The disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi
On the second of October, Jamal Khashoggi, domestic critic of the Saudi Arabian government disappeared from the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul while he signed divorce papers. The Saudi government rejects all accusations of complot, while the world speculates with the journalist’s fate.
Khashoggi had remained in Saudi Arabia until September of 2017, when his criticism of the ultra-conservative wahhabist monarchy forced him to flee the country and become a permanent resident of Washington DC, working as a columnist for the Washington Post.
For years, Khashoggi was sharply critical of the policies introduced by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and King Salman of Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, he rejected the 2015 military intervention led by Saudi Arabia in Yemen and saw the Crown Prince’s new policies as open power grabs.
The columnist reportedly never left the consulate the day of his disappearance. His Turkish fiancé, Hatice Cengis, waited outside of the building as he finished with the paperwork, expecting a swift return that never happened. So far, a body has not been found and the Turkish authorities continue to press an investigation directed at Riyadh.
Turkish officials believe that Jamal was killed inside the consulate. Claims that Khashoggi’s death was premeditated and that 15 Saudi officials travelled to Istanbul from Riyadh after being informed that the high-profile critic of the Saudi policies planned to visit their consulate have made their way to the mainstream media.
The Saudi Government firmly denied all accusations and reported that the journalist left the consulate after receiving proper documents. Turkish newspaper Sabah argued that Jamal could have recorded his own death with his Apple watch - audio that was immediately sent to the iCloud.
Yasin Aktay, adviser to Turkish PM Erdogan, initially said he believed Khashoggi had been killed in the consulate but afterwards rectified claiming that “the Saudi state is not to blame here”. Turkey has maintained peaceful relations with Iran, which is Saudi Arabia’s arch rival in the current conflicts with Syria and Yemen.
The United States Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, traveled to Riyadh on the 16th of October to discuss the international crisis with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, and paid the same visit to Prime Minister Erdogan hours later. President Donald Trump himself has shown a keen interest in the issue, stating that the Saudi authorities should be “innocent until proven guilty.”
For decades, Saudi-American relations have revolved around energy and arms exports. Energy security remains an important foundation of American foreign policy, while the Saudis remain uneasy about the rise of Iran, thereby importing billions of dollars worth of American arms. President Trump stated in a press conference last weekend that the murder of one journalist will not stop the current $110 billion trade deal between the US and Saudi Arabia.
Recordings of Khashoggi, obtained by Turkish newspaper Yeni Safak claim to provide evidence that the columnist was murdered at the consulate. According to a senior Turkish official, Khashoggi was beaten, tortured, and then dismembered at the consulate.
Whether Mr. Khashoggi was dismembered while alive could not be ruled out according to the Turkish official. The disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi has evolved into an international crisis, with many high-profile companies including HSBC, Credit Suisse, Uber, and The New York Times all pulling out of the Future Investment Initiative, which is to be held on October 23rd - 25th in Riyadh. Whether Khashoggi’s disappearance will ruin the flagship event for the Saudis is yet to be determined.
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