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Saudi Arabia Reportedly Prepared to Admit Involvement in Journalist's Death

posted by chromas on Wednesday October 17 2018, @12:00AM   
from the accidental-kidnapping-and-execution dept.

takyon writes:

Saudis preparing to admit Jamal Khashoggi died during interrogation, sources say

The Saudis are preparing a report that will acknowledge that Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi's death was the result of an interrogation that went wrong, one that was intended to lead to his abduction from Turkey, according to two sources.

One source says the report will likely conclude that the operation was carried out without clearance and transparency and that those involved will be held responsible.

One of the sources acknowledged that the report is still being prepared and cautioned that things could change.

The Washington Post columnist was last seen in public when he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in Turkey on October 2. Previously, Saudi authorities had maintained Khashoggi left the consulate the same afternoon of his visit, but provided no evidence to support the claim.

Saudi Arabia could hike oil prices over the Khashoggi case. Here's why it would backfire

Saudi Arabia's not-so-veiled threat issued in a government statement Sunday emphasized its "vital role in the global economy" and that any action taken upon it will be met with "greater action". But as oil ticks upward, a look at history and geopolitics suggests that while a Saudi-driven oil price spike would bring pain for much of the world, it would ultimately backfire on itself.

"If this is something the Saudis were allowed to do, they'd be really shooting themselves in the foot," Warren Patterson, commodities analyst at ING, told CNBC's Squawk Box Europe on Tuesday. "In the short to medium term we'll definitely see an incremental amount of demand destruction, but the bigger issue is in the longer term."

Any action in withholding oil from the market, he said, "would only quicken the pace of energy transition."

Previously: Turkey Says that a Missing Critic of the Saudi Government was Killed in Saudi Consulate in Istanbul

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Original Submission

• small update small update (Score: 3, Informative) by takyon on Wednesday October 17 2018, @12:15AM (3 children)

  by takyon (881) <takyonNO@SPAMsoylentnews.org> on Wednesday October 17 2018, @12:15AM (#749715) Journal

  Erdoğan: toxic materials and evidence of repainting found in Saudi consulate [theguardian.com]

  Some areas have been repainted at the Saudi consulate where missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was last seen alive, the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has said, as investigators prepared to enter the nearby Saudi consul’s house after the diplomat left the country.

  Erdoğan told reporters on Tuesday police had found evidence of toxic materials and signs that some surfaces had been repainted at the consulate where investigators say the missing journalist was killed.

  [...] Turkish officials continued to leak to news outlets on Tuesday that police found evidence in the nearby consulate building during Monday’s search that proved Khashoggi was killed there. Turkish sources allege the body was then transported to the consul general’s house nearby and disposed of.

  Of particular interest to the forensics team in the new search is the garden, where it is believed the journalist’s remains could have been buried, and a garage under the house, where cars with diplomatic plates spent several hours after driving from the consulate building on the day he vanished. At least four diplomatic vehicles are included in the investigation.

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• Re:small update Re:small update (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 17 2018, @12:57AM (2 children)

  by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 17 2018, @12:57AM (#749732)

  Wait, we trust Erdogan now?

  Parent

  • Re:small update (Score: 3, Insightful) by takyon on Wednesday October 17 2018, @01:35AM

    by takyon (881) <takyonNO@SPAMsoylentnews.org> on Wednesday October 17 2018, @01:35AM (#749759) Journal

    You get to pick which honorable and trustworthy ally to believe.

    ✈️🏢🏢

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  • Re:small update (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 17 2018, @06:28AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 17 2018, @06:28AM (#749845)

    Turkey's been put in an uncomfortable position. In order to prove the murder, they have to out the extent of their active surveillance - and then they'll lose it to countermeasures. That's hard for a spook, an action not lightly taken. I mean, it's not hard to imagine the usual spookland punishment for a low-level operative accidentally exposing an embassy tap is death.

    So I'm inclined to believe Turkey on this one.

    Parent