Turkish media has gained access to an audio recording of the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. The recording reportedly reveals that Khashoggi was dismembered by the Saudi “interrogation team” while he was still alive.
The seven minute execution, per the report, involved the team cutting him up for several minutes until he died. His body was ultimately said to have been dissolved in acid. The consulate was confirmed to have been repainted in the two weeks since the incident.
Among the details in the recording, the Consulate General Mohammed al-Otaibi objected to the dismembering of Khashoggi, telling them to “do this outside, you’ll get me in trouble.” One of the team told him to “shut up if you want to live when you return to Saudi Arabia.”
Turkey has already searched the consulate, and is planning to inspect the consulate general’s residence next. Otaibi won’t be there either way, as he’s reportedly been sacked, and recalled to Saudi Arabia to face accusations of “violations.”
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is in Turkey now to visit with top officials, has said that the US has agreed to give the Saudis a few more days to finalize their own report. This was expected to claim that Khashoggi was accidentally killed in a “botched interrogation,” and that the royal family didn’t know about it.
The audio recording, however, puts further holes into this narrative, as dismembering the man clearly was going to be lethal and not some surprise mistake. The consulate general’s reaction also throws doubts into this being an operation that happened outside of the purview of top leadership. That he’s also been recalled to Saudi Arabia raises only more concerns about what happened.
But we mustn’t stop our arms sales to Saudi Arabia. That would be bad for our defense corporations. No sanctions either as the Saudis might jack up the price of oil. Gotta hand it to the Saudis, they know how to spit in our face with impunity. Putin, on the other hand, gets condemned and is presumed guilty for every little thing with no proof. What a foreign policy we have!
Medieval princes had a whipping-boy. It appears that Otaibi will become one whipping boy (“violations”) for the entire royal family. If he stays alive because he has to be a marked man. He evidently knows exactly what happened but he was apparently not a member of the rogue team.
The team of rogues made a bloody amateurish mistake. They did not stop the recording of the outside security camera before Khashoggi arrived.
Are they that incompetent? This is comical.
No they are not. This is deliberate. Message to the intended ears that fully understand it. Scramble. To withdraw from the challenge by accepting “explanation”? To strike the challenger, strike hard and quick? Would that make challenger back off, or strike harder? Consequences to the anti-Iran agenda that already has no backers in the Middle East — excepting little UAE and their mercenary force. Without Saudi Arabia as a fig leaf, Iran project is over. Deciphering Trump is an interesting undertaking — the more he threatens and talks in favor of x or y, the more he paralises those he loudly supports, and makes them dependent on him when anything changes. Now, Netanyahu is quiet, as he is dependent. Everything was dine before to humiliate the Kingdom, in full belief that Kingdom had no choice but to take it and eat it. Now, in this act of brazen cruelty, it looks like two can play this game. Trump is acting a peacemaker. But he may — as he always does, cave in to the hawks. And make things worse. Goid example Syria. Caving in to hawks, not eithdrawing, resulted in Saudis turning over all large groups they financed to Turkey. We have Turkey poised to deal with Northeast, and we have Druze, who kept out if it, now swearing allegiance to Damascus, taking weapons from Syria for self defence. Why? Israel was fingered in assisting ISIS breaking into Druze area, killing and kidnapping. ISIS will for their masters didmember any hostage, on video, if Druze continue supporting Damascus. So, what are we doing there? There is no population supporting our occupation. No Arabs. No Saudi paid militants, Even majority Kurds want reconciliation with Damascus, except our paid militants — YPG. Kurds may have been once in our camp, but after Afrin — no more. They do not believe that US will support their inddpendence, especially as Kurds are a tiny minority in 99% if US controlled area, and are majority only in Kobane and Afrin regions. Kurds do not wish to defend Euphrates valley ir Deir Azzor for unknown US goals, and allienate majority Arab population. So, at dome point, Trump will ask the hawks to explain how are they winning. This better be good.
Dont seem so quiet to me. Israel massacres protesters, bombs Syria, Saudis massacre Yemenis, murders journalists, US mercenaries murder around the world, backed by the largest military budget in history. The message is loud and clear, here is our peace plan.
The beatings will continue until morale improves.
We really have some great allies…
we installed those puppet regimes and they rule by the sword and any one to dare to open his mouth he get chopped up .
The Saudi military has mainly been used to bomb civilians, and round up dissidents to make them disappear. They think that they can act with impunity because, heretofore, they haven’t faced much demand for accountability or consequences. They view all of humanity as innocent civilians and dissidents. Otiabi will probably loose his head, and the Saudis will hope that may placate the innocent civilians and dissidents across the globe.
Pompeo is being sent to make sure that the power tools were at least American made. MAGA!
9-11
totalitarian repressive backward domestic law.
funding and spreading jihadi’s across the world.
funds coups to overthrow democratic governments
genociding one of the poorest countries.
important ally for the war on terror and helps to spread democracy!!!
kills one CIA asset?
THEY MUST BE STOPPED!!!
It would simpler just to take out the “royal” family – of barbarians. I’m sure that ordinary Arabs in the country would be more than willing to pick up the slack. Plus, just flip over and engage with Iran. They also have big oil supplies which probably aren’t as depleted as SA.
The real long-term solution, however, is to ramp up fusion, making in-the-ground petro obsolete.
America has the means and the power for a quick, sudden preemptive regime change in Riyadh and replace it with a humanitarian regime. What are you waiting for Trump, for them to raise oil to $ 400. a barrel? Putin will no doubt assist you and the world thank you for it.
The voice of reason in a world gone mad.
Nothing reasonable about another US intervention.
Maybe we could bring that humanitarian regime to Washington. Why should the Saudis have one and not us?
Good point! I cannot agree more!
Birds of a feather…
He slipped on a bone saw a dozen times? WTF? Cmon man…Anybody but a fool believe this?
This is not our bizzness, our bizzness is to do bizzness. If Saudis want to kill each other get out of the way, but be fully aware of who and what you are dealing with.
Still doubting the whole story. They needed a fifteen-man team and a forensic medical specialist to kill one guy already being held in the consulate? I realize that Saudi intelligence isn’t the smartest group in the intelligence community but I find that highly unlikely.
Why do it in Turkey? He was already presumably imprisoned in the consulate with security officers in charge. They could have just tossed him on a Saudi plane under diplomatic immunity, flown him to Riyadh, and dumped him down an empty oil well after interrogating him any way they want. The Turks couldn’t have said boo in that situation even if they knew about it because it was all Saudi business under diplomatic immunity while inside Turkey.
The whole story makes as much sense as the Skripal poisoning, which is to say none. And absolutely no one is asking the obvious questions. I can well believe that the Saudis killed Khashoggi, but as it stands the story sounds like complete disinformation. But everyone is too busy denouncing the Saudis (albeit rightfully so) to think it through, just like everyone was too busy denouncing Russia over the Skripal nonsense.
Sometimes complete skepticism is warranted and sometimes not. The Saudis aren’t denying any of this any longer (i.e. “he left” the consulate) but now claiming it was a rouge operation. True, this seems very stupid to do and could have been done differently (or not at all) with no blowback. But absolute monarchs and their princelings often fail to act wisely.
There is the Apple watch, which might be the source of the recordings. And the hit squad photos and aircraft evidence. Plus Mr. Khashoggi has not turned up anywhere else. The Saudis are notorious headchoppers and are also noted for torturing “suspects.” And you don’t fly in an “autopsy specialist” for a mere interrogation.
So while this sick tale seems “unlikely”, in context it is believable. I think further evidence from Turkey is forthcoming soon. A new set of Saudi lies will have to be fabricated. Heads will roll (other heads!).
Trump must realize what his partners do he gets the blame for. I feel the same way what my government does I also take credit for . That holds true for good things as well as bad .
I suspect a good amount of his body just got flushed down the toilets, so Turkey should check the sewage plants. But Khashoggi certainly wasn’t just describing the KSA in his final WaPo article when he warned ” a state-run narrative dominates the public psyche, and while many do not believe it, a large majority of the population falls victim to this false narrative.” That describes 9/11 perfectly.