President Donald Trump said the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia must face repercussions for the death of the Saudi media figure Jamal Khashoggi.
“There has to be some kind of retribution,” Trump told media in the White House on Oct. 23, while saying he'll listen to a congressional recommendation on how to respond.
Khashoggi disappeared on Oct. 2, after he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain documents for his upcoming marriage. Saudi authorities acknowledged he was killed inside the consulate.
Trump’s comments came after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said earlier that day that people behind the killing must “be brought to account.” In a speech to parliament about the case, Erdogan also alleged the killing was premeditated, although he didn’t blame any Saudi official specifically.
Trump said he would reserve further comment until after he is briefed by U.S. investigators, most of whom should be back in the United States by Oct. 24, he said.
Erdogan said Turkey wouldn’t complete its investigation into Khashoggi’s death until all questions were answered. He said the whereabouts of Khashoggi’s body are unknown, and he demanded Saudi Arabia reveal the identity of a “local cooperator” who purportedly took the body.
“Intelligence and security institutions have evidence showing the murder was planned. ... Pinning such a case on some security and intelligence members will not satisfy us or the international community,” he said.
“The Saudi administration has taken an important step by admitting to the murder. From now on, we expect them to uncover all those responsible for this matter from top to bottom and make them face the necessary punishment,” he said. “From the person who gave the order, to the person who carried it out, they must all be brought to account.”
A Saudi cabinet meeting, chaired by King Salman, said Riyadh vowed to hold to account those responsible for the killing and those who failed in their duties, whoever they are.
Erdogan’s speech coincided with the opening in Riyadh of an investment conference that was boycotted by some Western political and business figures because of Khashoggi’s death. Still, the kingdom signed $50 billion worth of deals at the event.
Khashoggi was a familiar face on political talk shows on Arab satellite television networks. He was writing columns for The Washington Post for about a year after his high-level connections in the Saudi kingdom went sour and he exiled himself to the United States.
The Saudi de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has been leading a reform effort in the country, marked by strengthening ties with the United States and Israel, and the buildup of military defenses against Iran. He’s also cracked down on Muslim Brotherhood associates, which has drawn criticism from its supporters, including Khashoggi.
Khashoggi said he joined the Muslim Brotherhood in his youth while studying at Indiana State University. He advocated for the Muslim Brotherhood as recently as this summer, in a Washington Post column. Canada, Russia, and Saudi Arabia, among other nations, consider the Muslim Brotherhood to be a terrorist group.
Saudi Version
Saudi Arabia first denied knowledge of Khashoggi’s disappearance. On Oct. 20, it said that Khashoggi, 59, was killed in a fight in the consulate. A Saudi official later said that 15 Saudi nationals sent to Turkey to confront Khashoggi had threatened him with being drugged and kidnapped, and then killed him in a chokehold when he resisted.Turkey Version
Erdogan said three Saudi operatives arrived in Istanbul the day before Khashoggi’s killing on what he believed was a reconnaissance mission. The next day, 15 people came to the consulate, including security, intelligence, and forensic experts, while consulate personnel were given the day off.On the day that Khashoggi arrived for his appointment and was later killed, the hard disk in the consulate’s camera system was removed, Erdogan said.
US Response
Trump has been measured in his response, acknowledging the seriousness of the situation. On Oct. 22, he said he wasn’t satisfied with the Saudi explanation of the incident.Trump previously said that he would consider sanctions or other means to penalize Saudi Arabia, but wouldn’t want to cancel the $450 billion in investments and purchases the kingdom promised the United States. Trump also said the Saudis are an ally and a needed “counterbalance to Iran.”
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Oct. 23 the United States has identified some of the Saudi government and security officials it believes were involved in Khashoggi’s murder and would take appropriate actions including revoking U.S. visas. The administration is also looking into possible sanctions under the Magnitsky Act, which targets individuals involved in human rights abuses.
Khashoggi
Khashoggi was the nephew of Adnan Khashoggi, a Saudi billionaire arms dealer involved in the Iran–Contra scandal.Jamal Khashoggi has been called a journalist in the media, but the last time he was a reporter was in the 1990s. On several occasions, he interviewed Osama bin Laden, who was organizing and funding the Mujahideen fight against the Soviets in Afghanistan in the 1980s. After bin Laden founded the terrorist al-Qaeda group, Khashoggi said he tried to dissuade him from violence.
Since 1999, Khashoggi worked in various media leadership positions, including deputy editor-in-chief at Arab News and editor-in-chief at Al-Watan. He was fired from Al-Watan in 2003, rehired in 2007, and fired again in 2010—both times for transgressions against media censorship in Saudi Arabia by Khashoggi’s subordinates.
He was close to and worked for Prince Turki al-Faisal, the former head of Saudi intelligence, and his brother, Prince Khalid al-Faisal, the chairman of Al-Watan.
Talal was known as “The Red Prince”—supporter of the Islamist ideology advocated by the Muslim Brotherhood that mixes socialism with the religion of Islam.
Al-Arab’s launch was postponed multiple times and finally went on air in Bahrain in 2015, only to close down less than a day later, after airing an interview with a member of Bahrain’s opposition.
