Saudis admit Khashoggi was killed at consulate
Four men alleged to be involved with murder of journalist accompanied Saudi leader on state visit
SAUDI ARABIA last night admitted that journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed at its consulate in Istanbul after coming under increasing pressure to reveal his fate.
The kingdom claimed he died in a fight after a quarrel with a group of men who had met him at the consulate. The admission comes after worldwide condemnation of the Washington Post columnist’s disappearance.
In an announcement late last night on Saudi state TV, it was also confirmed that one of the favourite generals of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had been relieved of his duties. Major-general Ahmed alassiri was removed as deputy of the intelligence services. Eighteen Saudis have also been arrested over the killing. None of their names were released.
Saudi’s chief prosecutor said an investigation found there was a “fist-fight that led to his death.”
Officials in Turkey have said Mr Khashoggi was killed and dismembered by a team of Saudi agents.
The Saudi prosecutor said another top official, royal court adviser Saud alqahtani, had also been sacked, while Saudi Arabia’s King Salman will also carry out a restructuring of the kingdom’s intelligence agency that will be done by a committee under the supervision of the crown prince.
SEVERAL members of an alleged Saudi “hit squad” accused of being behind the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi were in Britain just months earlier on a state visit, it was claimed last night.
One of the men – Major General Mahir Abdul Aziz Muhammad Mutrib – was seen emerging from a car outside Downing Street as part of the Crown Prince’s entourage when he met Theresa May in March.
Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince, was given the red carpet treatment during a three-day visit, during which he also met the Queen.
Three other suspects – First Lieutenant Dhaar Ghalib Dhaar Al-harbi, Sergeant Major Walid Abdullah Al-shihri and Abdul Aziz Muhammad Musa Alhawsawi – were also part of the crown prince’s entourage, the news site Middle East Eye reported.
Britain will be under increasing pressure to act against Saudi Arabia after the Gulf kingdom last night admitted Mr Khashoggi was killed at its Istanbul consulate.
Jeremy Hunt had earlier warned there will be “consequences” for the UK’S relationship with Saudi Arabia if it was found the journalist was murdered.
He had said that such actions would be “totally inconsistent” with British values, but said the UK had a strategic relationship with Saudi Arabia, and seemed to back away from the idea of ending arms sales.
Mr Khashoggi was killed during a quarrel with a group of Saudi nationals, who were last night being held on suspicion of being involved in the Washington Post columnist’s death. None were named. The Saudi state-run news agency said “the kingdom expresses its deep regret” over his death.
Meanwhile a former MI6 chief said that all the evidence in the case of Mr Khashoggi points to the crown prince.
Sir John Sawers, who led the overseas intelligence service from 2009 to 2014, had dismissed the theory of “rogue elements” having harmed Mr Khashoggi, which was floated by Donald Trump, the US president, as “blatant fiction”.
Sir John added that the UK must distinguish between its relationship with Saudi Arabia, “which is an important regional ally”, and the personality of the crown prince “who has brought some very promising changes to the country but has to be forced to act in a way which is in accordance with international acceptable standards”.
The former MI6 chief said the fate of Mr Khashoggi was a wake-up call to the Trump administration about “just how dangerous it is to have people acting with a sense that they have impunity in their relationship with United States”.
Sir John told the BBC there was likely to be a reaction from members of the royal family, the Saudi business community and conservative clerics who did not like the direction which the country was taking.
“I think all of them will take advantage of the damage that this murder in Istanbul will do to Mohammed bin Salman’s reputation,” he said. “There will be some correction.”