IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde
International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde said on Saturday she has not canceled her plans to attend an elite Saudi investment conference later this month, but will be "very attentive" to any new information about the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
"At this point in time, my intention is to not change my plan and to be very attentive to the information that is coming up in the next few days," she told a news conference when asked whether she would attend the conference after several media companies and business leaders pulled out.
"Horrifying things have been reported, and I am horrified," Lagarde said of media reports about Khashoggi's disappearance. "But I have to conduct the business of the IMF in all corners of the world and with many governments."
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that he was "extremely worried" by the disappearance of veteran Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and would speak on the issue with Saudi and Turkish leaders in the coming days."I am waiting for the truth and complete clarity to be established ", Macron said in an interview with France 24 television. "What's been mentioned is serious, very serious (...) France wants everything to be done so that we have all the truth on this case of which the first elements are extremely worrying."He said he would take a stance on the issue once the facts were clear and that he would discuss the matter with the Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. CNBC pulls out of Saudi conference over KhashoggiSaudi Consulate in Istanbul bustles with activityUN urges Saudi Arabia to release women rights defendersSaudi delegation arrives in Ankara for Khashoggi probe
France's Macron says Khashoggi affair worrying, will speak with Turks, Saudis
A busy day is observed at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul as the investigation into the disappearance of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi continues.A person wearing a white apron and carrying a backpack was seen entering the residence of Consul General of Saudi Arabia Mohammad al-Otaibi, reported an Anadolu Agency correspondent on the ground on Friday.Separately, 11 other people who came in four civilian vehicles entered the Saudi Consulate and did not speak to the press.Meanwhile the members of local and foreign press are on alert in front of the consulate building.Video: Saudi Consulate in Istanbul bustles with activityKhashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, has not been heard from since Oct. 2 when he visited the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, amid speculation he was killed by Saudi authorities.On the same day, 15 Saudis, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and visited the consulate while Khashoggi was also inside, police sources said. All of the identified individuals have since left Turkey.Saudi authorities have yet to give a clear explanation of Khashoggi’s fate, while several countries -- particularly Turkey, the U.S. and the U.K. -- have expressed their desire that the matter should be elucidated as soon as possible.Turkish presidential aide Ibrahim Kalın said on Thursday that a joint working team between Turkey and Saudi Arabia will be formed to investigate the case in all its aspects.In final tweets, Khashoggi alluded to Palestine, SyriaFrance raises pressure on Saudi over Khashoggi disappearanceSaudi delegation arrives in Ankara for Khashoggi probeTurkey has recordings proving Khashoggi was killed inside Saudi consulate: Washington Post
Saudi Consulate in Istanbul bustles with activity
Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi dissident who went missing last week after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, tweeted about a range of critical regional issues in the days leading up to his (as-yet-unexplained) disappearance.Along with the Palestine-Israel issue, the crisis in Syria, and Iranian intervention in the Arab world, Khashoggi also alluded to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent suggestion that Saudi Arabia pay the U.S. for the protection it provides.أغادر لندن وفلسطين في البال، حضرت مؤتمرا وتعرفت على باحثين وناشطين مؤمنين بعدالة قضيتها من أطراف الارض.—رغم قوة اللوبي الاسرائيلي الذي حاصر اَي تعاطف معها الا ان صوتها لا يزال عاليا هنا.—في عالمنا يحاولون تغييب فلسطين لكسر الغضب فينا ولكنها حاضرة في ضمير كل مواطن … وان صمت. pic.twitter.com/qnOF5ZyUgu— جمال خاشقجي (@JKhashoggi) 1 Ekim 2018 After taking part in a pro-Palestine seminar in London, Khashoggi tweeted on Oct. 1 (only one day before his disappearance): “I am leaving London and Palestine is still on my mind. I attended a conference where I met [pro-Palestinian] researchers and activists from all over the world who believe in the justice of their cause”.He added: "Despite the power of the Israeli lobby [in the U.K.] … the voice of Palestine is still loud here. They are trying to marginalize the Palestinian cause … but it remains ever-present in the popular conscience."Khashoggi also tweeted several times about the arrest of his friend Essam al-Zamel, a prominent Saudi businessman and economy expert, by the Saudi authorities."Essam doesn't deserve such treatment,” Khashoggi asserted. “The accusations leveled against him don’t convince anyone!"قبل اعتقاله بيومين، كان عصام ضمن وفدا من #مركز_أداء بواشنطن يساعدهم بخبرته ويجول معهم على مؤسسات أمريكية للاستفادة من خبراتها @essamz لا يستحق هكذا معاملة وهكذا اتهامات لم تقنع أحداً ! pic.twitter.com/vQubNDEoOG— جمال خاشقجي (@JKhashoggi) 1 Ekim 2018 The Saudi authorities accuse al-Zamel -- an outspoken critic of Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman’s “reform” initiative -- of maintaining covert affiliations with the Qatari government (with which Riyadh severed relations last year) and of having links to the Muslim Brotherhood (which Riyadh considers a “terrorist group”).Late last year, the Saudi authorities detained dozens of people -- including a number of princes and cabinet ministers (both former and current) -- in a massive "anti-corruption" sweep.Saudi billionaire investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, minister for the Saudi National Guard, were among those rounded up.Only two months earlier, the Saudi authorities had launched a campaign targeting several Saudi intellectuals and Muslim scholars, including Salman al-Awda, Safar al-Hawali and Ali Al-Omari.In the days leading up to his disappearance, Khashoggi had also tweeted about his country’s dwindling role in Syria and alleged plans by the Saudi leadership to normalize ties with the Assad regime."Those who want to restore the Arab role in Syria should not do so through an Iranian ally [i.e., the Assad regime], which has forfeited its legitimacy and relinquished [the country’s] sovereignty...," Khashoggi tweeted on Sept. 30.Saudi Arabia had been one of the main supporters of the Syrian uprising that began in 2011 and which later erupted into full-blown conflict -- involving numerous regional and international actors -- after the Assad regime cracked down on protesters with unexpected ferocity.In a Sept. 27 tweet, Khashoggi urged the Saudi leadership to review its Syria policy, saying that “the only way to get Iran out of our [Arab] world is to support the Syrian revolution and a pluralistic system in Yemen”.For the past three years, Saudi Arabia -- at the head of an Arab military coalition -- has been fighting a destructive war with Shia rebels in Yemen who Riyadh accuses of serving as Iranian proxies.Khashoggi also urged the Saudi leadership to support the "the Arab people’s desire for freedom”. "The [Arab] people dislike the Iranian regime… as much as the regimes they rose up against in 2011 [in the so-called ‘Arab Spring’ uprisings]," Khashoggi declared.As for Trump's recent suggestion that the Saudi regime pay for the protection the U.S. provides, Khashoggi tweeted: "Trump himself is the biggest threat."In another tweet, Khashoggi voiced his belief that the “biggest threat” facing the Gulf States and their oil “is a president like Trump, who sees us merely as a source of oil”.Since Khashoggi went missing on Oct. 2, speculation has mounted that he was killed by the Saudi authorities, who have yet to provide a convincing explanation for his disappearance.Meanwhile, several countries -- including Turkey, the U.S. and the U.K. -- have continued to press Riyadh for clarification.According to Khashoggi’s Turkish fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, he first visited the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Sept. 28.After being told his documents would be ready after one week, Khashoggi briefly visited London before returning to Istanbul on Oct. 1.The following day, he entered the consulate and has not been seen since.On the same day as his disappearance, 15 Saudi officials arrived in Istanbul, where they went to the consulate while Khashoggi was still presumably inside, according to Turkish police sources.France raises pressure on Saudi over Khashoggi disappearanceSaudi delegation arrives in Ankara for Khashoggi probeTurkey has recordings proving Khashoggi was killed inside Saudi consulate: Washington PostTrump: Khashoggi disappearance no reason to stop Saudi investments
In final tweets, Khashoggi alluded to Palestine, Syria
Turkish security forces are expected to dig up various sites across Istanbul in search for the remains of Jamal Khashoggi in the coming days.Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, has not been heard from since Oct. 2 when he visited the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, amid speculation he was killed by Saudi authorities.Turkish intelligence officials have information regarding the movements of 15 Saudis, including several officials, who arrived in Istanbul on two planes and visited the consulate while Khashoggi was also inside. All of the identified individuals have since left Turkey, but intelligence officials know when and where the 15 Saudis visited during their stay in Istanbul.It is expected that in the coming days, Turkish security forces will dig up various spots, including the consul-general's garden, to see whether Khashoggi’s remains are buried there.Khashoggi left Saudi Arabia last year saying he feared retribution for his criticism of Riyadh over the Yemen war and its crackdown on dissent, and since then wrote columns for the Washington Post.Saudi delegation arrives in Ankara for Khashoggi probeSaudi authorities have yet to give a clear explanation of Khashoggi’s fate, while several countries -- particularly Turkey, the U.S. and the UK -- have expressed their desire that the matter should be elucidated as soon as possible.A joint Turkish-Saudi team will investigate the disappearance of Khashoggi upon the Kingdom's request, the Turkish president's aide said on Thursday.“Within the framework of a close cooperation between Turkey and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, upon the suggestion of the Kingdom, a joint working team between Turkey and Saudi Arabia will be formed to investigate the case of Jamal in all its aspects,” İbrahim Kalın said. Turkey has recordings proving Khashoggi was killed inside Saudi consulate: Washington PostTrump: Khashoggi disappearance no reason to stop Saudi investmentsMedia companies, journalists drop out of Saudi event after Khashoggi disappearanceEurope wants full probe over missing Saudi journalistBranson halts Saudi business talks over Khashoggi case
Turkish security forces to dig up Istanbul sites in search of Khashoggi remains
A delegation from Saudi Arabia arrived in Turkey’s capital, Ankara, on Friday for the investigation into the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi.On Thursday, Turkish Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalın said Turkey had accepted a Saudi proposal to form a joint working group to investigate the case of Khashoggi.Khashoggi has been missing since Oct. 2, when he visited the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, amid speculation he was killed.Saudi authorities have yet to give a clear explanation on the fate of Khashoggi as several countries -- particularly Turkey, the U.S. and the U.K. -- press for clarification.Turkey has recordings proving Khashoggi was killed inside Saudi consulate: Washington PostTrump: Khashoggi disappearance no reason to stop Saudi investmentsMedia companies, journalists drop out of Saudi event after Khashoggi disappearanceBranson halts Saudi business talks over Khashoggi case
Saudi delegation arrives in Ankara for Khashoggi probe