-Tawakkol Karman, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate for 2011 holds a picture of missing Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi as she speaks to journalists near the Saudi Arabia consulate, in Istanbul, Turkey.
10-8-2018 Mohammad al-Otaibi, the Saudi consul-general in Istanbul, opened the mission up to Reuters Saturday to show the missing journalist was not on the premises. Reuters reports Otaibi walked the reporters through all six floors of the building, including storage and security rooms. Reuters also reported, however, that Otaibi said the consulate "was equipped with cameras, but they did not record footage, so no images could be retrieved of Khashoggi entering or leaving the consulate, which is ringed by police barriers and has high security fences topped with barbed wire."
It was not immediately clear why the cameras did not work.
It was not immediately clear why the cameras did not work.
https://www.voanews.com/a/turkish-officials-saudi-journalist-killed-in-saudi-consulate-istanbul/4604241.html
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10-7-2018 -Dubai- In his columns in the Washington Post (longtime outspoken Saudi insider) Jamal Khashoggi had been escalating his criticism of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, accusing him of repressing the Saudi people, creating a mess in Lebanon and prosecuting a cruel war in Yemen. Excerpts:
Sep 18, 2017: “It anguishes me to speak with other Saudi friends in Istanbul and London who are also in self-exile. There are at least seven of us — are we going to be the core of a Saudi diaspora? We spend endless hours on the phone trying to understand this wave of arrests that have included my friend, businessman and thoughtful Twitter personality Essam Al-Zamil. It was just last Tuesday that he returned home from the United States, having been part of an official Saudi delegation. That is how breathtakingly fast you can fall out of favor with Saudi Arabia. It is all quite shocking. But this has not been business as usual in my country.”
Nov 5, 2017: “As of now, I would say Mohammed bin Salman is acting like Putin. He is imposing very selective justice. The crackdown on even the most constructive criticism — the demand for complete loyalty with a significant “or else” — remains a serious challenge to the crown prince’s desire to be seen as a modern, enlightened leader.
“Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) rather famously bought a $500 million yacht in 2015. Rumors rippled across the kingdom of other extravagances. The buck stops at the leader’s door. He is not above the standard he is now setting for the rest of his family and for the country.”
Nov 13, 2017: “As if we Arabs need another crisis in our shattered world — but that’s exactly what’s coming after the mysterious resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri from Riyadh last Saturday and declarations from the Saudi royal court that Iran has officially crossed a red line.
“The impulsivity of MBS has been a consistent theme — from the war in Yemen to the wave of arrests of constructive critics, royals and senior officials accused of corruption. The severity of Saudi Arabia’s action against Lebanon mirrors the blockade of Qatar in June — abrupt, with no room for negotiation.”
Jan 3, 2018: “Indeed, many Saudis must find it contradictory for their media to hail Iranians protesting price increases in Iran, while Saudis are banned from protesting the approximately doubled cost of fuel and the introduction of a sales tax for the first time in the country (which took effect Jan. 1). Just last week, Salih Shehi, a prominent columnist, was arrested for appearing on TV and defending the people’s right to object. Ironically, these protests may well overlap with the seventh anniversary of the Jan. 25 Egyptian revolution that changed the face of the Arab world. Perhaps Arabs — and Saudis — will dare to say that they also want some of that Iranian freedom.”
Feb 28, 2018: “MBS’s downsizing and relative humbling of the House of Saud is welcome news. But maybe he should learn from the British royal house that has earned true stature, respect and success by trying a little humility himself. If MBS can listen to his critics and acknowledge that they too love their country, he can actually enhance his power.”
Aug 7, 2018: “Instead of lashing out at Canada, shouldn’t we ask why peace-loving Canada has turned against us? We, Saudi citizens, need to see the bigger picture. Canada raised the flag against human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia. Surely we cannot arbitrarily arrest female activists and expect the world to turn a blind eye.”
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Jamal Khashoggi's final column:
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. Sadly, this situation is unlikely to change.
The Arab world was ripe with hope during the spring of 2011. Journalists, academics and the general population were brimming with expectations of a bright and free Arab society within their respective countries. They expected to be emancipated from the hegemony of their governments and the consistent interventions and censorship of information. These expectations were quickly shattered; these societies either fell back to the old status quo or faced even harsher conditions than before.
The Arab world was ripe with hope during the spring of 2011. Journalists, academics and the general population were brimming with expectations of a bright and free Arab society within their respective countries. They expected to be emancipated from the hegemony of their governments and the consistent interventions and censorship of information. These expectations were quickly shattered; these societies either fell back to the old status quo or faced even harsher conditions than before.
My dear friend, the prominent Saudi writer Saleh al-Shehi, wrote one of the most famous columns ever published in the Saudi press. He unfortunately is now serving an unwarranted five-year prison sentence for supposed comments contrary to the Saudi establishment. ...
As a result, Arab governments have been given free rein to continue silencing the media at an increasing rate. There was a time when journalists believed the Internet would liberate information from the censorship and control associated with print media. But these governments, whose very existence relies on the control of information, have aggressively blocked the Internet. They have also arrested local reporters and pressured advertisers to harm the revenue of specific publications.
There are a few oases that continue to embody the spirit of the Arab Spring. Qatar's government continues to support international news coverage, in contrast to its neighbors' efforts to uphold the control of information to support the "old Arab order." Even in Tunisia and Kuwait, where the press is considered at least "partly free," the media focuses on domestic issues but not issues faced by the greater Arab world. They are hesitant to provide a platform for journalists from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Yemen. Even Lebanon, the Arab world's crown jewel when it comes to press freedom, has fallen victim to the polarization and influence of pro-Iran Hezbollah.
The Arab world is facing its own version of an Iron Curtain, imposed not by external actors but through domestic forces vying for power. ...My publication, The Post, has taken the initiative to translate many of my pieces and publish them in Arabic. For that, I am grateful. Arabs need to read in their own language so they can understand and discuss the various aspects and complications of democracy in the United States and the West....we need to provide a platform for Arab voices. We suffer from poverty, mismanagement and poor education. Through the creation of an independent international forum, isolated from the influence of nationalist governments spreading hate through propaganda, ordinary people in the Arab world would be able to address the structural problems their societies face.
First published in The Washington Post https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-perspec-jamal-khashoggi-final-column-20181017-story.html
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10-17-2018
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At least nine of 15 suspects identified by Turkish authorities worked for the Saudi security services, military or other government ministries. One of those suspects is reportedly Dr. Salah al-Tubaigy, an autopsy expert who studied in Glasgow in 2004, according to the Daily Record. The forensic doctor holds senior positions in the Saudi Interior Ministry and medical establishment....Seven of the suspects are reportedly part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s personal security detail....The suspects checked into two hotels near to the Saudi consulate but all left the country within hours of their arrival. https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/3361294/saudi-consul-sacked-after-hes-recorded-telling-jamal-khashoggis-torturers-to-do-this-outside-youll-get-me-in-trouble/
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10-17-2018 Yeni Safak, a pro-government Turk newspaper, said General al-Otaibi could be heard telling those allegedly torturing Khashoggi: “Do this outside, you’re going to get me in trouble.”
The newspaper said one of the Saudi “torturers” replied: “Shut up if you want to live when you return to (Saudi) Arabia.” https://newsamed.com/saudi-consul-sacked-after-hes-recorded-telling-jamal-khashoggis-torturers-to-do-this-outside-youll-get-me-in-trouble/
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Trump on 10-16-2018 on AP: "Well, I think we have to find out what happened first. You know, here we go again with, you know, you’re guilty until proven innocent. I don’t like that. We just went through that with Justice Kavanaugh. And he was innocent all the way. So I was unconcerned. So we have to find out what happened and they are doing a very major investigation. So is Turkey. Plus, they’re putting themselves together and doing it. And hopefully they’ll get to an answer as to what happened. But I will say they were very strong in their denial about themselves knowing." https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/10/17/17989244/trump-ap-interview-saudi-khashoggi-kavanaugh
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-Turkish forensic police officers search for evidence at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul on October 17 after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Picture: Ozan Kose/AFPSource:AFP https://www.news.com.au/world/middle-east/saudi-doctor-accused-of-killing-and-dismembering-journalist-trained-in-australia/news-story/b8cc1f8c374385648ea803ca86e53666
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The newspaper said one of the Saudi “torturers” replied: “Shut up if you want to live when you return to (Saudi) Arabia.”
...during the call, and told me that he has already started, and will rapidly expand, a full and complete investigation into this matter. Answers will be forthcoming shortly.
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