Background
Jamal Khashoggi belonged to Khashoggi family who basically belong to Turkey but migrated to Saudi 200 to 300 years back, there they got connected with the Saudi Royal family.
He was a Washington post columnist, a Saudi Arabian journalist, author, and a former general manager and editor-in-chief of Al-Arab News Channel. He also served as editor for the Saudi Arabian newspaper Al Watan, turning it into a platform for Saudi Arabian progressives.
Khashoggi fled Saudi Arabia in September 2017 and went into self-imposed exile. He said that the Saudi Arabian government had "banned him from Twitter" and he later wrote newspaper articles critical of the Saudi government. Khashoggi had been sharply critical of Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Mohammad bin Salman, and the country's king, Salman of Saudi Arabia. He also opposed the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen.
Khashoggi had insights into the major figures of the region, starting with Osama bin Laden in the 1990s, and the political trends, especially the explosion of hope that was called the Arab Spring in 2011. He would be just the man to talk to about the Saudis and the Muslim Brotherhood, because he knew both sides of that bitter relationship so well
There is more to Khashoggi’s murder than the question of press freedom, however. His death holds the key to understanding the political forces that have helped turn the Middle East from a region of hope seven years ago to one of brutal repression and ongoing slaughter today. Which brings us back to the question of the Saudis’ fear and hatred of the Muslim Brotherhood, the regional rivalries of those who support it and those who oppose it, and the game of thrones in the House of Saud itself. Khashoggi was not central to any of those conflicts, but his career implicated him, fatally, in all of them.
Khashoggi a vocal critic of the Saudi's Crown prince Muhammad bin Salman, told the BBC 3 days before he went missing that he knows he has made some powerful enemies. He left Saudi Arabia because he feared for his own safety and he said it is not a place where you speak your mind anymore.
What Happened?
Turkish sources say a few men arrive before Khashoggi with the mission of to either abduct or kill Jamal Khashoggi, they flew to Istanbul the same day when the Saudi journalist was due return to the consulate to finalize his divorce paperwork, they are suspected to be inside the consulate when Khashoggi entered the building, around the quarter past 1 on the afternoon of 2nd of October. He was killed within 2 hours of this moment and his body was dismembered by the Saudi team with a bone saw. They came with a van, there was no luggage apparently but they left with luggage and some of them had to the General’s residence and the consulate said the CCTV didn’t record anything that particular day.
Before his disappearance US intelligence intercepted communication of Saudi officials discussing possibly detaining Jamal Khashoggi, it is uncleared if he was ever warned. Khashoggi’s fiancée waited for him right outside the consulate and she has written in the Washington post pleading with the US president to clarify what happened to her fiancée and asking the Saudis to release the camera footage
People familiar with the matter state that 15 Saudis flew to Istanbul on 2 jets belonging to Sky prime aviation services that was seized by the Saudis in last year’s Anti-corruption efforts. Newyork times obtained the passports of those 15 people and the Turkish newspaper has published the names pf the 15 people who are said to be the part of the hit squad. The Newyork times goes into further detail quoting anonymous Turkish official saying Ankara believes Khashoggi was killed inside the consulate at the orders of the highest level of Saudi royal court.
One man out of the 15 is listed on the British diplomatic rosters as assigned to the Saudi embassy in London back in 2007 since then he has been seen travelling with the travelling prince potentially as a bodyguard, 2 of the men are identified as the member of the crown prince’s security team then there was an autopsy expert and there was a bone saw taken into the Saudi consulate.
The police got access to the council general’s house after 8 to 9 days and it is really important to get early access for evidence now 8 9 days later, items could have been cleaned or removed.
Saudis forced that he was being kidnapped from outside not because he was destined or was against his government and gave a list of reasons why he could be kidnapped, firstly, he was against the militias of Iran in Syria, he is supporting the Saudi war against Yemen so he’s always with the government and the self-imposed exile in USA and he has got contacts with everyone in Saudi Arabia hence there is no reason to assassinate him, there is a conspiracy and he’s been kidnapped by the “third party”
After seeing the evidence, the Saudi government changed their statement and said that Khashoggi died during an interrogation. All the evidence suggests that something usual happened, an audio recording was found that suggest that he was killed within a few minutes was his arrival and took the body out in convey vehicles including a black van
Finally, the Saudis admitted that Khashoggi was killed but claimed that he died in a ‘Fistfight’. After that the foreign Minister released a statement saying: It was a “rogue” Operation and Prince MBS had no knowledge about it.
IMPACT
Muhammad bin Salma detain an elected head of government Saad al Hariri before and killing Khashoggi wasn’t beyond him, power makes you do crazy things and it won’t be wrong to say that this is a mad king making stupid decisions because he thinks he can do it without any repercussions like in the case of Hariri and killing thousands of Yemenis and starving the whole population with no reaction from the international community.
After this case everybody from the White house and EU and all around the world want clarification from the Saudi government. Khashoggi was a US resident who used to write for Washington post. America is confused about what to do and what narrative to choose. If they choose to stay quiet or take Saudi’s side, all the human right NGOs will go against him and if America decides to take an action against Saudis, it will affect their relation with them. Donald Trump told the reporters that the Khashoggi was not an American citizen and it all happened it Turkey but “We don’t like it”. The US president kept framing things when asked about Jamal Khashoggi, whether he’ll take an action or not. but he kept talking about the 110-billion-dollar arms deal. Saudis being the biggest buyers of weapon from the USA, and USA imports a lot of oil from Saudi Arabia, this is a complicated relationship and Trump doesn’t want to destroy that. America follows dollar diplomacy, which means dollar dictates what their policy is. But is is a relationship both sides want to maintain
America’s intelligence people are in touch with the Turkish officials and they’re receiving information. They believe that Saudis are not going to be effective is investigating themselves so they’re demanding more from the Turks.
Saudi Arabia is finding a lie that would work for both the countries.
Talking about Turkey, Turkish officials claim that they have all the proofs and audio footages but why aren’t they releasing it? We have seen that when it comes to a country, they don’t think about what's true and what's not, every country thinks about their own good, Turkey here is doing the same, they have had some ideological differences with Saudis and they see this case as an opportunity to get some advantage.
This isn’t just about the death of a journalist but a battle for political leadership of the Islamic world
-Hannah Lucinda Smith
