Slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi
Slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi was about to disclose some detailed information about Saudi Arabia’s use of chemical weapons in Yemen and the U.K. had been made aware of a planned plot against him weeks before he was killed in the Saudi Consulate building in Istanbul, a British tabloid claimed on Sunday.
The Sunday Express also said in its report based on unnamed security sources that “a member of the royal circle” ordered the abduction of Khashoggi.
Claiming that a British intelligence source spoke to them over the weekend, the tabloid’s report penned by diplomatic editor Marco Giannangeli, said the U.K.’s intelligence services “were initially made aware that something was going in the first week of September, around three weeks before Mr Khashoggi walked into the consulate on October 2, though it took more time for other details to emerge".
“These details included primary orders to capture Mr Khashoggi and bring him back to Saudi Arabia for questioning. However, the door seemed to be left open for alternative remedies to what was seen as a big problem,” the source told the tabloid based on information from the British Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ).
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Sunday that he had met Saudi Arabia's foreign minister and called for a transparent investigation into the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.Washington Post columnist Khashoggi's murder has escalated into a crisis for the world’s top oil exporter as Saudi Arabia's allies have reacted with outrage.Mattis said he met Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir during a conference in Bahrain on Saturday and discussed the killing."We discussed it. You know the same thing we talked about, the need for transparency, full and complete investigation," Mattis told a small group of reporters travelling to Prague with him."(There was) full agreement from foreign minister Jubeir, no reservations at all, he said we need to know what happened and it was very collaborative, in agreement," Mattis added.U.S. President Donald Trump has said he wants to get to the bottom of the case, while also highlighting Riyadh's role as an ally against Tehran and Islamist militants, as well as a major purchaser of U.S. arms.Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor has said Khashoggi's killing was premeditated, contradicting a previous official statement that it happened accidentally during a tussle in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.On Saturday, Jubeir told a security summit in Bahrain that Riyadh's relations with the United States were "ironclad" amid what he described as "media hysteria" over the killing of Khashoggi.At the same conference, Mattis had sharp words for Saudi Arabia, saying that the killing undermined Middle Eastern stability and that Washington would take additional measures against those responsible.Earlier this month U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met the Saudi king and crown prince to discuss the issue.Washington has already announced moves against 21 Saudis to either revoke their visas or make them ineligible for U.S. visas after the Khashoggi killing.Asked whether the U.S. would limit its support to the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, Mattis said on Sunday: "We'll continue to support the defense of the kingdom."Saudi Arabia is leading a Western-backed alliance of Sunni Muslim Arab states trying to restore the internationally recognised government of Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, ousted from the capital Sanaa by the Iran-aligned Houthis in 2015.The United States and other Western powers provide arms, refueling and intelligence to the alliance.Germany has vowed to halt all German arms exports to Saudi Arabia until the killing of Khashoggi is explained.Khashoggi murder has ‘tragic impact’ on Arabs: HoweidySaudi Arabia says it is beacon of 'light' against Iran despite Khashoggi crisisPittsburgh synagogue gunman a "coward"Mattis also said the gunman who stormed a Pittsburgh synagogue and killed 11 worshippers was a coward and the "poorest excuse for a man you could ever come up with.""If there is one person responsible, this individual, I won't even call him a man, he was (the) poorest excuse for a man you could ever come up with, who would use a weapon in a house of worship on unarmed innocent people," Mattis told a group of reporters travelling with him to Prague."This is a coward and he is not a man by any definition that we use in the Department of Defense," he said.Robert Bowers, 46, of Pittsburgh, was taken into custody after a shootout with a SWAT team on Saturday. Federal prosecutors charged him with 29 criminal counts including violence and firearms offences, and violating U.S. civil rights laws."That is tough, on the neighborhood, on the members of that synagogue, on all of us who believe in freedom of religion, it is one of our most fundamental rights that our country was founded on," Mattis said.Earlier, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said federal prosecutors could seek the death penalty.Erdoğan condemns synagogue attack in USMattis said Khashoggi’s murder undermines Mideast stabilitySuspects detained in Khashoggi case to be prosecuted in Saudi Arabia
In talks with Saudi minister, Mattis calls for transparent investigation in Khashoggi killing
“We know the orders came from a member of the royal circle but have no direct information to link them to Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman,” the article further quoted the source as saying.
"Whether this meant he was not the original issuer we cannot say,” it added.
The article also claimed that the unnamed source confirmed that MI6 -- British Secret Intelligence Service -- had warned Saudi Arabian counterparts to cancel the mission but this request was ignored.
“On October 1 we became aware of the movement of a group, which included members of Ri'asat Al-Istikhbarat Al-Amah (GID) to Istanbul, and it was pretty clear what their aim was,” the intelligence source told the tabloid.
“Through channels we warned that this was not a good idea. Subsequent events show that our warning was ignored.”
When asked why MI6 did not alert its intelligence partner the U.S., the source said “a decision was taken that we’d done what we could".
After days of denying any knowledge of his whereabouts, Saudi officials last week admitted that the journalist had been killed inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
The murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi will have “tragic ramifications” for the Arab world, prominent Egyptian journalist Fahmy Howeidy has warned.“Khashoggi’s killing will have tragic ramifications for the Arab world, atop of which comes Saudi Arabia,” he told Deutsche Welle in an interview.Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post, had gone missing since entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.After weeks of denying any knowledge of his whereabouts, Saudi officials last week admitted that Khashoggi had died inside the consulate building.In hopes of defusing the international furor over the journalist’s demise, Saudi King Salman sacked the deputy head of the Saudi intelligence agency and a top aide, while also ordering the arrest of 18 individuals suspected of involvement in the case.Howeidy believes that Khashoggi’s murder “will cause a rift” among allies of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.“In case bin Salman is sacked, this will create a crisis for other allies,” he said.The veteran journalist said he “is confident Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed is not sleeping in the night these days and is closely following what will happen to his friend (bin Salman)”.Howeidy sees that the position of the international community has changed regarding the Khashoggi case.“U.S. President Donald Trump is talking that sanctions may be imposed on Saudi Arabia,” he said.Turkish police have been investigating the Khashoggi’s murder. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said 18 suspects arrested in Saudi Arabia over the killing should be extradited to Turkey to face the trial.Mattis to stress US-Mideast security ties amid Khashoggi strainsKhashoggi's fiancee says journalist was 'worried' before entering Saudi consulateTurkish FM discusses Khashoggi case with Saudi counterpart
Khashoggi murder has ‘tragic impact’ on Arabs: Howeidy
Chemical weapons in Yemen
The article by The Sunday Express also claimed that Khashoggi was about to obtain “documentary evidence” proving claims that Saudi Arabia had used chemical weapons in its proxy war in Yemen, quoting an unnamed friend of Khashoggi.
“I met him a week before his death,” Khashoggi’s friend, who the paper said was a Middle Eastern academic who wished to remain anonymous, was quoted to have said.
“He was unhappy and he was worried,“ he said.
He said: “When I asked him why he was worried, he didn't really want to reply, but eventually he told me he was getting proof that Saudi Arabia had used chemical weapons.
Saudi Arabia and key ally Bahrain said on Saturday that Gulf states are playing a critical role in maintaining stability in the Middle East by combating Iran's "vision of darkness", as Riyadh faces its worst political crisis in decades.Saudi Arabia is the lynchpin of a U.S.-backed regional bloc against growing Iranian influence in the Middle East but the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at its consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2. has prompted a global outcry and strained Riyadh's ties with the West."We are now dealing with two visions in the Middle East. One is a (Saudi) vision of light ... One is a (Iranian) vision of darkness which seeks to spread sectarianism throughout the region," Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told a security summit in Bahrain."History tells us that light always wins out against the dark ... The question is how do we defeat them."U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Saturday that the killing of Khashoggi, a prominent critic of Saudi policy, undermined regional stability and that Washington would take additional measures against those responsible after announcing visa bans on 21 suspects in the case."Failure of any one nation to adhere to international norms and the rule of law undermines regional stability at a time when it is needed most," Mattis told a separate session of the annual Manama Dialogue security conference.The long-planned event has been the focus of greater scrutiny this year after the killing of Khashoggi, with Jubeir questioned about how the case would affect Saudi Arabia's credibility on foreign policy and security matters.He reiterated that Riyadh would bring to justice those responsible for Khashoggi's death, saying they would be prosecuted in the kingdom, a day after Turkey demanded the extradition of 18 Saudis suspected of involvement in his murder.Jubeir said ties between Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, and the United States are "ironclad" and praised what he described as the "rational, realistic" foreign policy of the current U.S. administration.President Donald Trump has said he wants to get to the bottom of the Khashoggi case, while also highlighting Riyadh's role as an ally against Iran and Islamist militants, as well as a major purchaser of U.S. arms.Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Muslim Iran, which was not represented in the Manama conference agenda, have long been locked in a proxy war, competing for regional supremacy from Iraq to Syria and Lebanon to Yemen.Trump, who in May withdraw the United States from a 2015 international nuclear accord with Tehran, has strongly backed Saudi Arabia in its efforts to counter Iran's influence. The next wave of U.S. sanctions against Iran are due to come into effect on Nov 4.Iran, for its part, accuses Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates of funding gunmen who attacked a military parade in Iran last month, killing 25 people, 12 of them members of the elite Revolutionary Guards. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have denied any involvement.The Guards accused them of creating "plots and tensions".Turkey is a ‘friendly country’: Saudi foreign ministerSecurity AllianceBahrain's foreign minister, Shiekh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, told the conference the Gulf bloc would remain a "pillar" of regional security and that a proposed security alliance grouping the United States, Gulf states, Jordan and Egypt would be activated next year.The Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA) is meant to serve as a bulwark against Iran and extremism, Washington says. But there has been uncertainty about how it can get off the ground given a protracted dispute between Qatar and four Arab states led by Saudi Arabia who launched a boycott of Doha in 2017.Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut off travel and trade ties with Qatar in June 2017, accusing it of backing their archrival, Iran, and supporting terrorism. Qatar denies the charges and says the boycott impinges on its sovereignty.Mattis said that it was important to end the 16-month-old Arab dispute with Qatar that analysts say has weakened regional coordination against Iran.Jubeir said recent discussions in Saudi Arabia about a framework for MESA included Qatari officials and that the proposed alliance would not be affected by the diplomatic row."It (MESA) is an alliance for security and prosperity for the region and will be open to those who accept its principles," Sheikh Khalid said, adding that the alliance would also cooperate on economic issues.Gulf Arab foreign ministers also touched on Middle East peace initiatives, with Sheikh Khalifa lauding efforts by Oman, which hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday in a rare visit.Oman's foreign minister, Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, told the forum that Muscat was offering ideas to help Israel and the Palestinians to come together but was not acting as mediator.Mattis to stress US-Mideast security ties amid Khashoggi strainsMattis: US to take additional measures against those behind Khashoggi killingMattis said Khashoggi’s murder undermines Mideast stabilityMattis says in close contact with European allies on INF treaty
Saudi Arabia says it is beacon of 'light' against Iran despite Khashoggi crisis
“He [Khashoggi] said he hoped he be getting documentary evidence.
“All I can tell you is that the next thing I heard, he was missing.”
“Last month it was claimed that Saudi Arabia had been using US-supplied white phosphorous munitions against troops and even civilians in Yemen,” the article said.
“Though regulations state the chemical may be used to provide smokescreens, if used illegally it can it burn to the bone,” it said.
The Sunday Express also quoted a chemical warfare expert, Col. Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, as saying that “nothing is as effective as chemical weapons in clearing urban areas of troops and civilians -- Assad has used phosphorous for this very reason.”
“If Khashoggi did, in fact, have proof that Saudi Arabia was deliberately misusing phosphorous for this purpose, it would be highly embarrassing for the regime and provides the nearest motive yet as to why Riyadh may have acted when they did against him,” he said.
The murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi undermines stability in the Middle East region, U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis said Saturday.“With our collective interests in peace and unwavering respect for human rights in mind, the murder of Jamal Khashoggi in a diplomatic facility must concern us all,” Mattis said in remarks to the annual Manama Dialogue security conference in Bahrain.“Failure of any one nation to adhere to international norms and the rule of law undermines regional stability at a time when it is needed most," Mattis said.Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and columnist for The Washington Post, had gone missing since entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.After weeks of denying any knowledge of his whereabouts, Saudi officials last week admitted that Khashoggi had died inside the consulate building.Turkish police have been investigating the Khashoggi’s murder. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said 18 suspects arrested in Saudi Arabia over the killing should be extradited to Turkey to face the trial.Mattis said he will continue to consult with U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to consider the implications of the Khashoggi issue.He said that the U.S. State Department plans to take "further action in response to the killing".As for relations with Saudi Arabia, Mattis said the U.S. respect for the Saudi people was "undiminished", stressing that respect "must come with transparency and trust."Mattis to stress US-Mideast security ties amid Khashoggi strains
Mattis said Khashoggi’s murder undermines Mideast stability