Key questions remain for Saudis in slaying of journalist, dissident

Saudi Arabia offered an explanation Saturday for what had happened to journalist Jamal Khashoggi 17 days after he went missing at the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul.

But even though the kingdom finally confirmed that Khashoggi had died, the account conflicts with information from other sources. Below are questions that the Saudi kingdom still needs to answer.

Was Khashoggi really considering a return to Saudi Arabia?

The Saudi statement said that the “suspects” in Khashoggi’s killing had traveled to Turkey to meet with the journalist as he had suggested he was interesting in returning home. However, Khashoggi himself had told friends that he was suspicious of attempts to lure him back to the kingdom.

If this was just a discussion, why did at least 15 men travel to Istanbul for the meeting?

Saudi Arabia says it has detained a total of 18 people for their involvement in Khashoggi’s death, and the Turkish government has linked 15 people to Khashoggi, Saudi citizens who had arrived at the consulate shortly before the journalist disappeared and who left hours later.

It is not clear why such a big group of people would be needed for a discussion about a willing return to Saudi Arabia.

Why did this Saudi group include a forensic expert and members of security forces?

Again, if this was a simple discussion, it would seem unnecessary to send members of the Saudi security services. However, the Post has found that at least 12 of the alleged hit team identified by Turkish authorities had some kind of link to the

kingdom’s security services.

What actually happened inside the consulate?

The Saudi account describes “a fight or a quarrel” in the consulate.bTurkish officials are believed to have played to CIA counterparts an audio recording that was made inside the consulate. The recording could provide key clues into what happened to Khashoggi — including whether his death was intentional or whether he was tortured.

What happened to Khashoggi’s body?

Even though Saudi Arabia now admits that the journalist died inside the consulate, their statement did not reveal what happened to the body. Early speculation suggested that Khashoggi’s body parts may have been taken out of the country, although Turkish authorities recently searched rural areas near Istanbul.