Currents News Staff
The trail for Jamal Khashoggi’s body is going cold. Video released to Turkish media over the weekend reveals the hours before his death. This as Saudi officials offer their first accounting of events.
“This was an operation that was a rogue operation. This was an operation where individuals ended up exceeding the authorities and responsibilities they had. They made the mistake when they killed Jamal Khashoggi in the Consulate, and they tried to cover up for it,” said Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi Foreign Minister.
A fist fight. A chokehold. The implication being Khashoggi’s death was an accident. In Riyadh 18 people arrested. But there are still holes in the Saudi narrative.
They say they are cooperating closely with Turkish investigators. But, still, Khashoggi’s body is missing. Where some of these consular vehicles went in hours after Khashoggi’s disappearance is still a mystery. Saudi leaks says his body given to a local “collaborator.”
Forests and farms outside Istanbul have been at the center of rumors his body may have been dumped there, but as yet no evidence. On Saturday Turkish investigators questioned consulate employees including the consul general’s driver, but still no body.
His friends are demanding its return. “Give him back so that we can raise his funeral. Let the whole world watch Jamal Khashoggi’s farewell who was killed in a dark room with horrific details and whose body is tried to be hidden,” said Turan Kislakci, Turkish-Arab Media Association.
President Trump asking too, “Somebody knows, but nobody of the various investigation groups at this moment know. But we’ll find out.”