Crown prince vows Khashoggi’s killers will face justice
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman vowed yesterday the killers of Jamal Khashoggi would be brought to justice, in his first public comments since the journalist’s murder sparked global condemnation.
Striking a defiant tone, Mohammed told international investors at a major conference in Riyadh the furore over Khashoggi’s killing at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul would not derail the kingdom’s reform drive.
His comments came hours after US President Donald Trump was quoted by the Wall Street Journal as saying that as Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, the crown prince bore ultimate responsibility for the operation that led to Khashoggi’s death.
‘‘We will prove to the world that the two governments [Saudi and Turkish] are cooperating to punish any criminal, any culprit and at the end justice will prevail,’’ Mohammed said to applause.
‘‘The incident that happened is very painful, for all Saudis . . . The incident is not justifiable,’’ he said.
Saudi Arabia has come under increasing pressure over the death of Khashoggi, a columnist and one of the crown prince’s most prominent critics.
The crisis has strained Riyadh’s ties with the West and led dozens of Western politicians, top world bankers and company executives to boycott the conference that opened in Riyadh on Wednesday.
French President Emmanuel Macron told King Salman in a phone call yesterday that Paris, in coordination with partners, could take action against those held responsible for the murder, the Elysee palace said.
Saudi Arabia first denied any involvement in Khashoggi’s disappearance, but a Saudi official eventually attributed his death on October 2 to a botched attempt to return him to the kingdom.
Turkey has dismissed Saudi efforts to blame rogue operatives and urged the kingdom to search ‘‘top to bottom’’ for those responsible.
Britain, also a major weapons supplier to the kingdom, described Riyadh’s explanations as lacking credibility.
Prime Minister Theresa May said yesterday Britain would prevent all suspects in the killing from entering the country.
Mohammed said Saudi Arabia and Turkey would work together ‘‘to reach results’’ on a joint investigation, and described cooperation between the two countries as ‘‘special’’, despite criticism from Ankara.
One of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s advisers has written in a Turkish newspaper that Mohammed had ‘‘blood on his hands’’. — Reuters
THE Saudi Crown Prince’s pledge to punish whoever murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi is nonsense, a University of Otago specialist in Middle Eastern politics says — and New Zealand should press for an international inquiry with ‘‘maximum urgency’’.
Mr Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident who worked for The Washington Post, died in the Saudi consulate in Turkey on October 2. His body has not been found, but gruesome details of his death have been leaked by Turkish sources.
After initially saying Mr Khashoggi left the consulate alive, the Saudi Government blamed the murder on rogue agents.
At a press conference yesterday Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman described the murder as a ‘‘heinous crime’.
‘‘We will prove to the world that the two governments [Saudi and Turkish] are cooperating to punish any criminal, any culprit and at the end justice will prevail.’’
Otago academic Prof Bill Harris, who specialises in the Middle East, said Prince bin Salman’s promises were ‘‘nonsense’’ and the Saudi Government was ‘‘entirely responsible for the murder’’.
New Zealand, which has embassies in both Riydah in Saudi Arabia and the Turkish city of Ankara, had three considerations: pursuing Saudi accountability, the welfare of its citizens, and looking after its commercial interests, Prof Harris said.
Holding Saudi Arabia accountable for Mr Khashoggi’s death was also pragmatic because of the implications of tolerating the precedent of his murder.
Prof Harris said New Zealand should work closely with Europe, including Britain, as well as Canada and Australia, on the security of its citizens, and should also be ‘‘proactive among these countries in exploring diplomatic measures and other sanctions’’.
‘‘We could think in terms of a stronger government statement within a few days, in consultation with our partners.
‘‘If we get confirmation of the revolting murder details . . . we should be prepared in advance to offer an immediate reaction.’’
New Zealand ‘‘should press for a joint internationalTurkish inquiry with full transparency and maximum urgency’’.
Prof Bill Harris said the only way Prince bin Salman would be subject to consequences was if there was an upheaval in the Saudi royal family. Although the prince had enemies, he also held a firm grip on security institutions.
A collective Western push for an inquiry and Turkey’s own commitment would put pressure on the Saudis.
Internationally, there was speculation about both 33yearold Prince bin Salman’s mental stability and political acumen. It was hard to make sense of what was known so far about the murder in rational terms, Prof Harris said.