The level of preposterousness is beyond insulting. The Secretary of State is rushed to Riyadh by Donald Trump to find out what happened to missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi. What transpired were two short meetings with the royals-in-question that produced this:
The fact that the Saudis “didn’t want to” talk about the facts is to be expected. The fact that the representative of the United States of America didn’t want to talk about the facts is a travesty. https://t.co/jX7SnnFtWe
— Samantha Power (@SamanthaJPower) October 17, 2018
Well, that should leave the Saudis mighty worried. After a U.S. resident walks into a Saudi consulate in Istanbul and never exits, one might wonder if foul play was involved. If there is audio of him being sawed into pieces, one might like to question that fact. If members of the royal security detail were seen in Istanbul, maybe a question about that. Or, maybe just smile for the cameras.
The pictures of Pompeo grinning, smiling, and laughing with the crown prince—as if a journalist wasn't just murdered—are remarkable. Not only is it bad policy; it's downright embarrassing. It makes Pompeo look like an unserious pushover. It's really indefensible on any grounds pic.twitter.com/qwgs9LK9VH
— Shadi Hamid (@shadihamid) October 16, 2018
The Turks are certainly talking, to anyone who’ll listen. Every major paper on the planet has the gruesome details of Khashoggi’s demise and those who were allegedly involved. From The Washington Post;
“Three days before Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in the United States earlier this year for a nationwide tour, another Saudi traveler who identifies online as a member of the Saudi Royal Guard also arrived in Washington, passport records show. His stay overlapped with that of the prince.
“Two times before that, this traveler had made other trips to the United States that coincided with visits by top members of the Saudi royal family, including King Salman and another one of his sons.
“That same traveler, Khalid Aedh Alotaibi, has now appeared on a list provided by Turkish officials of 15 Saudis who Turkey alleges participated in the disappearance and alleged killing of prominent journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi Consulate on Oct. 2.”
https://twitter.com/joshscampbell/status/1052551669127344129
From Saudi Arabia, Pompeo traveled to Turkey to meet with President Recep Erdogan. After than meeting, Pompeo told the press his trip was a success. Here is the “Paragraph of the Week” from The Post:
“Pompeo pronounced his trip “incredibly successful” because of the Saudi commitment to a transparent investigation, even though he acknowledged that his discussions did not address the elemental issue of whether Khashoggi is alive or dead.”
The Secretary of State also told reporters that the Saudis had promised to hold anyone accountable, including members of the royal family. This is the same Saudi government who says Khashogghi walked out of the consulate safe and sound.
