Minister says Khashoggi killers 'will be prosecuted in Saudi Arabi'

A demonstrator holds a poster picturing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and a lightened candle during a gathering outside the Saudi Arabia consulate in Istanbul, on October 25, 2018. – Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor, was killed on October 2, 2018 after a visit to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain paperwork before marrying his Turkish fiancee. (Photo by Yasin AKGUL / AFP)

Saudi Arabia will prosecute the suspects in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Riyadh’s foreign minister said Saturday in response to a call by Turkey for their extradition.

“On the issue of extradition, the individuals are Saudi nationals. They’re detained in Saudi Arabia, and the investigation is in Saudi Arabia, and they will be prosecuted in Saudi Arabia,” Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said at a regional defence forum in the Bahraini capital.

Jubeir’s comments come the day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for the extradition of 18 Saudi nationals authorities say were involved in the murder of Khashoggi, a Saudi government critic killed in his country’s consulate in Istanbul this month.

After denying knowledge of Khashoggi’s whereabouts for nearly three weeks, Riyadh admitted Khashoggi’s murder had been “premeditated” but denied the involvement of the kingdom’s powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

“We will overcome it,” Jubeir told the defence forum.

“The issue, as I said, is being investigated. We will know the truth. We will hold those responsible accountable. And we will put in place mechanisms to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

Once an insider in Saudi royal circles, Khashoggi fell out of favour with the monarchy after Mohammed bin Salman was named heir to the throne last year.

The columnist went into self-imposed exile in the United States, where he wrote a column for The Washington Post, which was often critical of the crown prince.

Khashoggi was least seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 to complete paperwork for his wedding to his Turkish fiancee, Hatice Cengiz.

She has demanded punishment of everyone involved in his murder “from the highest to the lowest levels.”

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Son Of Murdered Journalist, Khashoggi Flees Saudi Arabia

Afraid for his life, son of murdered Saudi journalist, Salah Khashoggi has fled the country after his father's death.

                          Salah Khashoggi

Salah, the son of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and his family have left the Gulf kingdom after the government lifted a travel ban, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday, according to a report by AFP.

“Salah and his family are on a plane to (Washington) DC now,” Sarah Leah Whitson, HRW’s executive director for the Middle East and North Africa, told AFP.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan spoke to Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman on Wednesday, and the two discussed the steps needed to bring to light all aspects of the killing 

of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a presidential source said.

Jamal, a Washington Post columnist and a U.S. resident, disappeared three weeks ago after a visit to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Riyadh, which initially denied knowledge of his whereabouts, has since said he died in a “fistfight.”

It later blamed Khashoggi’s death on a “rogue operation.”

The journalist was a critic of the crown prince, the kingdom’s de facto ruler.

Erdogan has said Turkey will not let the killers escape justice, no matter how highly placed they are.

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Khashoggi's Friends Hold Vigil Outside Saudi Consulate In Istanbul After His Murder

    Late Saudi Journalist, Jamal Khashoggi

Dozens of people gathered outside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Thursday in a vigil to demand “full justice’’ for Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, killed after entering the building on Oct. 2

Several carried cardboard images of his face and signs reading “Khashoggi’s friends”. One, his hands painted red, wore a mask depicting the face of Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and critic of the crown prince, disappeared after entering the consulate.

Saudi officials initially denied having anything to do with the disappearance, before changing that account to say an internal investigation suggested Khashoggi was accidentally killed in a botched operation to return him to the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor said on Thursday that the murder was premeditated.

“On this occasion, and from this place where the spirit of Jamal has been lost, we clearly state that we will not accept compromises in the case of his murder,” the group outside the consulate said in a statement, read out in Arabic, Turkish and English.

“We will continue to demand that all authorities across the Middle East immediately release all opinion leaders and political prisoners.”

The killing of Khashoggi has sparked global outrage and a crisis for the world’s top oil exporter and strategic ally of the West.

Turkey and Western allies of Riyadh have voiced deep scepticism about Saudi explanations of the killing. Saudi prince may be behind Khashoggi death – Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump, the kingdom’s staunchest Western ally, was quoted by the Wall Street Journal as saying Prince Mohammed bore ultimate responsibility for the operation that led to Khashoggi’s death.

The people outside the consulate, some of whom had traveled from other countries for the vigil, lit candles in front of posters of Khashoggi.

One taking part was Yasin Aktay, an adviser to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and a friend of Khashoggi’s.

He said the investigation should bring all those responsible to justice, “no matter where it reaches”.

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CIA Chief Briefs Trump On Khashoggi Probe After Turkey Trip

     CIA Chief Gina Haspel                                                                   Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images/AFP

  The head of the CIA on Thursday briefed US President Donald Trump on the latest                            developments in the investigation of the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi after a fact-    finding mission to Turkey, officials said.

CIA Director Gina Haspel delivered her report to Trump at the White House with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also present, State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said.

Haspel shared her “findings and discussions from her trip to Turkey,” said Palladino, who declined to discuss the substance of her presentation.

The CIA chief held talks Tuesday in Turkey as global outrage mounted over the killing of Saudi palace critic Khashoggi inside the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul, where he went to complete paperwork for his upcoming marriage.

Pro-government Turkish media said that intelligence officers showed Haspel video images and audio tapes of Khashoggi’s killing gathered from the consulate.

The United States has a long-standing alliance with Saudi Arabia but on Tuesday slapped visa restrictions on 21 Saudis suspected of involvement in the killing.

Palladino said that the United States was still waiting for a more detailed probe by the Saudis.

“We want this as soon as possible. The longer the investigation takes, the more concerned we become about its impact and its efficacy. And the longer it takes, the longer there are questions about this tragedy that remain unanswered,” he said.

Saudi Arabia said Thursday for the first time that the murder appeared to be premeditated, but based its information on Turkey.

The kingdom initially said that Khashoggi walked out freely from its consulate and then said he died in a fistfight, abrupt changes in a narrative about what Trump has called “one of the worst cover-ups” in history.

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Taiwo Lawrence Adeyemi: Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman as ‘toadeater’

 Following the eventual acknowledgement of Saudi Arabia as been responsible for consciously and        brutally murdering Jamal Khashoggi inside its Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey on Tuesday October 2nd, 2018, it became clear that Mohammed bin Salman [MbS] who Donald Trump said ‘actually run things in Saudi Arabia and nothing happens without him being in the know’ will own-up for ordering the attempted forceful repatriation of Jamal Khashoggi [by 15 killing ‘rogue elements’ squad] back to Saudi Arabia ‘which went wrong’ and eventual killing of the self-exiled journalist.

Jamal Khashoggi son was brought to the royal court to meet with Saudi King Salman [facial expressions of Jamal Khashoggi’s son bore a forced and arranged meeting with the king], in the meeting King Salman offered the kingdom deepest condolences to the Khashoggi’s family over the death of Jamal Khashoggi.

The Saudi Arabia Future Investment Initiative ‘Davos In The Desert’ Summit, Tuesday October 23rd – Thursday 25thOctober, 2018 [which was overshadowed by Jamal Khashoggi’s murder and western business moguls and media giants boycott] was equally attended by Lebanese Prime Minister, Hafiz Ariri who was once kidnapped by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman [MbS], was seen conspicuously alongside the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman [MbS].

The devastating effect of western countries, media giants and business moguls boycott of the event was a big blow to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman [MbS] ambitious plan to transformed the Saudi Kingdom to foreign investors ‘haven’ bringing into the kingdom a massive flow of Foreign Direct Investment [FDI], but this has tumbled due to Jamal Khashoggi’s death and the unresolved and unsolved mystery surrounding his death and his body never being found! Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman [MbS] said during his opening remarks in the summit that, ‘we now know our friends and enemies.’

Saudi Arabia explanation of the causes and circumstances surrounding Jamal Khashoggi’s death inside the Saudi Arabia Consulate in Istanbul was simply what US President Donald Trump called; ‘the worst cover-up’ in history. Britain, France, Germany, The Netherlands has told Saudi Arabia the explanation given on the murderous act committed by the 15 killer ‘rogue elements’ squad from Saudi Arabia that interrogated and choke-up Jamal Khashoggi inside the consulate on Tuesday October 2nd, 2018 was simply unacceptable and untenable and requested a comprehensive and more detailed explanation on the circumstances surrounding the murder and dismembering of Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi Arabia Consulate in Istanbul.

In a preliminary action against the 21 top Saudi Arabia officials indicted, US has revoked their visas and diplomatic immunity, UK followed suit by revoking those suspected to be directly or indirectly involved in the brutal murder of self-exiled & Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has requested extradition of 18 persons it claimed were responsible for the killing of Jamal Khashoggi and dis-membered of Jamal Khashoggi inside The Saudi Arabia Consulate in Ankara on Tuesday October 2nd, 2018 to be brought to Turkey to face justice. Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, ‘those responsible for this act will not escape justice’.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman [MbS] surfaced at Saudi Arabia Future Investment Initiative ‘Davos In The Desert’ Summit on Tuesday October 23rd, 2018 and spoke for the first since the death of a once close confidant and adviser [Jamal Khashoggi] and said, ‘those responsible for the killing of Jamal Khashoggi will be fished out and punished accordingly’.

Is Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman [MbS] a ‘Toadeater’? In the search for the body Jamal Khashoggi continues in the south forest of Istanbul and the refusal of Saudi Arabia Consulate in Istanbul for Turkey Fire Fighters officials to search a well in the Consul General residence, the diplomatic car seen combing the forest of Istanbul a day before Jamal Khashoggi’s ‘choked-up’ by the 15 killing ‘rogue elements’ squad during ‘interrogation that gone wrong’ in the consulate, the consulate diplomatic car left behind in the underground car park in Istanbul with a computer and clothes.

Did Jamal Khashoggi know more about Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman [MbS] secret and dirty dealings? Did Jamal Khashoggi knew more than meet the eyes on the affairs and situations in the Saudi Kingdom? Why ordering Jamal Khashoggi forced repatriation to Saudi Arabia after being refused to be silenced? The recent barrage of phone calls between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman [MbS] and Turkey President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan signifies what?

Will Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman [MbS] owned-up for being responsible for the forceful attempted repatriation and kidnapping of Jamal Khashoggi back to Saudi Arabia to be silenced for ever by 15 killing ‘rogue elements’ squad and was ‘choke-up’ when ‘interrogation gone wrong’? Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman [MbS] runs everything in Saudi Arabia, and this action will not and never been without him knowing.

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