Erdogan Says He’ll Tell Who Ordered Khashoggi’s Murder
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
After failing to reveal the “naked truth” about the murder days earlier as promised, expect no bombshell revelations from him this time either.
There’s no ambiguity about who ordered Khashoggi’s murder. No one other than crown prince/de facto Saudi ruler Mohammad bin Salman (MBS) would dare order or authorize it.
I almost never agree with anything from the neocon/CIA-linked Washington Post.
Like a broken clock right twice daily, WaPo was right saying Riyadh’s admission of Khashaggi’s murder “doesn’t mean the regime of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has finally chosen to come clean about the death of the Post’s contributing columnist,” adding:
“Who ordered the hit on the journalist, and what role did Mohammed bin Salman play?”
“The crown prince’s fingerprints are all over the available public evidence. Five (identified) members of his personal security detail” were dispatched to Istanbul to brutally abduct, murder, reportedly dismember, and disappear Khashoggi’s remains.
Two of MBS’ closest aides were sacked over the incident. “US intelligence intercepts show that (MBS) was intent on silencing Mr. Khashoggi.”
“The Saudi regime remains intent on protecting the crown prince,” despite plenty of damning evidence of his culpability – likely from Turkish audio intercepts detailing Khashoggi’s murder, US intelligence likely having similar information it wants hushed up.
On Friday, Erdogan said he has “more evidence” about Khashoggi’s murder he’ll reveal “when the time is right” – code language for threatening to tell all if Riyadh won’t provide financial aid he badly needs, given the dismal state of Turkey’s economy.
He demanded Riyadh disclose the name of the local cooperator, the kingdom said disposed of Khashoggi’s remains.
“The evidence of the murder of Khashoggi is obvious, but where is his body. Saudi officials said that there is a local collaborator. Who is this local collaborator,” Erdogan roared, adding:
He has “more evidence” yet to be revealed…(T)omorrow is another day…We are not in a hurry.”
Turkish leaks continue. The next shoe to drop remains to come out. On Friday, Turkish media reported that the Saudi consulate’s well was searched for possible Khashoggi DNA evidence, none found.
Russia shamefully refuses to blame MBS for Khashoggi’s murder, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying:
“There is the king’s official statement. There is the crown prince’s official statement. Actually, no one should have any grounds not to believe” them – going along with the official coverup instead of condemning it, Peskov adding:
“Russia’s stance has been outlined by Putin. We heard the royal family’s statements condemning this murder, stressing that the royal family was not involved in that.”
“All the rest is a matter of investigation, and the royal family itself wants that too. We welcome that.”
Official “royal family” explanations of what happened amounted to bald-faced lies after the initial one.
For two weeks after Khashoggi’s disappearance, Riyadh insisted that he left the consulate unharmed – only belatedly admitting he was murdered, falsely blaming a botched interrogation.
By accepting Saudi fabrications about what happened, the Kremlin damaged its credibility.
If conducted, a Saudi probe of the incident will blame convenient patsies for state-sponsored murder – clearly ordered by its de facto ruler, the crown prince.
No one at a lower level would dare act on their own, circumventing his iron-fisted authority, risking the kingdom’s wrath and type punishment it’s notorious for inflicting on targeted individuals like Khashoggi.
My newest book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”
