulate checks a diplomatic vehicle in front of Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul on October 4, 2018. - Jamal Khashoggi, a veteran Saudi journalist who has been critical towards the Saudi government has gone missing after visiting the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, the Washington Post reported. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP) (Photo credit should read OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images)  

Jamal Khashoggi

Jamal Khashoggi obituary

Saudi Arabian journalist who fell foul of his country’s ruling dynasty after moving abroad so he could criticise it more freely

Ian Black

@ian_black

Fri 19 Oct 2018 23.30 BST

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/19/jamal-khashoggi-obituary

Jamal Khashoggi speaking at a press conference in Bahrain in 2015. Photograph: Hasan Jamali/AP

The Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi was well known for much of his adult life – certainly to anyone following the notoriously opaque politics of his native country. But the terrible circumstances of his death brought him instant fame that focused global attention on the conservative kingdom.

Khashoggi was 59 when he was killed after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on 2 October. Official denials, leaks and feverish speculation about his fate fuelled tensions between the Turkish and Saudi governments, long at odds. Revelation of the chilling details exposed the brutality of a supposedly modernising monarchy in Riyadh in crushing dissent.

The final chapter of Khashoggi’s life began just over a year before his death, when he left his home in Jeddah for self-imposed exile in the US. He attracted attention by writing columns for the Washington Post, focusing on the changes that had taken place since the ageing King Salman had appointed his youngest son, Mohammed, as crown prince in June 2017.

Khashoggi watched as Mohammed bin Salman sought to wean Saudi Arabia off its long dependence on oil and drove through unprecedented social changes that included lifting the ban on women driving. But his high-profile campaign against corruption meant locking up princes and businessmen in a luxury hotel and arbitrarily jailing or silencing critics, whether liberals or Islamists seeking political reform or conservatives alarmed by his approach.

Khashoggi’s views on the young prince added to Bin Salman’s reputation for recklessness as he pursued an ill-conceived war in support of the government of Yemen as well as launching a bitterly divisive boycott of neighbouring Qatar. Hostility to Iran and its regional allies was central to his strategy.

The columnist described himself as frustrated that he no longer had a Saudi outlet – though his Post articles were also published in Arabic and his 1.6m Twitter followers ensured a vast audience. He called Bin Salman a “brash and abrasive young innovator” and compared him to Vladimir Putin. However, he always insisted that he did not see himself as a dissident, but as a Saudi patriot.

Indeed, he had once been close to the Al Saud dynasty, whose patronage was necessary for even an independent-minded journalist. He always said that the kingdom should not be treated as a special case. He told friends that moving abroad had been the hardest decision of his life. “With each new critical article, the gap between him and the decision-makers in Riyadh widened,” commented a Gulf colleague who agreed with some of Khashoggi’s views but feared he had gone too far in criticising the royal family.

Born in Medina, Jamal came from a well-known family of Turkish origin that had migrated to the western Hijaz region of the Arabian peninsula in Ottoman times. He was the son of Ahmad Khashoggi, the owner of a fabric shop, and his wife Esaaf (nee Daftar). The arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi was a relative. “Jamal used to talk about missing Eid in Medina,” an American friend recalled. “He had vivid memories of growing up there. He longed to be home, like any exile.”

Jamal went to school in Saudi Arabia before leaving for the US where, in 1982, he gained a BA in business administration at Indiana State University – providing the basis for the fluent English that enhanced his professional profile. His journalistic life proper began in 1986 on the English-language Arab News and the Arabic newspaper Okaz. He also wrote for the influential London-based Arabic dailies Al-Sharq al-Awsat and Al-Hayat.

He covered the Soviet war in Afghanistan and the rise of Osama bin Laden, whom he had known earlier, interviewing him both there and in Sudan. Like many of his countrymen, Khashoggi sympathised with the Saudi and CIA-backed mujahideen fighting the Red Army forces. Otherwise his own views were moderately Islamist – of the Muslim Brotherhood school. That was part of his ambivalent status within Saudi society and vis-a-vis the regime: he was too Islamist for secular-minded liberals but too liberal for traditional conservative Wahhabis.

In 1999-2000, he was the managing editor of Arab News and then editor of the Riyadh-based Al-Watan daily, but he was sacked after criticising the religious establishment. Still, his royal connections allowed him to serve as media adviser (2003-07) to Prince Turki al Faisal, the veteran head of the Saudi general intelligence service and, at that time, the kingdom’s ambassador to London and then to Washington. In 2007, Khashoggi was reinstated as editor of Al-Watan, but he resigned in 2010 after a row over running another controversial opinion piece.

Under King Abdullah, he believed it might be possible to combine social and economic modernisation with the gradual relaxation of freedom of expression. In 2015, when Bin Salman ascended the throne, Khashoggi was appointed to run the Bahrain-based Al-Arab TV station, owned by the billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, to compete with the influential Qatari-run Al-Jazeera. But the new channel was shut down after its inaugural broadcast.

Khashoggi came to the conclusion that Bin Salman was more rogue than reformer and could not succeed in delivering both modernity and freedom. Supporters of the crown prince accused Khashoggi of trying to revive an Islamist current that had been initially empowered during the Arab spring but defeated by the counter-revolutions in Egypt and the Gulf. Loyalist media called him traitor or an apostate, or implied that he was working for the Qataris.

Writing from afar, he helped US and western journalists, policy-makers and politicians understand what was happening in the kingdom. In March 2018, he wrote in the Guardian that Bin Salman “appears to be moving the country from old-time religious extremism to his own ‘You-must-accept-my-reform’ extremism, without any consultation – accompanied by arrests and the disappearance of his critics.” His last Washington Post column lambasted the “cruel” Saudi role in the war in Yemen. Days before his murder, he was a guest speaker at an international conference on Palestine in London. Khashoggi’s admirers described him as a shahid (martyr).

He is survived by his fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, and the two sons and two daughters from his first marriage, to Rawia al-Tunisi. It ended in divorce, as did two other marriages.

• Jamal Ahmad Khashoggi, journalist, born 13 October 1958; died 2 October 2018

• This article was amended on 21 October 2018. The original stated that Jamal Khashoggi began his journalistic life at Saudi Gazette. 

It was in fact at Arab News.

Jamal Khashoggi

Saudi Arabia admits Khashoggi killed but claims he died in 'fistfight'

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/19/jamal-khashoggi-dead-saudi-arabian-state-television-confirms

Turkish official says investigators will know fate of journalist’s body ‘before long’

Khashoggi mourners demand ‘true justice’ after Saudi disclosures

Julian Borger in Washington and Patrick Wintour in London and agency

Sat     20 Oct 2018 

first        Good first step': Trump welcomes Saudi arrests in Khashoggi case – video  

              Turkish investigators are likely to find out what happened to the body of Jamal Khashoggi before long, a senior official has said, after Saudi

          Arabia admitted for the first time that the journalist was killed in its Istanbul consulate.
          The official, who declined to be identified, also told Reuters that samples of Khashoggi’s DNA were being procured from inside Turkey, 

          meaning investigators would not need to ask Saudi Arabia for samples at the moment.

    Saudi Arabia said on Friday that Khashoggi died in a “fistfight” inside its Istanbul consulate - Riyadh’s first acknowledgement of his death after        two weeks of denials that it was involved in his disappearance.

The Saudi regime also announced a purge of senior officials including Saud al-Qahtani, an influential adviser to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and General Ahmed al-Asiri, a senior intelligence official. Both men have been fired. Eighteen Saudi nationals were said to have been arrested.

The announcement, which cited preliminary findings from an official investigation, was made on state television.

    The purge appeared to be aimed at insulating the crown prince and protecting his position. 

    It was reported that he would remain overall head of intelligence.

Khashoggi, a critic of the crown prince, went missing after entering the consulate to obtain documents for his upcoming marriage. Days later, Turkish officials said they believed he had been killed in the building, an allegation that Saudi Arabia initially strenuously denied.

A follow-up statement released by the Saudi ministry of foreign affairs claimed that discussions between Khashoggi and Saudi officials at the consulate “did not go as required and escalated negatively which led to a fight between them … and led to his death”. It claimed that officials, referred to as “suspects”, were involved in a “cover-up”.

Donald Trump said Saudi Arabia’s announcement on the circumstances of Khashoggi’s death was credible and a “good first step” but that what happened was “unacceptable”. He also said he preferred that any sanctions against Riyadh not include cancelling large defence orders.

The Trump administration has stressed it cannot afford to lose Saudi Arabia as a strategic partner. But it faces a sceptical Congress which may demand more convincing explanations of what happened to Khashoggi on 2 October.

     The claim that Khashoggi, 59, died in a fight with Saudi officials who greeted him at the Istanbul consulate, prompted derision elsewhere.#

     

           Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman

            To  say that I am skeptical of the new Saudi narrative about Mr Khashoggi is an understatement,” the Republican senator Lindsey Graham

           said in a series of tweets. “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.”

     The California congressman Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House intelligence committee, said Saudi Arabia’s claim was not         

       credible.   He said if Khashoggi was fighting inside the consulate, he was “fighting for his life with people sent to capture or kill him”.

        If Trump’s Republican administration did not hold Saudi Arabia accountable for Khashoggi’s death, Congress would,

      Schiff added, according to Reuters.

       Leaks from the Turkish authorities and independent reporting have shown that the kingdom’s most senior forensics expert was among 

        a 15-man team sent from Riyadh on 2 October before Khashoggi’s scheduled visit to the consulate.

     They are reported to have brought a bone saw with them and the forensics expert, Salah Muhammed al-Tubaigy, 

        is said to have been recorded telling others to listen to music on headphones while he dismembered the body.

       It will be hard to convince global opinion that the crown prince, widely known by his initials, MBS, did not give the order. 

      Several of the 15-strong squad sent to Istanbul were from his personal security staff.

     

P        Protesters outside the White House in the wake of Jamal Khashoggi’s disappearance. 

             The credibility of the Saudi court is already stretched to breaking point. From the day of Khashoggi’s disappearance until the early hours of

              Saturday morning, the official line from Riyadh was that the exiled writer, a US resident who wrote for the Washington Post, left the

               consulate before disappearing.

                The question for western powers is whether this explanation is seen as a necessary and sufficient grubby deal to bring a disastrous episode

                 to a close, or whether punitive sanctions will be required

                 The White House press secretary, Sarah Sanders, said in a statement that the US “acknowledges the announcement from

                  the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that its investigation into the fate of Jamal Khashoggi is progressing and that it has taken action against 

                 the suspects it has identified thus far”.

S             he added: “We will continue to closely follow the international investigations into this tragic incident and advocate for justice that is timely,

               transparent, and in accordance with all due process. We are saddened to hear confirmation of Mr Khashoggi’s death, and we offer 

                our deepest condolences to his family, fiancee and friends.”

           Samantha Power, the former US ambassador to the United Nations, said in a tweet: 

         “They don’t get it. Shifting from bald-face lies (‘Khashoggi left consulate’) to faux condemnation (of a ‘rogue operation’) 

           to claiming the wolf       will credibly investigate what he did to the hen … will convince nobody.”

           A spokesperson for the UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, said he was “deeply troubled” by the confirmation of Khoshoggi’s death, 

           and stressed the “need for prompt, thorough, transparent investigation” into the circumstances, and full accountability for those responsible.

Jamal Khashoggi

Saudi Arabia admits Khashoggi killed but claims he died in 'fistfight'

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/19/jamal-khashoggi-dead-saudi-arabian-state-television-confirms

Turkish official says investigators will know fate of journalist’s body ‘before long’

Khashoggi mourners demand ‘true justice’ after Saudi disclosures

Julian Borger in Washington and Patrick Wintour in London and agency

Sat 20 Oct 2018 

 'Good first step': Trump welcomes Saudi arrests in Khashoggi case – video

Turkish investigators are likely to find out what happened to the body of Jamal Khashoggi before long, a senior official has said, after Saudi Arabia admitted for the first time that the journalist was killed in its Istanbul consulate.

The official, who declined to be identified, also told Reuters that samples of Khashoggi’s DNA were being procured from inside Turkey, meaning investigators would not need to ask Saudi Arabia for samples at the moment.

Saudi Arabia said on Friday that Khashoggi died in a “fistfight” inside its Istanbul consulate - Riyadh’s first acknowledgement of his death after two weeks of denials that it was involved in his disappearance.

The Saudi regime also announced a purge of senior officials including Saud al-Qahtani, an influential adviser to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and General Ahmed al-Asiri, a senior intelligence official. Both men have been fired. Eighteen Saudi nationals were said to have been arrested.

The announcement, which cited preliminary findings from an official investigation, was made on state television. The purge appeared to be aimed at insulating the crown prince and protecting his position. It was reported that he would remain overall head of intelligence.

Khashoggi, a critic of the crown prince, went missing after entering the consulate to obtain documents for his upcoming marriage. Days later, Turkish officials said they believed he had been killed in the building, an allegation that Saudi Arabia initially strenuously denied.

A follow-up statement released by the Saudi ministry of foreign affairs claimed that discussions between Khashoggi and Saudi officials at the consulate “did not go as required and escalated negatively which led to a fight between them … and led to his death”. It claimed that officials, referred to as “suspects”, were involved in a “cover-up”.

Donald Trump said Saudi Arabia’s announcement on the circumstances of Khashoggi’s death was credible and a “good first step” but that what happened was “unacceptable”. He also said he preferred that any sanctions against Riyadh not include cancelling large defence orders.

The Trump administration has stressed it cannot afford to lose Saudi Arabia as a strategic partner. But it faces a sceptical Congress which may demand more convincing explanations of what happened to Khashoggi on 2 October.

The claim that Khashoggi, 59, died in a fight with Saudi officials who greeted him at the Istanbul consulate, prompted derision elsewhere.

Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. Photograph: Amir Levy/Reuters

“To say that I am skeptical of the new Saudi narrative about Mr Khashoggi is an understatement,” the Republican senator Lindsey Graham said in a series of tweets. “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.”

The California congressman Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House intelligence committee, said Saudi Arabia’s claim was not credible. He said if Khashoggi was fighting inside the consulate, he was “fighting for his life with people sent to capture or kill him”.

If Trump’s Republican administration did not hold Saudi Arabia accountable for Khashoggi’s death, Congress would, Schiff added, according to Reuters.

Leaks from the Turkish authorities and independent reporting have shown that the kingdom’s most senior forensics expert was among a 15-man team sent from Riyadh on 2 October before Khashoggi’s scheduled visit to the consulate.

They are reported to have brought a bone saw with them and the forensics expert, Salah Muhammed al-Tubaigy, is said to have been recorded telling others to listen to music on headphones while he dismembered the body.

It will be hard to convince global opinion that the crown prince, widely known by his initials, MBS, did not give the order. Several of the 15-strong squad sent to Istanbul were from his personal security staff.

Protesters outside the White House in the wake of Jamal Khashoggi’s disappearance. Photograph: UPI/Barcroft Images

The credibility of the Saudi court is already stretched to breaking point. From the day of Khashoggi’s disappearance until the early hours of Saturday morning, the official line from Riyadh was that the exiled writer, a US resident who wrote for the Washington Post, left the consulate before disappearing.The question for western powers is whether this explanation is seen as a necessary and sufficient grubby deal to bring a disastrous episode to a close, or whether punitive sanctions will be required.

The White House press secretary, Sarah Sanders, said in a statement that the US “acknowledges the announcement from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that its investigation into the fate of Jamal Khashoggi is progressing and that it has taken action against the suspects it has identified thus far”.

She added: “We will continue to closely follow the international investigations into this tragic incident and advocate for justice that is timely, transparent, and in accordance with all due process. We are saddened to hear confirmation of Mr Khashoggi’s death, and we offer our deepest condolences to his family, fiancee and friends.”

Samantha Power, the former US ambassador to the United Nations, said in a tweet: “They don’t get it. Shifting from bald-face lies (‘Khashoggi left consulate’) to faux condemnation (of a ‘rogue operation’) to claiming the wolf will credibly investigate what he did to the hen … will convince nobody.”

A spokesperson for the UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, said he was “deeply troubled” by the confirmation of Khoshoggi’s death, and stressed the “need for prompt, thorough, transparent investigation” into the circumstances, and full accountability for those responsible.

Erdogan: Turkey will reveal 'naked truth' over Khashoggi killing

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/10/erdogan-turkey-reveal-naked-truth-khashoggi-killing-181021152727536.html

21st October, 2018

Turkish president says he will make all necessary statements about killing of Saudi journalist on Tuesday. 

Erdogan: 'We are looking for justice here' [Cem Oksuz/Presidential Press Office/Handout via Reuters] 

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has promised to reveal the "naked truth" over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, saying that he will make a new statement on the case on Tuesday.

His comments on Sunday are likely to increase speculation that Ankara may be about to reveal some of the results of its investigations into the killing of Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, who disappeared after entering the Saudi consulate in the Turkish city of Istanbul on October 2

On Saturday, after weeks of denying any involvement in Khashoggi's disappearance, Saudi Arabia said the 59-year-old, a prominent critic of the powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman(MBS), died in a fistfight at the consulate. 

"I will make my statement about this issue on Tuesday at the party group meeting," Erdogan said in a speech in Istanbul.

"We are looking for justice here and this will be revealed in all its naked truth, not through some ordinary steps but in all its naked truth," Erdogan added.

Erdogan has remained largely silent on the case, although Turkey's pro-government newspapers have released information detailing a 15-member team that purportedly arrived in Istanbul to confront Khashoggi at the consulate.

"Why 15 people came ... why 18 people were detained ... These things have to be told in detail," Erdogan said.

Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor on Saturday said 18 people were arrested in connection with the incident.

Tuesday deadline

"This is the first time that such a senior official - the president - has put essentially a deadline as to this ongoing to and fro of different narrations and leaks," said Al Jazeera's Jamal Elshayyal, reporting from Istanbul.

Hours after the Saudi admission on Saturday, Omer Celik, spokesperson for Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), said Turkey was not "accusing anyone in advance, but we don't accept anything to remain covered [up]".

Meanwhile, Numan Kurtulmus, AK Party's deputy head, promised Turkey "would not abstain from sharing with the world" evidence of Khashoggi's death and will never "allow a cover-up" of what he called an "ugly, frightening, inhumane case".

Turkish officials say the authorities have an audio recording purportedly documenting Khashoggi's killing inside the consulate.

Pro-government Turkish newspaper Yeni Safak, citing the audio, said his torturers cut off his fingers during an interrogation and later beheaded him.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

Turkey's president Erdogan promises to reveal the 'naked truth' about Jamal Khashoggi's death

https://www.aol.com/article/news/2018/10/22/turkeys-president-erdogan-promises-to-reveal-the-naked-truth-about-jamal-khashoggis-death/23567894/

ROSIE PERPER

Business Insider

Oct 22nd 2018  

• Turkish President RecepTayyip Erdogan promised to reveal the 'naked truth' regarding journalist Jamal Khashoggi's death on Tuesday. 
• 'We are looking for justice here and this will be revealed in all its naked truth, not through some ordinary steps but in all its naked truth,' Erdogan added.
• Several members of Erdogan's ruling AK Party also vowed not to 'allow a cover-up' of what really happened to Khashoggi inside the Istanbul consulate during his final moments.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised to reveal the "naked truth" about the events leading up to journalist Jamal Khashoggi's death on Tuesday. 

"I will make my statement about this issue on Tuesday at the party group meeting," Erdogan said during a speech in Istanbul.

"We are looking for justice here and this will be revealed in all its naked truth, not through some ordinary steps but in all its naked truth".

On Saturday, Saudi Arabia confirmed that the 59-year-old Saudi dissident died inside their consulate. They claimed Khashoggi died after a "fistfight" escalated, and fired 5 top officials and arrested 18 Saudis.

On Sunday, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir reiterated the claims, and denied Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had any prior knowledge of what happened inside the Istanbul consulate on October 2. #

Turkish officials are conducting their own investigation, and believe Khashoggi was brutally murdered and dismembered, possibly by a 15-person hit squad sent in to confront him at the consulate. Video and audio evidence purported to be from the day of Khashoggi's disappearance reportedly back up these claims. 

Erdogan has largely remained silent on the matter, though he noted several inconsistencies in Saudi Arabia's version of the incident.

"Why 15 people came ... why 18 people were detained ... These things have to be told in detail," Erdogan said.#

According to Al Jazeera, Erdogan's comments mark the first time a senior official has given an official end date to the ongoing investigations, which has seen conflicting narratives emerge from all sides. 

Several members of Erdogan's ruling AK Party vowed on Saturday to reveal the truth about what happened to Khashoggi in his final moments. 

Omer Celik, a spokesperson for AK Party, said Turkey was not "accusing anyone in advance, but we don't accept anything to remain covered".

AK Party deputy head Numan Kurtulmus, said Turkey "would not abstain from sharing with the world" its own evidence. He called the case "ugly, frightening, and inhumane" and promised not to "allow a cover-up" of what really happened. 

The US, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey are continuing their investigations into Khashoggi's death before Trump or the US Senate decide on whether to retaliate against Saudi Arabia.

On Monday, President Trump spoke to Erdogan on the phone and agreed that "all aspects" of the explanation into Jamal Khashoggi's death needed to be "cleared up".

Photos relating to the missing writer and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi went missing after leaving the Saudi Consulate, who went missing after visiting the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018,

https://www.aol.com/article/news/2018/10/22/turkeys-president-erdogan-promises-to-reveal-the-naked-truth-about-jamal-khashoggis-death/23567894/#slide=7441659#fullscreen

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - OCTOBER 05: People hold posters of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a protest organized by members of the Turkish-Arabic Media Association at the entrance to the Saudi Arabia Consulate on October 5, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey. Saudi Consulate officials have said that missing writer and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi went missing after leaving the consulate, however the statement directly contradicts other sources including Turkish officials who believe that the writer is still inside and being held by Saudi officials. Jamal Khashoggi a Saudi writer critical of the Kingdom and a contributor to the Washington Post was living in self -imposed exile in the U.S. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)  

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - OCTOBER 07: Members of the press report from in front of the entrance of the Saudi Arabia Consulate on October 7, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey. Fears are growing over the fate of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi after Turkish officials said they believe he was murdered inside the Saudi consulate. Saudi consulate officials have said that missing writer and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi went missing after leaving the consulate, however the statement directly contradicts other sources including Turkish officials. Jamal Khashoggi a Saudi writer critical of the Kingdom and a contributor to the Washington Post was living in self-imposed exile in the U.S. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)  

Missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi's Turkish fiancee Hatice (L) and her friend wait in front of the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, on October 3, 2018. - Jamal Khashoggi, a veteran Saudi journalist who has been critical towards the Saudi government has gone missing after visiting the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, the Washington Post reported. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP) (Photo credit should read OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images)  

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - OCTOBER 07: Security cameras are seen at the entrance to the Saudi Arabia Consulate on October 7, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey. Fears are growing over the fate of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi after Turkish officials said they believe he was murdered inside the Saudi consulate. Saudi consulate officials have said that missing writer and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi went missing after leaving the consulate, however the statement directly contradicts other sources including Turkish officials. Jamal Khashoggi a Saudi writer critical of the Kingdom and a contributor to the Washington Post was living in self-imposed exile in the U.S. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images) 

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - OCTOBER 05: People hold posters of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a protest organized by members of the Turkish-Arabic Media Association at the entrance to the Saudi Arabia Consulate on October 5, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey. Saudi Consulate officials have said that missing writer and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi went missing after leaving the consulate, however the statement directly contradicts other sources including Turkish officials who believe that the writer is still inside and being held by Saudi officials. Jamal Khashoggi a Saudi writer critical of the Kingdom and a contributor to the Washington Post was living in self -imposed exile in the U.S. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images) 

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - OCTOBER 07: A man passes through police barricades to enter the Saudi Arabia Consulate on October 7, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey. Fears are growing over the fate of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi after Turkish officials said they believe he was murdered inside the Saudi consulate. Saudi consulate officials have said that missing writer and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi went missing after leaving the consulate, however the statement directly contradicts other sources including Turkish officials. Jamal Khashoggi a Saudi writer critical of the Kingdom and a contributor to the Washington Post was living in self-imposed exile in the U.S. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)  #

Saudi officials gather outside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 7, 2018. - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he is following the developments on the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi who has gone missing after visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, to complete routine paperwork. (Photo by Yasin AKGUL / AFP) (Photo credit should read YASIN AKGUL/AFP/Getty Images)  

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - OCTOBER 07: Official cars are seen parked in front of the entrance of the Saudi Arabia Consulate on October 7, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey. Fears are growing over the fate of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi after Turkish officials said they believe he was murdered inside the Saudi consulate. Saudi consulate officials have said that missing writer and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi went missing after leaving the consulate, however the statement directly contradicts other sources including Turkish officials. Jamal Khashoggi a Saudi writer critical of the Kingdom and a contributor to the Washington Post was living in self-imposed exile in the U.S. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)  

Turkish journalist Turan Kislakci head of the Turkish-Arab Media Association talks to the media outside of the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul on October 7, 2018. - Jamal Khashoggi, a veteran Saudi journalist who has been critical towards the Saudi government has gone missing after visiting the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, the Washington Post reported. According to a Turkish unnamed government official the prominent Saudi journalist was murdered inside the Saudi mission in Istanbul after he went missing. (Photo by Yasin AKGUL / AFP) (Photo credit should read YASIN AKGUL/AFP/Getty Images) 

 ISTANBUL, TURKEY - OCTOBER 05: An entrance sign is seen at the front of the Saudi Arabia Consulate on October 5, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey. Saudi Consulate officials have said that missing writer and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi went missing after leaving the consulate, however the statement directly contradicts other sources including Turkish officials who believe that the writer is still inside and being held by Saudi officials. Jamal Khashoggi a Saudi writer critical of the Kingdom and a contributor to the Washington Post was living in self -imposed exile in the U.S. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - OCTOBER 05: The Saudi Arabia national flag is seen above the Saudi Arabia Consulate on October 5, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey. Saudi Consulate officials have said that missing writer and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi went missing after leaving the consulate, however the statement directly contradicts other sources including Turkish officials who believe that the writer is still inside and being held by Saudi officials. Jamal Khashoggi a Saudi writer critical of the Kingdom and a contributor to the Washington Post was living in self -imposed exile in the U.S. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images) 

 ISTANBUL, TURKEY - OCTOBER 05: Members of the media film and report outside the entrance to the Saudi Arabia Consulate on October 5, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey. Saudi Consulate officials have said that missing writer and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi went missing after leaving the consulate, however the statement directly contradicts other sources including Turkish officials who believe that the writer is still inside and being held by Saudi officials. Jamal Khashoggi a Saudi writer critical of the Kingdom and a contributor to the Washington Post was living in self -imposed exile in the U.S. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - OCTOBER 05: People hold posters of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a protest organized by members of the Turkish-Arabic Media Association at the entrance to the Saudi Arabia Consulate on October 5, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey. Saudi Consulate officials have said that missing writer and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi went missing after leaving the consulate, however the statement directly contradicts other sources including Turkish officials who believe that the writer is still inside and being held by Saudi officials. Jamal Khashoggi a Saudi writer critical of the Kingdom and a contributor to the Washington Post was living in self -imposed exile in the U.S. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images) 

A general manager of Alarab TV, Jamal Khashoggi, looks on during a press conference in the Bahraini capital Manama, on December 15, 2014. The pan-Arab satellite news broadcaster owned by billionaire Saudi businessman Alwaleed bin Talal will go on air February 1, promising to 'break the mould' in a crowded field.AFP PHOTO/ MOHAMMED AL-SHAIKH (Photo credit should read MOHAMMED AL-SHAIKH/AFP/Getty Images)  

 A Saudi diplomatic vehicle leaves the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul on October 3, 2018. - Jamal Khashoggi, a veteran Saudi journalist who has been critical towards the Saudi government has gone missing after visiting the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, the Washington Post reported. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP) (Photo credit should read OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images)

Missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi's Turkish fiancee Hatice (L) and her friends wait in front of the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, on October 3, 2018. - Jamal Khashoggi, a veteran Saudi journalist who has been critical towards the Saudi government has gone missing after visiting the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, the Washington Post reported. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP) (Photo credit should read OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images) 

 An employee waists beside an entrance to Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul on October 4, 2018. - Jamal Khashoggi, a veteran Saudi journalist who has been critical towards the Saudi government has gone missing after visiting the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, the Washington Post reported. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP) (Photo credit should read OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images)

An employee of the consulate checks a diplomatic vehicle in front of Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul on October 4, 2018. - Jamal Khashoggi, a veteran Saudi journalist who has been critical towards the Saudi government has gone missing after visiting the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, the Washington Post reported. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP) (Photo credit should read OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images)  

Trump's job approval rating reaches an all-time high in new poll
 

https://www.aol.com/article/news/2018/10/21/trumps-job-approval-rating-reaches-all-time-high-in-new-poll/23567436/

President Trump’s job approval rating has reached an all-time high in the latest NBC/Wall Street Journal poll. 

Of the 900 registered voters who were asked about his job performance from Oct. 14-17, 47 percent said they approved while 49 percent said they disapproved. 

Despite the negative edge, the figures represent a 3-point increase in approval and 3-point decrease in disapproval compared to a month ago.

The Journal attributes Trump’s boost, in part, to a surge of voter interest in the midterm elections—the outcome of which is still considered to be largely unpredictable. 

Despite the upward trend for Trump in the NBC/Journal poll, the statistics site FiveThirtyEight paints a slightly bleaker picture, placing his aggregate numbers at 42.7 percent approval and 52.2 percent disapproval. 

Nevertheless, a recent CNN poll found that there is a near split—46 percent versus 47 percent—between those who think Trump will win re-election in 2020 and those who think he will lose, respectively. 

Trump says he is not satisfied with Saudi account of Khashoggi death

Saturday, 20 Oct 2018  

https://www.rte.ie/news/2018/1020/1005470-us-reacts-to-khashoggi-death/  

Donald Trump earlier said he found the explanation for Jamal Khashoggi's death 'credible'

US President Donald Trump has said that he is not satisfied with Saudi Arabia's explanation for the circumstances around the killing of journalist and government critic Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul.

Speaking to reporters in Nevada, Mr Trump added that it was possible that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had been unaware of the death.

Mr Trump had earlier said that he found Saudi Arabia's assertion that Mr Khashoggi died as a result of a fight credible.

"I do, I do," Mr Trump said when asked if the Saudis' explanation was credible, while adding: "It's early, we haven't finished our review or investigation."

The White House had earlier said it would press for justice after Saudi Arabia announced that Mr Khashoggi had died in the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul and that 18 Saudis had been arrested in connection with his death.

"We will continue to closely follow the international investigations into this tragic incident and advocate for justice that is timely, transparent, and in accordance with all due process," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement.

"We are saddened to hear confirmation of Mr Khashoggi's death, and we offer our deepest condolences to his family, fiancée, and friends," she added.        

Jamal Khashoggi death: give us the facts, western countries tell Saudis

Jamal Khashoggi death: give us the facts, western countries tell Saudis

UK, France and Germany urge Riyadh to urgently clarify what happened to journalist

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/21/jamal-khashoggi-germany-and-eu-condemn-saudi-explanation-of-death

Jamal Khashoggi died at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on 2 October.  

Donald Trump, right, shakes hands with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Washington earlier this year. 

 The UK, France and Germany have pressed Saudi Arabia to provide facts for its widely derided account of the death of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as Turkey vowed to reveal the “naked truth” about what happened in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul earlier this month.

In an attempt to ease growing western doubts about the credibility of the Saudi position, the foreign minister Adel Al-Jubeir told Fox News on Sunday that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman knew nothing of any plan to kill Khashoggi and that the whereabouts of his body remained a mystery to Riyadh.

Western governments have become increasingly dismissive of the often conflicting accounts of the journalist’s death provided so far. In a joint statement released on Sunday, the UK, France and Germany said: “There remains an urgent need for clarification of exactly what happened on 2 October – beyond the hypotheses that have been raised so far in the Saudi investigation, which need to be backed by facts to be considered credible.”

The UK foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, spoke to Al-Jubeir on Sunday to convey the British view that “nothing can justify this killing” and assert that the explanation provided was not entirely credible.

A Foreign Office source said: “Ultimately the strength of our response will depend on the extent to which the truth has been found, and our confidence that it cannot happen ever again.”

In his strongest comments to date on the case, the US president, Donald Trump, accused Saudi Arabia of lying about Khashoggi’s death as pressure built on his administration to toughen its stance.

Perhaps more ominously for the Saudis,Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, promised to provide on Tuesday full disclosure of the Turkish investigation into Khashoggi’s killing.

Up to now, the Turkish president and other senior government figures have remained cautious in their public statements, stopping short of pinning the blame on Saudi Arabia and referring instead to the prosecutors’ investigation. Pro-government Turkish newspapers have released information detailing how a 15-member team was sent to Istanbul to confront Khashoggi at the consulate.

It is alleged that Turkey has audio of his murder that would dispel Saudi suggestions he was killed inadvertently by throttling after after resisting a plan by 15 Saudi officers to compel him to return to Riyadh.

Erdoğan told a rally in Istanbul: “We are looking for justice here and this will be revealed … not through some ordinary steps but in all its naked truth.”

After two weeks of contradictory statements, the Saudi government claimed late on Friday that Khashoggi was strangled after a fistfight broke out between him and officials on 2 October at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Five officials, including a senior intelligence officer, were said to have been fired and 18 others arrested.

In a later explanation offered on Sunday, the Saudis claimed the initial plan was to capture and persuade Khashoggi to return to Saudi Arabia, but to release him if he refused to comply.

The Saudis have given no details on the whereabouts of his body, and there are reports that the crown prince is both surprised and angry at the strength of the reaction in the west.

Jubeir insisted on Sunday that the killing was “a terrible mistake”. “This is a terrible tragedy. Our condolences go out to them. We feel their pain,” he said. “Unfortunately, a huge and grave mistake was made and I assure them that those responsible will be held accountable for this.”

Western governments are waiting for the full report from Turkish authorities before deciding on what punishment, if any, to impose on Riyadh.

Prior to the joint statement, ministers from France, Germany, the UK and Canada all criticised the Saudi version of events, which have changed over time, starting with the assertion that Khashoggi had left the consulate unharmed.

The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, said her country would not export arms to Saudi Arabia while the uncertainty persists. “There is an urgent need to clarify what happened,” she said. “We are far from having this cleared up and those responsible held to account ... As far as arms exports are concerned, those can’t take place in the current circumstances.

The UK’s Brexit secretary, Dominic Raab, was asked in an interview on BBC television if he believed the Saudi explanation. “No, I don’t think it is credible,” he said. “We support the Turkish investigation into it and the British government will want to see people held to account for that death.”

The French finance minister, Bruno Le Maire, said: “I note that the Saudi authorities have changed tack, admitted the facts and accepted some responsibility, so we’re making progress.”

Opinion against Saudi Arabia was also hardening in the US, but differences remained over the form of sanctions that should be imposed. Other options include diplomatic expulsions and curbs on arms sales.

A senior Republican senator said he believed the Saudi crown prince was responsible for Khashoggi’s death, and that the US had intelligence suggesting “very high-level” involvement. Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee said Bin Salman had “crossed a line” by apparently overseeing the death of Khashoggi.

Corker spoke soon after Trump acknowledged for the first time that Saudi officials had made false statements about Khashoggi’s killing. “Obviously there’s been deception and there’s been lies,” the president told the Washington Post on Saturday. Trump, though, stopped short of blaming Bin Salman, saying he would “would love if he wasn’t responsible”.

The treasury secretary, Steve Mnuchin, said the Saudi explanation of the dissident’s death was a “good first step” but “obviously not enough”. Mnuchin is scheduled to visit Riyadh on Tuesday for talks with Saudi officials on Iran and on countering the financing of terrorism. Mnuchin has, however, withdrawn from the so-called “Davos in the desert” conference that is being shunned by many US executives and media companies following Khashoggi’s death.

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 the crown prince, a Trump administration favourite widely known as MBS, whose image as a modernising Arab reformer has been gravely undermined.