Jamal
Khashoggi is dead, Saudi Arabian state television confirms
- Fight broke out between Khashoggi and those who met him consulate, announcement said
- Gen Ahmed al-Asiri is sacked from intelligence position
19
October, 2018
Saudi Arabia has said the journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who disappeared after visiting the country’s consulate in Istanbul on 2 October, is dead.
The
news, which cited preliminary findings from an official
investigation, was announced on state television on Friday. It said a
fight broke out between Khashoggi and people who met him in the
consulate, leading to the death of the reporter.
Khashoggi
was a US permanent resident who wrote for the Washington Post.
It
was also announced that Gen Ahmed al-Asiri, an intelligence official
linked to the case, had been dismissed. Eighteen Saudi nationals were
said to have been arrested.
More
details soon …
Saudis
Admit Khashoggi Killed At Consulate "In Fist-Fight", King
Salman Fires 5 Top Officials
19
October, 2018
Update:
The White House has issue a statement:
And
Democrat Congressman Schiff has piped in, claiming "the
Saudi report of Khashoggi is not credible."
*
* *
Saudi
Arabia confirmed tonight that Washington Post columnist Jamal
Khashoggi was killed
at its consulate in Istanbul on 2 October.
In
a statement put out on Saudi state television, citing an initial
investigation by Saudi prosecutors, SPA said that:
"an argument erupted between him [Khashoggi] and others whom he met in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul leading to a fistfight which led to his death."
The details of what happened at consulate are vague but I understand more details will come out this weekend.
IMPORTANT: I understand from a senior Saudi source that Jamal Khashoggi died from a chokehold during a physical altercation, not a fist fight which was mistranslated by foreign media.
Prosecutors
said the investigation was still ongoing and that 18
people, all Saudi nationals, had so far been arrested, SPA
reported.
"The Kingdom expresses its deep regret at the painful developments that have taken place and stresses the commitment of the authorities in the Kingdom to bring the facts to the public," the statement said.
Additionally, Saudi
Arabia’s King Salman has removed a key royal adviser and a senior
intelligence official..
King
Salman issued an order to remove Saud
al-Qahtani, an
adviser to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to the
state-run Ikhbariya television.
The
monarch also relieved deputy
intelligence chief Gen. Ahmed al-Assiri.
This
follows the narrative reported by The New York Times on
Thursday that Riyadh is looking to blame Assiri for the purported
murder of Khashoggi in an effort
to shield Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman from the blame.
Saudi
King Salman has also ordered the formation of ministerial committee
led by crown prince Mohammad bin Salman to restructure the general
intelligence agency.
"The removal of two top officials, a cabinet ranking, very powerful and close advisor of MBS and the Deputy Head of Foreign intelligence + 4 other Generals in foreign intelligence (virtually its whole top leadership) cannot be written off as a cover up. This is unprecedented."
"This is not saying "rogue killers" but implicating virtually the whole top leadership of foreign intelligence. They carried out a mission that went sour very quickly and tried to cover it up initially. Bad news travels slowly to the top."
We
await President Trump's "very severe consequences."
Saudis:
Khashoggi Died in Fist Fight, 18 Arrested - LIVE BREAKING NEWS
COVERAGE
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