Following a Friday admission that Saudi forces killed journalist Jamal Khashoggi in a surprise fistfight and a Saturday statement from an official offering a totally different account of what happened, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir offered his own take on events in an interview with Fox News on Sunday.
Jubeir’s version: the Saudis have no idea what happened. He says that officials have no details on how Khashoggi was killed by the “Saudi security team” and don’t know where the body is. He said they are “determined to uncover every stone” and find out.
The talking points, above “we don’t know,” are that killing Khashoggi was a “grave mistake,” and that the crown prince definitely didn’t know anything about what happened. President Trump has been eager to see that the final version, whatever it is, doesn’t implicate the crown prince.
Still, the Saudis’ efforts to get a handle on the narrative have been problematic over the last 48 hours, to say the least. Officials were desperate to answer calls for an official report, then tried to replace that report almost immediately, then backtracked all the way to not knowing what happened at all.
Now they are playing games. We know, we do not know. May be know. Muddle East at its best. This will infuriate many circles here, but they better hold their breath to cool the porridge instead. As this will be a game if shadows, with clear intention to dsgrade to a point relationship with Washington. The Crown Prince has been ordered to reorganize the intelligence. Basically to get rid off the remnants of MbN circle operatives. They nay gave planted information in order to identify leaks. Which all means he has support. It is quite possible that Saudis are not too eager to come up with a final version, preferring ambiguity. Which is what nibidy here wants. What was needed was a fast explanation, a narrative — followed by a thoroughly contrite and appologetic stance. Not likely — certainly not so fast. Saudis are doing some bargaining. I wonder what is in the plate. Because we need an end to this much more then Saudis. Iran, Iran, Iran. Then Yemen, Syria, Qatar, gold yuan. Ling list.
The Saudi’s have already admitted that there was a dead body in their Consulate of Istanbul on 2 October 29018 at a time X. The Saudi’s have now admitted that there is no longer a dead body in their Consulate of Istanbul on 22 October 2018. Now their Foreign Minister claims that his government does not know where the body is. I do not believe him but that is not my point here. How did that dead man get out of the Saudi Consulate of Istanbul? Did he miraculously walk out? Did he miraculously fly out like a bird? Did he immediately descend to the Muslim equivalent of Christian heaven? Tell us Mr. Adel Jubeir. Tell us today. Not tomorrow or never. Nobody will believe you if you claim that your government does not know how that dead body got out of your Consulate in Istanbul.
The “fistfight” that broke cartilage and bones and disintegrated an entire body. The Arab version of the “Fist of the North Star.”