webfact Posted October 16, 2018 Share Posted October 16, 2018 Trump says Saudi prince denies knowing what happened at consulate By Lisa Lambert and Leah Millis U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his visits in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, October 16, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis/Pool WASHINGTON/RIYADH (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday Saudi Arabia's crown prince denied knowing what happened in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul where Jamal Khashoggi vanished two weeks ago even as a congressional ally of Trump accused the prince of ordering the prominent journalist's death. Khashoggi, a U.S. resident and leading critic of influential Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, disappeared after entering the Saudi consulate on Oct. 2. Turkish officials have said they believe the Saudi journalist was murdered there and his body removed, which the Saudis have strongly denied. Overnight, Turkish crime scene investigators entered the Saudi consulate for the first time since Khashoggi's disappearance, searching the premises for more than nine hours. Trump dispatched U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Riyadh to discuss Khashoggi's disappearance with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, a U.S. friend for decades and an ally against Iran. "Just spoke with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia who totally denied any knowledge of what took place in their Turkish Consulate," Trump wrote on Twitter. Trump also wrote that the crown prince "told me that he has already started, and will rapidly expand, a full and complete investigation into this matter. Answers will be forthcoming shortly." U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican close to Trump on some issues, called the crown prince a "toxic" figure, adding, "He can never be a world leader on the world stage." "I've been their biggest defender on the floor of the United States Senate," Graham said. "This guy is a wrecking ball. He had this guy murdered in a consulate in Turkey and to expect me to ignore it. I feel used and abused," Graham said. Republican Representative Jeb Hensarling, outgoing chairman of the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee, said Washington might have to seriously review relations with Saudi Arabia if Riyadh was involved in killing Khashoggi. "If this was a state-sanctioned assassination, which it may prove to be, then there will have to be a fundamental rethinking of our relationship vis-a-vis the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Absolutely," Hensarling told Reuters. Pompeo met Saudi King Salman and the crown prince on Tuesday. He will travel to Turkey on Wednesday for talks with Turkish officials about Khashoggi. The U.S. top diplomat and Prince Mohammed "agreed on the importance of a thorough, transparent, and timely investigation," a U.S. State Department spokeswoman said in Washington. A search of the Saudi consul's Istanbul residence was called off for the day because Saudi officials were not able to join, Turkish police said. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu had said earlier on Tuesday that Turkish officials would extend their investigation into Khashoggi's disappearance to include the residence of the Saudi consul and some vehicles. 'ROGUE KILLERS' U.S. media outlets reported on Monday that Saudi Arabia will acknowledge Khashoggi was killed in a botched interrogation. Trump speculated on Monday that "rogue killers" could be behind the disappearance but gave no evidence to back up that theory. The Khashoggi case poses a dilemma for the United States, Britain and other Western nations. Saudi Arabia is the world's top oil exporter, spends lavishly on Western arms and is a major Sunni Muslim ally. Khashoggi's disappearance has prompted international outrage and brought renewed attention on the authoritarian kingdom's human rights record. Members of the U.S. Congress, including some of Trump's fellow Republicans, are among the loudest voices in the United States calling for answers about Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist. U.S. lawmakers have also been critical of Saudi Arabia over civilian casualties caused by its warplanes in the war in Yemen, in which it intervened three years ago. Khashoggi moved to Washington last year fearing retribution for his criticism of Prince Mohammed, who has cracked down on dissent with arrests. PAINTING OVER Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan indicated that parts of the Saudi consulate in Istanbul had been repainted since Khashoggi's disappearance. "The investigation is looking into many things such as toxic materials and those materials being removed by painting them over," Erdogan told reporters. A Turkish security source said the search of the consulate provided "strong evidence" but no conclusive proof that Khashoggi was killed there. The source confirmed that Saudi Consul General Mohammad al-Otaibi left Istanbul on Tuesday, returning to Riyadh. The source said Turkish authorities had not asked him to go. Trump has threatened "severe punishment" if it turns out Khashoggi was killed in the consulate, but ruled out scrapping arms deals with Saudi Arabia worth tens of billions of dollars. Indicating unease over the Khashoggi case, international media and business executives are pulling out of an investment conference next week. London Stock Exchange Chief Executive David Schwimmer joined the list on Tuesday, as did the CEOs of HSBC, Standard Chartered, Credit Suisse, and BNP Paribas, and David Bonderman, the billionaire chairman and founding partner of private equity firm TPG. Saudi Arabia has said it would retaliate against any pressure or economic sanctions. CNN reported on Monday that after denying for two weeks any role in his disappearance, Saudi Arabia was preparing to say he died in a botched interrogation. The New York Times reported that Prince Mohammed had approved an interrogation or abduction of Khashoggi and the government would shield him by blaming an intelligence official. Saudi authorities could not be reached for comment. Turkish authorities have an audio recording indicating that Khashoggi was killed in the consulate, Turkish sources have told Reuters. The Saudi riyal rebounded after falling to its lowest in two years over fears that foreign investment could shrink. The Saudi stock index initially dropped 3 percent but ended up after state-linked funds came in to buy towards the close. (Additional reporting by Yesim Dikmen and Sarah Dadouch and Bulent Usta in Istanbul, Orhan Coskun, Gulsen Solaker, Ece Toksabay and Tuvan Gumrukcu in Ankara, John Revill in Basel, Oliver Hirt in Zurich, Lawrence White in London and Jonathan Spicer, Tim Ahmann and Susan Heavey in Washington; Writing by Alistair Bell; Editing by Yara Bayoumy, Grant McCool and Will Dunham) -- © Copyright Reuters 2018-10-17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenl Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 " "If this was a state-sanctioned assassination, which it may prove to be, then there will have to be a fundamental rethinking of our relationship vis-a-vis the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Absolutely," Hensarling told Reuters. " Of course it was state sanctioned, maybe botched kidnap, maybe intended assassination, and of course the crown prince knew. But that will never be the official outcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DM07 Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Oh, that' s alrighty, then!If he said so!Sent from my RNE-L22 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanista Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 As long as you say you hate Iran and your country has loads of cheap land based oil your fine! Slaughter thousands in Yemen and murder people in your consulates. No problem. Washington will back you up. The Saudis say theyre going to launch an investigation? Into who......themselves? US senators will huff and puff but they couldnt blow down a Saudi feather. The Americans have been sleeping with the dick merchants for decades now theyre even starting to look like them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtls2005 Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Clown Prince Mohammed bone Saw is looking weak. Suspect he might end up disappearing soon? Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan indicated that parts of the Saudi consulate in Istanbul had been repainted since Khashoggi's disappearance. Amazed they haven't just torched the place to cover up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esso49 Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 1 minute ago, lanista said: As long as you say you hate Iran and your country has loads of cheap land based oil your fine! Slaughter thousands in Yemen and murder people in your consulates. No problem. Washington will back you up. The Saudis say theyre going to launch an investigation? Into who......themselves? US senators will huff and puff but they couldnt blow down a Saudi feather. The Americans have been sleeping with the dick merchants for decades now theyre even starting to look like them. Don't leave the UK and France out of this, Money is the only thing that matters and selling arms and equipment takes precedence over human rights, starving many Yemeni child to death or what appears to be downright murder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chomper Higgot Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Considerations around arms sales, oil and regional strategy have always existed, they do not explain why the Saudis (and others) are now acting so brazenly. We need to examine the transactional nature of Trump’s foreign policy, the part played by Trump and Kushner in those transactions and the flow of money into Trump/Kushner businesses and properties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluespunk Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 4 hours ago, webfact said: Just spoke with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia who totally denied any knowledge of what took place in their Turkish Consulate," Trump wrote on Twitter. Prepared to believe any BS to protect that arms deal, eh trumpy... Typical of the man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tug Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 The fact of the matter is the Saudis are dependent on our arms industry they are at war there is no chance they will cancel any arms deal over hurt feelings.Trump is to inept to realize this chance to hold their feet to the fire over human rights trump doesent care and is to obtuse to realize it is his duty to do so Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klauskunkel Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 4 hours ago, webfact said: U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham called the crown prince a "toxic" figure, adding, "He can never be a world leader on the world stage." Of course he can, he fits right in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristolboy Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Suspects in journalist's disappearance had close ties to Saudi prince: NYT Several of the suspects who were identified by Turkish officials in the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi had close ties to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, The New York Times reported on Tuesday. One suspect, Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, has been photographed traveling abroad with the crown prince over the years. Three others have served as part of the crown prince's security team. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/16/suspects-in-journalists-disappearance-had-ties-to-saudi-prince-nyt.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nahkit Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 One thing I'm curious about in all of this is why did he have to travel to the embassy in Turkey to submit paperwork given that Khashoggi was living in the United States? Why not submit the papers at the embassy or one of its consulates in the U.S? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristolboy Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Just now, nahkit said: One thing I'm curious about in all of this is why did he have to travel to the embassy in Turkey to submit paperwork given that Khashoggi was living in the United States? Why not submit the papers at the embassy or one of its consulates in the U.S? Because he wasn't living in the United States. At the time he was living in Turkey and had recently gotten engaged to a Turkish woman who lives in Turkey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nahkit Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 6 minutes ago, bristolboy said: Because he wasn't living in the United States. At the time he was living in Turkey and had recently gotten engaged to a Turkish woman who lives in Turkey. In that case the op is incorrect. "Khashoggi moved to Washington last year fearing retribution for his criticism of Prince Mohammed" If the marriage was taking place in Turkey then in that case it makes sense that he would need papers from them there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristolboy Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 1 minute ago, nahkit said: In that case the op is incorrect. "Khashoggi moved to Washington last year fearing retribution for his criticism of Prince Mohammed" And therefore was rooted to D.C. ever since? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nahkit Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 2 minutes ago, bristolboy said: And therefore was rooted to D.C. ever since? Well previous reports have said he was a permanent resident of the U.S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristolboy Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 3 minutes ago, nahkit said: Well previous reports have said he was a permanent resident of the U.S. Yes he had a green card. He can still spend several months a year outside of the country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candide Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 It seems the anti-muslim Trumpist brigade has decided to avoid threads about Saudi Arabia.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnybangkok Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Putin was innocent because he said he was. The Saudi prince is innocent because he said he was. Kavanaugh is innocent because he says he was. Doesn't take much to get dear Donny on your side. Just say it wasn't you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redline Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 There is US and Turkish intelligence that disputes this statement~just as with Russia~which told him the same thing. Yep, they both did favors for him in the past, and probably told him how smart he is, and they would send more checks later Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morch Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 10 hours ago, Tug said: The fact of the matter is the Saudis are dependent on our arms industry they are at war there is no chance they will cancel any arms deal over hurt feelings.Trump is to inept to realize this chance to hold their feet to the fire over human rights trump doesent care and is to obtuse to realize it is his duty to do so I don't think they are "dependent" on US arms. If push comes to shove, they could shop elsewhere. Not that easy to pull of such a shift, but not impossible considering funds available. As for Trump's "duty" - I kinda doubt it actually is. Saudi civil/human-rights transgressions been on long before Trump appeared on the scene, and previous US presidents (not to mention other governments/leaders) didn't make much of a fuss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opl Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 an atrocity Middle East Eye publishes first details of audio tape acquired by Turkish investigators probing what happened to Saudi journalist https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/exclusive-khashoggi-829291552 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manarak Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 7 minutes ago, Opl said: an atrocity Middle East Eye publishes first details of audio tape acquired by Turkish investigators probing what happened to Saudi journalist https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/exclusive-khashoggi-829291552 wow, that's a story so gore it's unbelievable! some things in the story obviously must come from a witness... and then what about the recording? who was recording and for what purpose? if kashoggi's watch was recording, how did the record get public? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opl Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 31 minutes ago, manarak said: wow, that's a story so gore it's unbelievable! some things in the story obviously must come from a witness... and then what about the recording? who was recording and for what purpose? if kashoggi's watch was recording, how did the record get public? The "Sözcü" and "Milliyet" dailies reported on Friday (October 12th) that Jamal Khashoggi was wearing a "smart watch" when he entered the consulate, connected to a telephone that he had left in the hands of his fiancée, Hatice Cengiz. Both newspapers claim that audio recordings have been transmitted by this phone and are currently being examined by the courts. However, if "Milliyet" claims that screams and quarrels have been recorded, "Sözcü" reports that dialogues, but no shouting, can be heard in this "few minutes" recording Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtls2005 Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 NeExt thing you know, Sen. Flake will be demanding an FBI investigation, limited in scope, wherein they will interview four witnesses and find that Mr. Khashoggi is guilty of dying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnybangkok Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 6 hours ago, mtls2005 said: NeExt thing you know, Sen. Flake will be demanding an FBI investigation, limited in scope, wherein they will interview four witnesses and find that Mr. Khashoggi is guilty of dying. Or... After a thorough FBI investigation, Mr. Khashoggi has been found guilty of assaulting 12 Saudi gentlemen by causing severe bruising to their knuckles and partial deafness to one through his high-pitched screaming. A spokesman for the Trump administration said "we will be looking to bring the full force of the law down on Mr. Khashoggi ...........when we eventually put together his dismembered corpse". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobbie49 Posted October 18, 2018 Share Posted October 18, 2018 The Mandy Rice Davis defence: he would say that wouldn’t heSent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 On 10/17/2018 at 7:08 AM, stevenl said: " "If this was a state-sanctioned assassination, which it may prove to be, then there will have to be a fundamental rethinking of our relationship vis-a-vis the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Absolutely," Hensarling told Reuters. " Of course it was state sanctioned, maybe botched kidnap, maybe intended assassination, and of course the crown prince knew. But that will never be the official outcome. Now that Saudi Arabia has admitted the killing, they keep on saying that the prince didn't know anything about it, like you said. Fortunately the world doesn't buy that bs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morch Posted October 20, 2018 Share Posted October 20, 2018 3 hours ago, oilinki said: Now that Saudi Arabia has admitted the killing, they keep on saying that the prince didn't know anything about it, like you said. Fortunately the world doesn't buy that bs. How do you mean "doesn't buy that bs"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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