This story about the dead Saudi Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi is getting increasingly more insane. It’s now being reported that he was systematically dismembered alive while his killers listened to music on headphones as they did the killing.
Amid disturbing new details about the suspected slaying of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, the Trump administration said Wednesday that it would give the Saudi government more time to complete its investigation.
“It’s reasonable to give them a handful of days more to complete it so they get it right,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters as he prepared to return to Washington from a series of hastily arranged meetings in Saudi Arabia and Turkey to confront the growing diplomatic crisis.
His remarks came the same day the pro-government Turkish newspaper Yeni Safak published a lurid account of what it said was Khashoggi’s slaying. The newspaper said it reviewed an audio recording of Khashoggi’s murder in which Saudi Consul General Mohammed al-Otaibi could be heard telling those allegedly torturing Khashoggi: “Do this outside; you’re going to get me in trouble.” One of the torturers replied: “Shut up if you want to live when you return to (Saudi) Arabia,” according to the report.
The newspaper said Khashoggi was tortured and then dismembered while still alive. The Saudi who cut Khashoggi’s body up was advised to put on earphones and listen to music, according to the newspaper, which cited government security sources. The execution lasted seven minutes, the newspaper said.
I get that Donald Trump is waiting until a full investigation is conducted but this is not looking good at all. It’s a public relations disaster for the Saudi government. Trump’s comparison about being “guilty until proven innocent” like Brett Kavanaugh is not going to hold water in this case. With Kavanaugh, there was literally zero credible evidence of wrongdoing. With this incident, there is ample evidence indicating that the Saudis brutally killed this man inside their own consulate.
We have the fact that Khashoggi was seen entering the consulate but not leaving.
There’s all sorts of footage showing a 15 man assassination team.
The Saudis have not been forthcoming with information, refusing to provide security camera footage.
The Turks say they have recordings that captured his killing on his Apple iWatch.
The Saudis had painters and professional cleaners come in to clean up the murder scene.
Trump says he’s going to talk to Pompeo once he comes back from Saudi Arabia, after which we’ll probably see some decisions made.
If Trump doesn’t take action against the Saudis, it is almost certain that Congress will, so he’s going to have to do something. Ultimately, if this causes the United States to distance itself from Saudi Arabia, it will be a good thing. The less involvement we have in the Middle East the better. We can do without that arms deal regardless of the economic consequences.
