AS GRUESOME details continue to emerge about Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, the politics obscuring the truth around the journalist’s death have been largely hidden from public view. Leaders across the globe are facing a moral quandary over the sickening killing, with many buying oil from Saudi Arabia or selling the kingdom arms — and none more so than Donald Trump. After the Washington Post columnist disappeared at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, the kingdom initially claimed he was alive. When the outspoken critic of the regime did not reappear, the administration blamed his death on rogue agents, who killed him in a fist fight. The US President, whose country is the biggest supplier of arms to the kingdom, called the claims “credible”. But as more information emerged from the Turkish authorities about the murder at the Saudi consulate, Mr Trump called it “the worst in the history of cover-ups”. Mr Khashoggi’s fiancee said she declined an invitation to the White House to meet Mr Trump, because she did not believe the Presiden’t motives were sincere. “I perceived it as a statement to win the sympathy of the public. That’s how I understood it,” she told Turkish television network Haberturk. In a New York Times piece published earlier this week, Ms Cengiz said she would speak with the President only “if he makes a genuine contribution to the efforts to reveal what happened inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul that day.” “I demand that all those involved in this savagery from the highest to the lowest levels are punished and brought to justice,” she said. Riyadh dismissed Ankara’s calls to extradite 18 Saudis being held over the murder of Mr Khashoggi as Washington warned the crisis risked destabilising the Middle East. “The individuals are Saudi nationals. They’re detained in Saudi Arabia, and the investigation is in Saudi Arabia, and they will be prosecuted in Saudi Arabia,” Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told a regional defence forum in Bahrain. He was responding to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who on Friday renewed his call for the 18 men to be extradited for trial in Turkey. Mr Erdogan said the dissident journalist was the victim of a carefully planned “political murder” by Saudi intelligence officers and other officials. Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman then denounced the “heinous crime”, and the nation’s public prosecutor then conceded the murder was “premeditated”. The administration denies any involvement in the death. Four senior intelligence officials and an adviser to the crown prince have been fired as Saudi Arabia tries to distance Prince Mohammed from Khashoggi’s slaying. As conflicting reports stack up, some leaders have been slow to condemn the country or call for sanctions — and many observers believe this is because of their financial reliance on Saudi gold. GRISLY PRICE OF PETROL The United States relies on Saudi Arabia for oil, and needs its resources to keep the price of petrol down. Mr Trump’s sanctions on Iran have been strangling oil markets, with the country’s exports falling by around one million barrels a day and Saudi output rising by just 300,000 barrels a day between June and October, according to Politico. With barrels nearing the $100 mark less than two weeks before the midterm elections, Mr Trump needs Saudi Arabia to increase its exports. And that assistance is now emerging, with Saudi oil minister Khalid al-Falih saying the kingdom will make sure global demand is met. “We will meet any demand,” he said on Tuesday, promising to increase exports by 300,000 barrels a day and saying there was another million barrels of spare capacity, and potential to invest in more. His comments calmed skittish oil markets. The international oil price is down around $9, from $85 just after Khashoggi’s murder to $76 on Tuesday. While no explicit link has been made between Mr Trump’s soft stance and the promises to increase production, oil is Saudi Arabia’s greatest bargaining chip in avoiding punishment over Khashoggi’s murder. Even previously friendly Republicans are now calling for sanctions and an arms embargo as the truth emerges about the authorities’ role in the killing. Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani hit out at Mr Trump, saying the “heinous murder” would have been unthinkable “without US backing”. THE WEAPONS QUESTION The other murky business linking global leaders to the uncontrolled Saudi regime is weapons. The US is the biggest Saudi arms supplier, and Europe has also been selling billions of dollars’ worth of weapons to the kingdom for decades. Many European Union politicians are calling for an arms embargo on Saudi Arabia as well as a ban on “surveillance systems” and other items that could be used for repression. But there has been no EU-wide push for an embargo. Leading Greens politician Ska Keller said: “EU countries must not continue to turn a blind eye to the serious human rights violations committed by the Saudi government.” Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sanchez said his government would fulfil past arms sales contracts with Saudi Arabia despite his “dismay” over the “terrible murder”, explaining that protecting jobs in Spain was central to his decision last month to go ahead with a controversial bomb shipment to Saudi Arabia. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said arms exports to Saudi Arabia “can’t take place in the situation we’re currently in,” citing Khashoggi’s death. The German leader said she was prepared to take “appropriate measures together with international partners” following the killing. In a call with King Salman, she condemned Khashoggi’s killing “in the sharpest possible manner” and asked Saudi Arabia to “ensure a swift, transparent and credible investigation” and hold those responsible to account. She also urged Saudi Arabia to ensure aid access to Yemen, which is in the grip of a three-year war between the Saudi-led alliance and Shite rebels known as Houthis. Some US politicians have said Washington should block military sales to Riyadh if the allegations against the administration are proven. But Mr Trump said he thought that would be a mistake. “I actually think we’d be punishing ourselves if we did that,” he told reporters at the White House on October 14. “There are other things we can do that are very, very powerful, very strong, and we’ll do them.” GORY EVIDENCE WITHHELD What happens next may depend on Turkey. Turkish officials reportedly have a recording of the alleged “ferocious” torture and dismemberment, but Mr Erdogan has held back such evidence, if it exists. He has also refrained from naming Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as directly involved, although he referred to King Salman’s “sincerity”. Mr Erdogan has called for trials for the 18 suspects in the “ferocious” killing. Initially it was reported Khashoggi’s Apple Watch may have recorded his brutal murder — but now it seems likely Turkish spies were covertly recording what was happening in the consulate, either using a listening device hidden inside or by aiming a powerful microphone at the building from outside. If uncontrovertible evidence emerges that the Saudi government planned Khashoggi’s execution, Mr Trump and other Western leaders would have little choice other than to roundly condemn the kingdom and take punitive action. But if they were to do so, the Saudis could retaliate, hitting the US where it hurts. The kingdom warned on October 15 that it would “respond with greater action” to any threats of economic or political pressure from the West. In a furious opinion piece published last night, Turki al-Dakhil, general manager of the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya news channel, warned the US “will stab its own economy to death” if it tried to impose sanctions. “Nobody should rule out the price jumping to $100 and $200 a barrel or maybe double that figure,” warned Mr al-Dakhil, an ally of the Saudi royal court. It’s therefore in Mr Trump’s interest for the Khashoggi’s murder to remain shrouded in mystery — at least until the elections are over.<doc-sep>The fiancee of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has blamed Saudi authorities for his murder, demanding a full explanation and that those responsible are brought to justice. Key points: Jamal Khashoggi's fiancee says she is not satisfied with the version of events presented by Saudi Arabia Jamal Khashoggi's fiancee says she is not satisfied with the version of events presented by Saudi Arabia The US is considering possible actions in response to Khashoggi's death The US is considering possible actions in response to Khashoggi's death Saudi Arabia says Khashoggi's murder was premeditated but not ordered by the Crown The death of Khashoggi — a Washington Post columnist and a critic of Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — sparked global outrage and pitched the world's top oil exporter into crisis. His fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, said she was not satisfied with the version of events presented by Saudi Arabia, saying their explanations were "not sufficient". "This took place inside a Saudi diplomatic mission … in such circumstances, the Saudi Arabian authorities are responsible for this," she said. "This incident, this assassination, took place in the Saudi consulate. So the Saudi authorities probably know how such a murder took place. "They need to explain what happened." Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in Saudi Arabia's consulate in Turkey. ( AP: Hasan Jamali, file United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet called for international experts to be involved in an independent investigation into the killing, including access to evidence and witnesses. In a statement, Ms Bachelet also urged Saudi Arabia to reveal the whereabouts of Khashoggi's body, saying that a forensic examination and autopsy were crucial elements in an investigation into the "shockingly brazen crime". While she welcomed efforts by Saudi and Turkish authorities to investigate and prosecute the alleged perpetrators, Ms Bachelet add that because "high-level officials in Saudi Arabia were apparently involved" in Khashoggi's slaying, "the bar must be set very high to ensure proper accountability and justice". "I urge the Saudi authorities to reveal the whereabouts of his body without further delay or prevarication," she said. United States President Donald Trump's administration is also considering possible actions in response to Khashoggi's death. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told a media briefing the administration was "weighing different options" and would make an announcement. Khashoggi, 59, entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 to obtain paperwork necessary for his upcoming marriage to Ms Cengiz, a Turkish national. He did not walk out of the consulate and Ms Cengiz, who was waiting outside, first raised the alarm. Asked if she held Crown Prince Mohammed or the Saudi royal family responsible, she said: "I and my Government would like all those responsible, from the person who gave this order to those who carried it out, to be brought to justice and punished under international law." Cengiz said she had not been contacted by Crown Prince Mohammed or the Saudi Royal family, nor offered any condolences by them. Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi, says Saudi explanations for his death are not sufficient. ( Reuters: Dylan Martinez Saudi Arabia initially denied any involvement in Khashoggi's disappearance but eventually said the killing was premeditated and Crown Prince Mohammed vowed the killers would be brought to justice. The country has detained 18 people and dismissed five senior government officials as part of the investigation. Some were members of a 15-man hit team, many of them Saudi intelligence operatives, who flew into Istanbul hours before Khashoggi's death, Turkish security sources say. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has urged Riyadh to disclose who ordered the murder and prosecutors have prepared an extradition request for 18 suspects from Saudi Arabia. AP/Reuters<doc-sep>MANAMA, Bahrain — Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis called the death of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi "murder" on Saturday, his strongest comments so far on a controversy that has strained Saudi-U.S. ties. Khashoggi's death in a diplomatic facility "undermined regional stability" and should "concern us all," Mattis said in Bahrain at the IISS Manama Dialogue 2018, a security summit. While never directly blaming Saudi Arabia, he warned the U.S. would be taking additional measures against those who may have been involved. He also pointed to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s decision to revoke visas of those implicated. The U.S. will “consider the implications of this incident within our broader strategic framework,” Mattis said. He did also not mention the kingdom's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has been spearheading an effort to modernize the country's economy and society while also cracking down on dissent. After denying that the Saudi critic of the crown prince was killed after visiting the country's consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, the Saudis backpedaled several times. Last week they admitted that the former regim insider had been killed inside the building, and on Thursday, officials said it was a premeditated act. The death of Khashoggi, who went into self-imposed exile last year, has sparked widespread international criticism of Saudi Arabia, and complicated Washington-Riyadh relations. The U.S. ally is considered a bulwark against Iran and a linchpin of President Donald Trump's regional ambitions, but the the Khashoggi crisis has helped crystallize growing unease about Crown Prince Mohammed. The Saudis have consistently maintained the crown prince had no prior knowledge of the operation, despite the involvement of some of his top aides. On Wednesday, he called the killing a "heinous crime." The controversy has also focused attention on the kingdom’s war in Yemen, where half the population, around 14 million people, are at risk of famine. Speaking at the same event as Mattis, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir called the reaction to Khashoggi’s death “hysterical.” "I think people have assigned blame on Saudi Arabia with such certainty before the investigation is complete,” he said. Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir speaks at the IISS Manama Dialogue 2018 on Saturday. STRINGER / AFP - Getty Images Jubeir added that the Saudis “have made it very clear that we are going to have a full and transparent investigation, the results of which will be released." And investigations take time, he said. When asked whether members of Saudi Arabia's leadership were involved in the murder or cover up, Jubeir said, “We know that a mistake was committed, we know that people exceeded their authority and we know that we are investigating.” Jubeir's comments come as Saudi Arabia seeks to contain the firestorm of criticism over its handling of Khashoggi's death amid a series of leaks from Turkish officials. Late this week, Saudi Arabia's government acknowledged for the first time that a team dispatched to Istanbul had planned in advance to kill Khashoggi, once again altering its official explanation of his death. Previously, Saudi Arabia had said he was killed during a botched attempt to kidnap him and bring him back to the kingdom. Before that, the government insisted for weeks that Khashoggi had left the consulate alive. Jubeir praised Trump and criticized his predecessor Obama, saying Saudi Arabia “went through challenging times with the [President Barack] Obama administration, that would be an understatement. We saw the Middle East unravel.” Saudi Arabia was vehemently opposed to the Obama-era nuclear deal with Iran, and supported Trump's withdrawal from the pact in May. “We are walking in lock step with the United States,” Jubeir said. “America has a president who wants to protect its interests and be more robust in doing so. It’s not about partisan politics, it’s about national interests.”<doc-sep>
The fiance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has said Saudi authorities are responsible for his murder, and the kingdom should give more details so that those responsible can be brought to justice. The death of Khashoggi - a Washington Post columnist and a critic of Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - sparked global outrage and pitched the world's top oil exporter into crisis. Trump has hedged his criticism of Saudi leaders over Khashoggi, insisting he does not want to imperil a "tremendous order" of $110 billion of weapons he says will support 500,000 U.S. jobs - figures that experts say are highly exaggerated. His fiance, Hatice Cengiz, told an audience on a visit to London she was disappointed with Trump's approach. "I am disappointed by the actions of the leadership in many countries, particularly in the U.S.," she said. "President Trump should help reveal the truth and ensure justice be served. He should not pave the way for a cover-up of my fiance's murder. Let's not let money taint our conscience and compromise our values." When asked who was ultimately responsible for the killing, Cengiz told Reuters in an interview in Turkish: "This took place inside a Saudi diplomatic mission ... In such circumstances, the Saudi Arabian authorities are responsible for this." Trump has said Prince Mohammed, who has consolidated control over Saudi security and intelligence agencies over the past three years, bore ultimate responsibility for the operation that led to Khashoggi's killing. She said the West is considered a stronghold of human rights and democracy so it should stand up to the killers of her husband-to-be. Khashoggi, 59, entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 to obtain paperwork necessary for his upcoming marriage to Cengiz, a Turkish national. He did not walk out of the consulate. Cengiz first raised the alarm. Saudi Arabia initially denied any involvement in Khashoggi's disappearance but a Saudi official eventually attributed his death to a botched attempt to return him to the kingdom. Later, Riyadh said the killing was premeditated and Prince Mohammed has vowed that the killers would be brought to justice. Saudi Arabia has detained 18 people and dismissed five senior government officials as part of the investigation into Khashoggi's murder. Some were members of a 15-man hit team, many of them Saudi intelligence operatives, who flew into Istanbul hours before Khashoggi's death, Turkish security sources say. MURDER IN ISTANBUL "This incident, this assassination, took place in the Saudi consulate," Cengiz said, speaking through a translator. "So the Saudi authorities probably know how such a murder took place." "They need to explain what happened," said Cengiz, who was somber, guarded and appeared at times on the verge of tears. When asked what she would say to Prince Mohammed if she ever got the chance to speak to him, she said: "I don't think that will ever happen." President Tayyip Erdoğan, who Cengiz praised, has urged Riyadh to disclose who ordered the murder and prosecutors have prepared an extradition request for 18 suspects from Saudi Arabia. "The explanations given so far by Saudi Arabia are not sufficient," Cengiz said. "I want to know the details of who is responsible." Asked if she held Crown Prince Mohammed or the Saudi royal family responsible, she said: "I and my government would like all those responsible, from the person who gave this order to those who carried it out, to be brought to justice and punished under international law," she said. Cengiz said she had not been contacted by Prince Mohammed or the Saudi royal family, nor offered any condolences by them. Cengiz met Khashoggi in May at a conference in Istanbul and their relationship blossomed. But the decision to marry in Istanbul, whose mosques reminded Khashoggi of his hometown Medina, set off a paper chase that ultimately ended in death. Turkish law required that Khashoggi, who was divorced, provide proof that he did not have a wife and thus his trip to the consulate. Cengiz said she had been shown no recordings of what happened inside the consulate and that she got most of her information from the media. "Like everyone else, I am still waiting for answers," she said. "The world should know who instigated, were involved in and committed this crime."