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On Oct. 20, Arabic-language website alawatanews.com published a report that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had been forced out of power.
Citing the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA), it said King Salman had signed a decree removing the prince "against the backdrop of growing pressure that accompanies the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi."
The report was false. The SPA has never published such an article, the wording and picture were lifted from a year-old royal court announcement about the removal of a former crown prince and MbS, as he is widely known, remains in his position.
The story and the website that published it are part of a fierce information war being waged online over the killing of Khashoggi, a prominent critic of the Saudi government last seen entering Riyadh's consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.
Automated accounts known as bots have flooded social media in recent weeks, many of them promoting messages which support Saudi Arabia and are intended to cast doubt on allegations that the kingdom was involved in Khashoggi's death.
The EU reiterated on Wednesday its call for a “credible and transparent” investigation into the case of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.“We have asked and expect that Saudi Arabia cooperates on a thorough, credible and transparent investigation and we insist on the need for clarity on the circumstances of his death and full accountability of all those responsible for it,” the bloc’s Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini said on behalf of the EU.In a statement marking the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, Mogherini said: “We pay tribute to all those journalists around the world who lost their lives and suffered attacks in the exercise of their profession.“We also pay tribute to all those brave journalists who are taking up the work of their colleagues who can no longer pursue their investigations.”She went onto say that without a “free, diverse and independent media” democracy could not live.Republican senators urge Trump to suspend nuclear talks with Saudi Arabia“The assassinations of investigative journalists Daphne Caruana Galizia and Jan Kuciak in the EU, demonstrate that no region of the world is immune to this,” she added.Galizia was killed in Malta in October 2017 and Kuciak in Slovakia in February 2018 as both of them were investigating high-level corruption cases in their countries.Mogherini urged that those crimes needed to be thoroughly investigated as well as the case for killing of Khashoggi.Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and columnist for The Washington Post, went missing after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.After initially saying he had left the consulate alive, the Saudi administration admitted weeks later he had died there.Khashoggi's body parts were disposed of after being dismembered: Turkish prosecutorInvestigation of the incident suggests a special hit squad came to the consulate to kill Kashoggi and cover up the murderThe international community refused to accept the Saudi claim that the incident was not a premeditated murder.Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed that all details of the case should be revealed, including who gave the instruction for the “premeditated murder.”U.S. President Donald Trump said he could impose sanctions on Saudi Arabia, but also signaled that he did not want to harm bilateral relations.Telephoning Erdogan, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman promised necessary cooperation. The chief prosecutor's office in Riyadh also announced that the murder was planned.
EU reiterates call for 'credible' probe into Khashoggi
The murder of slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi was pre-planned and his body parts were disposed of after being dismembered, the office of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor said on Wednesday.Saudi authorities did not make any statements regarding the local collaborator in the Khashoggi murder, the office said in a statement.Khashoggi was suffocated immediately after entering Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, the statement added, as it reiterated a request for the extradition of suspects arrested by Saudi Arabia in the case of the brutal murder.In a statement issued after two days of talks with Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor Saud al-Mojeb, it also said no concrete results were reached in those meetings but that Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor İrfan Fidan was invited to Saudi Arabia as part of the probe.Republican senators urge Trump to suspend nuclear talks with Saudi Arabia"Despite our well-intentioned efforts to reveal the truth, no concrete results have come out of those meetings," the Istanbul prosecutor's office said.Fidan asked Mojeb about the location of Khashoggi’s body, and whether the Saudi investigation had reached any findings regarding plans to kill Khashoggi.Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and columnist for The Washington Post, went missing after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.After initially saying he had left the consulate alive, the Saudi administration admitted weeks later he had died there.Investigation of the incident suggests a special hit squad came to the consulate to kill Kashoggi and cover up the murderThe international community refused to accept the Saudi claim that the incident was not a premeditated murder.Cadaver dog used to search Saudi consulate denied entry into consul-general’s residenceSaudi prosecutor completes inspections in Turkey, heads to airport
Khashoggi's body parts were disposed of after being dismembered: Turkish prosecutor
But another effort has also sought to muddy the waters more broadly, using fake news websites and associated bots to sow confusion about developments inside the Saudi government.
Alawatanews.com is part of a network of at least 53 websites which, posing as authentic Arabic-language news outlets, have spread false information about the Saudi government and Khashoggi's murder, a Reuters analysis shows.
Investigators at Israeli cybersecurity firm ClearSky said a review of host-server addresses and registration details showed the websites were operating as part of the same network. Many of them also have near-identical design layouts and web addresses, or have published the same or similar fake news reports.
The alawatanews.com report, which said MbS had been replaced by his brother because of the fallout from Khashoggi's death, was typical of those articles. Another, published by a website called awwtarnews.com on Oct. 22, said an MbS aide had also been replaced for the same reason, which was not true.
Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor held talks overnight with Turkish intelligence officials over the investigation into the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Demirören news agency said.It said Saud Al Mojeb left his hotel shortly after midnight and went to the Istanbul regional offices of Turkey's National Intelligence Agency (MIT). It did not say how long he stayed there before returning to his hotel.Khashoggi's death has escalated into a crisis for the world's top oil exporter, which at first denied any knowledge of, or role in, his disappearance four weeks ago.UN calls for impartial probe into Khashoggi’s killingLast week Mojeb contradicted previous Saudi statements, saying Khashoggi's killing was premeditated. Riyadh says it has arrested 18 suspects, including a team sent to Istanbul hours before Khashoggi's death, but has rejected Turkey's call for their extradition.President Tayyip Erdoğan, who has demanded more information from Saudi Arabia, said on Tuesday Istanbul's chief prosecutor had asked Mojeb to disclose who sent the team from Riyadh which is suspected of involvement in the killing.The killing of Khashoggi, a critic of de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has put into focus the West's close relationship with Saudi Arabia - a major arms buyer and lynchpin of Washington's regional plans to contain Iran. Washington Post awaits answers on Khashoggi murder
Saudi prosecutor discusses Khashoggi case with Turkish intelligence
After being published online, the false news articles were shared on Twitter by automated bot accounts -- many of which repeatedly posted links to multiple sites from the network.
Twitter suspended the accounts shortly after receiving questions about them from Reuters. Alawatanews.com, awwtarnews.com, the Saudi government and SPA did not respond to requests for comment.
A person called Mohammed Trabay with a registered address in Egypt is listed online as the owner and operator of the majority of the 53 websites. When reached by phone, a man who identified himself as Mohammed Trabay confirmed he was the owner of the websites but hung up when asked for further details.
In subsequent emailed comments he denied any connection to the network and said he had not understood the questions when asked by phone.
"Sorry, I can't help you," he said. "I don't have any relation with the sites you mention."
United Nations (UN) called for an independent and impartial investigation into the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Tuesday.UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said that international experts should be involved to investigate the Khashoggi murder and urged Saudi authorities to reveal the whereabouts of Khashoggi's body without any delay.In a statement, Bachelet described the Khashoggi murder as “shockingly brazen crime.”"For an investigation to be carried out free of any appearance of political considerations, the involvement of international experts, with full access to evidence and witnesses, would be highly desirable," she said."Forensic examination, including an autopsy on the body of the victim is a crucial element in any investigation into a killing, and I urge the Saudi authorities to reveal the whereabouts of his body without further delay or prevarication," she added.UK foreign secretary: I was unaware of Khashoggi plotBachelet said she is pleased with the Turkish and Saudi authorities' efforts in investigating the murder."I welcome the steps taken by Turkish and Saudi authorities to investigate and prosecute the alleged perpetrators of Mr. Khashoggi’s murder," Bachelet stated."But given the information that high-level officials in Saudi Arabia were apparently involved, and it took place in the Consulate of Saudi Arabia, the bar must be set very high to ensure meaningful accountability and justice for such a shockingly brazen crime against a journalist and Government critic," she remarked.Bachelet added that the full truth must be uncovered and offenders should pay the price.Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and columnist for The Washington Post, went missing after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.After weeks of denying any knowledge of his whereabouts, on Oct. 20 Saudi officials admitted that the journalist had died inside the consulate building.Erdoğan says Turkish prosecutor asked Saudi counterpart who sent Khashoggi's killers
UN calls for impartial probe into Khashoggi’s killing
Saudi Arabia's Electronic Army
The Saudi government initially said that it did not know what had happened to Khashoggi, a U.S. resident who wrote columns for the Washington Post, when he disappeared after entering its consulate in Turkey.
Under pressure to say more about Khashoggi's fate, and following Turkey asserting that he had been killed, Riyadh later changed its version of events to say he had died in a fight in the Istanbul consulate.
When that statement was also widely questioned, Riyadh offered a new explanation, blaming Khashoggi's death on a premeditated "rogue operation" in which Saudi individuals exceeded their authority.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said Saudi authorities staged the "worst cover-up ever" but has also made more conciliatory remarks that highlight Riyadh's role as a U.S. ally against Iran and Islamist militants, as well as a purchaser of U.S. arms.
Online, the journalist's death has served to show how governments and people are increasingly able to manipulate information and social media to further their political agendas, said Lisa-Maria Neudert, a researcher at the Oxford Internet Institute, a department of Oxford University.
"Setting up misinformation pages purporting to be real news, leveraging highly divisive and controversial current issues, and using fake accounts and personas to conceal the originators of attacks are somewhat of the ABCs of computational propaganda," she said.
At the centre of Saudi Arabia's online efforts is Saud al-Qahtani, a close aide to the Crown Prince who was hired in the early 2000s to run an electronic media army tasked with protecting Saudi Arabia's image, according to a source with ties to the royal court.
When Riyadh led an economic boycott against Qatar in June 2017, Qahtani was at the forefront of online attacks against the small Gulf state. On Twitter, he urged Saudis to tweet the names of anyone showing sympathy with Qatar under the Arabic hashtag "The Black List".
Qahtani was sacked on Oct. 20 over allegations that he was involved in Khashoggi's murder. A senior Saudi official said he had authorised one of his subordinates to conduct what was meant to be a negotiation for Khashoggi's return to Saudi Arabia. Qahtani did not respond to questions from Reuters at the time.
Saudi authorities have not disclosed whether or not he is in detention and the status of his "flies", as his electronic army is known, is unclear. The Saudi authorities did not respond to a request for comment.
Opponents of the Saudi authorities have also been active online. Facebook and other companies identified a suspected Iranian influence operation in August which used a network of sham news sites and fake social media personas to spread disinformation, some of it targeted at Saudi Arabia. Iranian officials have dismissed the allegations as "ridiculous".
The Washington Post said Tuesday it was still waiting for answers on the killing of its contributor Jamal Khashoggi and urged the U.S. Congress to impose sanctions on those responsible for the murder.Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and columnist for newspaper, went missing after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.After weeks of denying any knowledge of his whereabouts, Saudi officials admitted that Khashoggi was killed in a fist fight inside the consulate building.In an opinion piece, the Post's editorial board said what happened to Khashoggi's body remained "undisclosed". The board accused the Saudi government and its “de facto accomplices" in the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump of remaining silent instead of clarifying the questions about the murder.It said those behind the killing were hoping that "demands for accountability will fade away now that the story has been pushed from the front pages. That should not be allowed to happen".UK foreign secretary: I was unaware of Khashoggi plotErdoğan says Turkish prosecutor asked Saudi counterpart who sent Khashoggi's killersAccording to Turkish officials, Khashoggi was attacked the moment he entered the consulate, his fingers were severed, and he was injected with a drug before being dismembered by an autopsy specialist who arrived in Istanbul with a bone saw, wrote the board."What the Turks still don’t know has been publicly voiced by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: Where is Mr. Khashoggi’s body? And who ordered and oversaw this grisly operation?" it said."The Saudis know the answers to both those questions, and Mr. Trump might, too. Experts on Saudi Arabia are virtually unanimous in saying that such an audacious mission must have been known about, and most likely was ordered, by the kingdom’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman," it said.The board said that Congress should summon CIA Director Gina Haspel, who was in Turkey last week and briefed Trump, and other senior U.S. officials and determine what they know about the killing."Then it should take decisive action to impose sanctions on those responsible — including, if the available evidence points to him, Mohammed bin Salman — and reshape U.S. relations with Saudi Arabia," said the board.Erdoğan said 18 people arrested in Saudi Arabia for the killing should be extradited to Turkey to face trial, while Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said the kingdom would try the suspects after an investigation is completed.'Jamal Khashoggi deserves a dignified burial'Saudi prosecutor leaves consulate in Istanbul as Khashoggi probe continues
Washington Post awaits answers on Khashoggi murder
Mystery Perpetrator
Twitter said it has removed large numbers of accounts for breaching its terms of use over the last two weeks, many of them originating from the Gulf region.
"Targeted platform manipulation and coordinated spam are a violation of the Twitter Rules and we will continue to enforce our policies vigorously," a Twitter spokesman said.
Reuters has found such bot accounts and influential Saudi users repeatedly posting hashtags on Twitter including "Qatari intelligence kills Khashoggi" and "Saudi Arabia the greatest," although it found no evidence Qahtani or the Saudi government controlled or directed those accounts.
Saudi Arabia's biggest online newspaper Sabq has also accused the international media, including Reuters, of using Khashoggi's disappearance to try to undermine the government, and released a statement on Oct. 21 saying a fake news story was being circulated under its name.
The websites identified by Reuters as spreading false news about the Saudi government have operated as part of the same network since 2017, said ClearSky analyst Ohad Zaidenberg.
The Columbia Journalism Review unveiled a first-of-its-kind 'News Stand' in New York to educate voters on how to identify disinformation. The stand will be outfitted with false stories taken from the Internet and printed on newspapers and magazines that mirror the design of legitimate publications.
First-ever misinformation news-stand opened in New York
All bar three of the websites have been taken down, although it is not clear who dismantled the network, when or why, said Zaidenberg, who previously tracked online influence campaigns for Israel's elite 8200 intelligence unit.
But the sites which are still online, as well as archived copies of those which are now disabled, provide an insight into the network's operations and aims -- to undermine the official Saudi version of events and spread confusion around its government.
"Saudi Arabia is considered to be one of the main powers in the Middle East. Accordingly, many operators of fake news infrastructure target the Saudi Arabian audience with increasing frequency," Zaidenberg said, adding that a perpetrator could not be identified at this stage.
Web-hosting and support companies Hetzner, GoDaddy and Cloudflare all declined to give any information about the websites' operator, citing client confidentiality.