Saudi claims that journalist died in a ‘brawl’ draw immediate skepticism

Claims by the government of Saudi Arabia that Washington Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi died in a physical altercation inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul drew immediate skepticism and contradicted earlier dueling accounts from Saudi and Turkish officials.

Canada Goose Online The Saudi findings, which all but absolved the heir to the throne, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, increased pressure on the Trump administration to mount an independent investigation into Khashoggi’s death. Canada Goose Online

cheap Canada Goose CIA officials have listened to an audio recording that Turkish officials say proves the journalist was killed and dismembered by a team of Saudi agents inside the consulate, according to people familiar with the matter. If verified, the recording would make it difficult for the White House to accept the Saudi version that Khashoggi’s death was effectively an accident. A CIA spokeswoman declined to comment. cheap Canada Goose

In a statement issued early Saturday morning in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, the canada goose clothing uk Saudis claimed that some number of unnamed “suspects” had traveled to the consulate to meet with Khashoggi, “as there were indications of the possibility of his returning” to Saudi Arabia. The journalist, a frequent critic of Saudi government policy, had been living in self imposed exile in Virginia.

“The discussions that took place.. did not go as required and developed in a negative way,” the statement https://www.canadagooseoutlete.com continued, leading to a “fight and a quarrel” and a “brawl” that led to Khashoggi’s death. The unnamed suspects then attempted “to conceal and cover what happened,” the Saudi government claimed, without elaborating. intelligence officials, foreign policy experts and lawmakers were quick to accuse the Saudi government of a whitewash.

canada goose store “They’re buying time. And they’re buying cover,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D Conn.) “They are seeking to, in effect, shift blame to a group of fall guys and confine the investigation to the Saudi government.” canada goose store

Khashoggi had gone to the Saudi Consulate on Oct. 2 to obtain documents that he needed to marry his fiancee, a Turkish citizen. There has been no indication that he was going to meet with Saudis about possibly returning to his home country.

The Saudi government had previously said that Khashoggi left the consulate that day and that officials did not know where he was. Surveillance camera footage soon surfaced of Khashoggi walking into the building, but there was no footage of canada goose outlet washington dc him leaving.

The White House did not immediately accept the Saudi findings, which amounted to the first official confirmation that Khashoggi is dead.

canada goose President Trump has privately expressed skepticism that the operation could have taken place without Mohammed’s knowledge, and the president has been told by a number of advisers that the Saudis would try to create a cover story that avoided blaming the crown prince, Trump’s canada goose outlet parka advisers said. officials knew what the Saudis planned to say hours before they released their statement, a Trump adviser said. canada goose

“Trump’s inclination is not to ruin the relationship,” the adviser said.

But the adviser said that officials such Sen. Lindsey O.

“If they respected you, they wouldn’t do this and think they could get away with it,” the adviser said, reflecting a conversation with the president.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders issued a cautious statement.

Canada Goose online “The United States acknowledges canada goose outlet mississauga the announcement from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that its investigation into the fate of Jamal Khashoggi is progressing and that it has taken action against the suspects it has identified thus far,” her statement said. Canada Goose online

The Saudi government announced that it had detained 18 unnamed individuals and fired five top officials.

canada goose coats on sale “We will continue to closely follow the international investigations into this tragic incident and official canada goose outlet advocate for justice that is timely, transparent, and in accordance with all canada goose kensington parka uk due process. We are saddened to hear confirmation of Mr. Khashoggi’s death, and we offer our canada goose outlet us deepest condolences to his family, fiance, and friends,” Sanders said. canada goose coats on sale

The Saudi government said it would take another month to complete a full investigation, which would be overseen by Mohammed. intelligence reports.

Rep. Adam B. Schiff (Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said the announcement that Khashoggi “was killed while brawling with a team of more than a dozen dispatched from Saudi Arabia is not credible. If Khashoggi was fighting inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, he was fighting for his life with people sent to capture or kill him.”

uk canada goose Senate Foreign Relations Committee canada goose vest outlet Chairman Bob Corker (R Tenn.) said the Saudi version of events changes “with each passing day, so we should not assume their latest story holds water.” uk canada goose

The official Saudi account did not explain what happened to Khashoggi’s body and was not supported by any evidence.

Canada Goose sale “This is the worst coverup I’ve ever seen,” said Bruce Riedel, a Saudi Arabia expert canada goose canada goose outlet outlet in new york who served more than 30 years in the CIA. “Where is the body? Why did it take seventeen days to come up with this account?” Canada Goose sale

Khashoggi had recently told friends that Saudi officials close to the crown prince had tried to lure him back to the kingdom, but he said he believed that they would never guarantee his safety.

Canada Goose Outlet One of the two top officials whom the Saudis said had been removed from their posts, Saud al Qahtani, a media adviser to the crown prince, had personally tried to persuade Khashoggi to return, assuring him that he would be safe and even holding out the prospect of a job working for Mohammed, according to the journalist’s friends Canada Goose Outlet.