File photo: A Saudi flag flutters atop Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul
Saudi Arabia's cultivated efforts to create warm relations between Riyadh and Washington is being tested amid the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, The Washington Post reported Monday.
The "sophisticated Saudi influence machine" had used its wealth to funnel millions of dollars into the pockets of think tanks, law firms, consultants and defense contractors.
Saudi Arabia spent $27.3 million on lobbying efforts in the U.S. in 2017, a large increase from the $7.7 million spent in 2016, according to the newspaper.
The country also used flattery and friendliness to bring top U.S. influencers to the table, by hosting lavish galas and dinners, as well as offering Super Bowl tickets to Fox News' Bret Baier and CNN's Jake Tapper.
The Post wrote the Saudis increased lobbying efforts after the U.S. government successfully passed the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), which allowed families of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks to sue the government of Saudi Arabia for supporting the attacks.
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Tuesday the kingdom was committed to a thorough and complete investigation to get to the truth behind the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey.Saudi Arabia had sent a team to Turkey for a joint investigation and "uncovered evidence of a murder" in the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, the minister told a news conference in Indonesia during a state visit."We expressed commitment ... to see to it that the investigation is thorough and complete and the truth is revealed and those responsible will be held to account," al-Jubeir said at the joint news conference with his Indonesian counterpart.Turkey says will enlighten 'nefarious murder' of Khashoggi"We will see to it ... that procedures and mechanisms are put in place to ensure that something like this can never happen again," he said.Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and critic of the Saudi government, disappeared after he entered the consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 to obtain documents for his marriage.Saudi Arabia initially denied knowledge of his fate before saying he had been killed in a fight in the consulate, an explanation that has drawn international scepticism.US in 'fact-finding phase' on Khashoggi: KushnerU.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler on Sunday, but said he was still not satisfied with what he had heard about the killing.Foreign Minister al-Jubeir said 18 people had been detained and six senior government officials had already been dismissed as a result of the investigation.On Monday, al-Jubeir met Indonesian President Joko Widodo who called for a "transparent and thorough" investigation of the killing. French foreign minister says killing of Saudi journalist grave crime
Saudi foreign minister pledges full probe into Khashoggi killing
"Military veterans were recruited by Saudi consultants to come to Washington to tell Congress the measure could open them up to potential litigation," the Post wrote.
Lobbying efforts led to the failure of a bill introduced in Congress which sought to end U.S. support for the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen that has led to what the UN calls "the worst humanitarian crisis in the world."
"During the seven weeks leading up to the crown prince’s visit and Yemen resolution vote, lobbyists reported 759 contacts with members of Congress, staffers, academics and reporters on behalf of the Saudi government, according to public records," the Post wrote.
The oil-rich kingdom, along with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), also invested in prominent think tanks, giving grants to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the Brookings Institution and the Middle East Institute (MEI).
Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post, was last seen at 1:14 p.m. (1014GMT) on Oct. 2, when he entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.After days of denying to know his whereabouts, Saudi Arabia claimed last week Khashoggi died during a fight inside the consulate.On the day of Khashoggi’s disappearance, 15 other Saudis, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and visited the consulate while he was still inside, according to Turkish police sources. All of the identified individuals have since left Turkey.A joint Turkish-Saudi team completed an investigation into the case on Thursday after searching the residence of the consul general as well as the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.CIA Director on way to Turkey for Khashoggi caseJoint statement from UK, Germany, FranceThe U.K., France and Germany on Sunday condemned the killing of Khashoggi in a joint statement.The statement by British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and his French and German counterparts Jean-Yves Le Drian and Heiko Maas, respectively said the “violent death” of Khashoggi, within the premises of the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul had been feared for many days but its confirmation still comes as a “shock”.“Nothing can justify this killing and we condemn it in the strongest possible terms,” it said.“Yet there remains an urgent need for clarification of exactly what happened on Oct. 2 -- beyond the hypotheses that have been raised so far in the Saudi investigation, which need to be backed by facts to be considered credible,” the statement read.Germany stops arms exports to Saudi ArabiaGermany announced on Sunday that it would stop arms exports to Saudi Arabia amid doubts over Riyadh’s explanation on the killing of Khashoggi.Chancellor Angela Merkel demanded urgent clarification on Khashoggi’s killing, saying: “As far as arms exports are concerned, those can’t take place in the current conditions."Separately, in a joint statement on Saturday, Merkel and Foreign Minister Maas condemned the killing and said Riyadh’s explanation on circumstances surrounding Khashoggi’s death was not sufficient.“We expect from Saudi Arabia to be transparent about the real circumstances surrounding Khashoggi’s death and its background. Those responsible must be brought to justice,” they stressed.‘No reason’ for month delay in Khashoggi probe: TrumpWorld's reactionA senior British Cabinet minister said Sunday that Saudi Arabia's explanation of journalist Jamal Khashoggi's death in their consulate in Istanbul was not credible."I don't think it's credible," Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab said, speaking to BBC. He said there was a "serious question mark over the account that has been given".New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker in a joint statement on Sunday said: "The New Zealand government continues to condemn in the strongest possible terms the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi operatives."“The killing by government operatives is deeply disturbing. Many questions remain unanswered,” Peters said.Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison also condemned the killing of the Saudi journalist. “We deplore the killing of Jamal Khashoggi...We expect the Saudi government to cooperate fully with Turkish authorities regarding the investigation of this matter," he said.The Australian government has also announced it was no longer “appropriate” to attend next week’s Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh.Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland in a statement on Saturday criticized Saudi Arabia's explanation regarding the killing of Khashoggi.“The explanations offered to date lack consistency and credibility,” she said.Spanish Foreign Ministry on Saturday said those who were responsible for the death of Khashoggi have to be brought to justice.Dutch Prime Mnister Mark Rutte on Saturday called for further investigation into the incident, saying: "Thorough investigation is necessary."French Foreign Ministry on Saturday “strongly” condemned the killing of Khashoggi, saying: "Verifying that Khashoggi was killed is the first step towards revealing the truth. Many questions are still unanswered."Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said on Saturday that all the facts about the murder of Saudi journalist have not yet been revealed.“The fact that the Saudis last night confirmed that he died, after previously insisting he left the consulate alive, shows that we haven’t been told the full truth," Rasmussen told state broadcaster DR.U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters he thinks Saudi Arabia's explanation was credible, adding he did not think he has been lied to during conversations with Saudi Arabia's senior leaders.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Trump in a Sunday's phone conversation agreed that the Khashoggi case need to be cleared up with all aspects. Reactions from UN, EUUN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "deeply troubled" by the confirmed death of Khashoggi.Guterres stressed on "the need for a prompt, thorough and transparent investigation into the circumstances of Mr. Khashoggi’s death and full accountability for those responsible," said a UN statement.The EU on Saturday stressed on the need for continued “thorough, credible and transparent” investigation into Khashoggi’s killing.“European Union, like its partners, insists on the need for continued thorough, credible and transparent investigation, shedding proper clarity on the circumstances of the killing and ensuring full accountability of all those responsible for it,” said a statement by the High Representative Federica Mogherini on behalf of the EU.European Parliament President Antonio Tajani said Saturday that an international investigation is urgently needed to examine evidence and clarify circumstances surrounding the death of Khashoggi."Rigorous, international investigation urgently needed to examine evidence, clarify circumstances surrounding death of Jamal Khashoggi," Tajani said in a tweet.The Reporters without Borders (RSF) also on Saturday called for an international pressure to bring to light all aspects of the incident.“After the recognition of #Khashoggi’s death, we expect a determined, constant and powerful pressure to be kept on #Saudi_Arabia in order to get the whole truth on the case and the release of Saudi Arabian journalists that have been condemned to crazy and horrible sentences,” wrote Christophe Deloire, secretary-general of RSF, on Twitter.Amnesty International on Saturday said an independent investigation into the Khashoggi's death was urgently needed."We are shocked and saddened by the dreadful news confirming the death of Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi Consulate. The investigation findings by the Saudi authorities claiming that Khashoggi died as a result of a “fist-fight” inside the consulate are not trustworthy and marks an abysmal new low to Saudi Arabia’s human rights record," Samah Hadid, Amnesty International’s Middle East director of campaigns, said in a statement.Turkey to reveal Khashoggi issueErdogan has twice spoken over the phone to Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz about Khashoggi since his disapperance.The Turkish president on Sunday said he will make a statement on the killing of Khashoggi on Tuesday."On this issue [Khashoggi’s killing], I will make statements hopefully on Tuesday during the [ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party’s weekly] group meeting," Erdogan said at the opening ceremony of the driverless metro line on the Asian side of Istanbul."Why did these 15 people come here [in Istanbul], why were 18 people arrested [in Saudi Arabia]? These need to be explained in detail," he added.AK Party spokesman Omer Celik said Saturday that Turkey will get to the bottom of the killing of Khashoggi."Turkey will uncover whatever happened. No one should have doubts about that," Celik told reporters in Istanbul.Eyes on Saudi officials' remarksSaudi Minister of Justice Walid bin Mohammed al-Samaani said investigation will take time and it was not certain when it will end.Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir on Sunday claimed Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul and the crown prince was "not aware" of it.“The Crown Prince [Mohammed bin Salman] has denied this, he is not aware of this. This was an operation that was a rogue operation,” al-Jubeir told Fox News.He also said that they did not know the details of the killing, and "where the body is".
World not satisfied with Saudi explanation on Khashoggi
The MEI received between $1.25 million and $4 million from the Saudis in 2016 - 2017, and also received $20 million from the UAE in 2016, the newspaper reported.
However, all three think tanks have said they are in the process of reconsidering the grants due to the "global condemnation" of the killing of Khashoggi, according to the Post.
After denying knowledge of Khashoggi's whereabouts for two weeks, Saudi Arabia on Saturday admitted the Post columnist was killed during a fight inside its Istanbul Consulate on Oct. 2.
The CSIS reportedly said it would not continue a $900,000 grant from the Saudi government, and Brookings Institute said it was closing a six-figure research granted given by the Saudis.
"For think tanks, as well as universities and museums, taking Saudi money is going to leave a stain for some time to come,” Daniel Benjamin, director of the John Sloan Dickey Center at Dartmouth University, told the Post.