According to US officials, intercepts from Saudi Arabia revealed a plot against journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who is now missing and presumed dead.after going to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.
The intercepts showed that the government plotted to try to lure Khasoggi into returning to Saudi Arabia, after having fled into exile. Once he was back, they’d detain him for his criticism of the crown prince.
The first stab at this involved Saudi officials connected to the crown prince contacting Khashoggi to offer him a high-ranking government job, promising that all was forgiven and that they would protect him from prosecution.
Khashoggi hadn’t been fooled, however, as his friends say that he confided in them about the offer, and did not believe that they would keep their promises if they got hold of him back in the Saudi kingdom.
Benghazi.
so why did he go to Consulate then? if you are that terrified of the saudi govt you avoid them like the plague.
As I understand it, he was engaged to a Turkish woman and Turkey’s government required that he get some kind of Saudi paperwork for the marriage to be allowed. Presumably he thought that the Saudi consulate in Istanbul would be a safer place to get such paperwork than, say, Riyadh.
One thing I haven’t seen much remarked upon is an implication of the Turks’ claims to have tapes of his torture and murder. They’re pretty much openly admitting that they are bugging the Saudi consulate, but I haven’t heard of any Saudi protests over that.
I can’t imagine any sort of documentation that vital that a Turkish bureaucrat couldn’t waive because attempting to get it would put his life at risk. going to the Consulate is the same as flying into Riyadh.
The Saudis had to fly in two plane loads of people especially to make the Istanbul Consulate dangerous for him. He couldn’t have known that.
My thought regarding the Turks claim of recordings is that they traded Brunson for them. Just my unsubstantiated theory.