Search for Khashoggi’s killers heats up

TURKEY searched the Saudi consulate in Istanbul for a second time overnight as part of a probe into the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, while the French and Dutch finance ministers pulled out of a Riyadh investment summit amid global criticism of the kingdom.

US President Donald Trump said he was awaiting a full report on what had happened to Khashoggi from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo after the envoy met Saudi and Turkish leaders, and said he did not want to abandon his Saudi ally. Turkish officials say they believe Khashoggi – a US resident and Washington Post columnist critical of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – was murdered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, and his body removed.

Saudi Arabia has denied involvement in Khashoggi’s disappearance. Trump has speculated, without providing evidence, that “rogue killers” could be responsible. Trump, who has forged closer ties with Saudi Arabia and the 33-year-old crown prince in an effort to counter Iranian influence in the region, has appeared unwilling to distance himself from Riyadh. He has cited tens of billions of dollars in potential arms deals.

Other Western nations have expressed concern about Khashoggi’s disappearance, but face a similarly delicate situation in their dealings with the world’s top oil exporter.

Turkish crime scene investigators left the Saudi consulate early yesterday. Earlier, they spent nearly nine hours in the Saudi consul’s residence, as did Saudi investigators. The Turkish team’s search included the roof and garage and the use of a drone.

Turkey’s pro-government Yeni Safak newspaper said it had details from audio recordings that purported to document Khashoggi’s torture and interrogation. It said Khashoggi’s torturers severed his fingers during the interrogation and later beheaded and dismembered him. A New York Times report cited a senior Turkish official confirming those details.

Turkish pro-government newspaper Sabah reported that investigators had identified a 15-member Saudi intelligence team that arrived in Istanbul on diplomatic passports hours before Khashoggi disappeared.

One name matches a LinkedIn profile for a forensic expert who has worked at the interior ministry for 20 years. Another is identified as a first secretary at the Saudi Embassy in London. Other names and photos of the 15 resemble officers in the Saudi Army and Air Force. A New York Times report linked four suspects to Prince Mohammed’s security detail.

The Washington Post published a column it received from Khashoggi’s assistant after he was reported missing in which Khashoggi wrote: “The Arab world is facing its own version of an Iron Curtain, imposed not by external actors but through domestic forces vying for power.”