U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Saudi Arabia deposited $100 million into American accounts on Tuesday, the same day U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo touched down in Riyadh to discuss the disappearance of missing journalist Jamal Khashogi with the Saudi king, crown prince and foreign minister.
The funds were allegedly part of financing pledged in August by Riyadh to the Trump administration for efforts to stabilize Syrian territories liberated from Daesh. “It was unclear when it would show up, if at all, until it suddenly landed in American accounts on Tuesday,” The New York Times reported.
“The timing of this is no coincidence,” an American official involved in Syria policy told The New York Times.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on Wednesday, again offered U.S. assistance in Turkey's investigation into the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the U.S. State Department said."The Secretary also expressed the United States' concern over Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance," the department said in a statement following their meeting. Video: President Erdoğan, US’ Pompeo meet in Ankara'Prince Salman can't quash murder probe': Wasington Post columnUAE Crown Prince Zayed’s army of assassinsChinese daily slams approach of US over Khashoggi caseTurkey hopes to enter Saudi consul’s residence on Wednesday: FMUS senator blasts Trump over Khashoggi case
Pompeo tells Erdoğan US willing to aid Khashoggi probe
The alignment of the transfer and Pompeo’s arrival in Riyadh has raised questions. The top diplomat was in Saudi Arabia to discuss Khashoggi’s disappearance, a matter that has heightened tensions between Riyadh and many of its allies.
Claims have emerged that Riyadh is preparing a report acknowledging Khashoggi was killed as the result of an interrogation that went wrong. In an earlier article, the New York Times, citing a person familiar with Saudi plans, reported that the Saudi government would blame an intelligence official for a bungled operation.
Blaming Khashoggi's case on mistakes by lower-level personnel would allow the Saudi government to say it never sanctioned his disappearance, and could help to reduce international outrage over the affair, a banker in the Gulf said.
Whitewashing the disappearance and possible killing of a Saudi journalist “won’t be easy,” even for the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, wrote a Washington Post columnist Wednesday.“Putting a lid on a murder investigation won’t be easy, even for the brashly confident crown prince,” wrote Post columnist David Ignatius in "MBS’s rampaging anger will not silence questions about Jamal Khashoggi," a piece harshly critical of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, called MBS in the piece.Khashoggi, also a columnist for the Washington Post, is feared killed at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul after he entered on Oct. 2 and was never seen exiting.Chinese daily slams approach of US over Khashoggi caseAs the “brave journalist” Khashoggi entered the consulate, he also started a “catastrophic process” which put Salman’s “own future in question,” wrote Ignatius.“Surrounded by yes-men who saw suppressing dissent as part of a media war, and rattled by the reversal of his dreams for economic reform, MBS moved toward the fateful moment when Khashoggi entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul,” he wrote.“The darkening mood inside MBS’s palace in recent months shows a crown prince facing economic pressure and tightening his circle of advisers,” Ignatius added.Turkey hopes to enter Saudi consul’s residence on Wednesday: FMSaud al-Qahtani, Salman’s media advisor, is also increasingly his “consigliere in the kingdom’s battles with foreign adversaries such as Qatar and Iran as well as domestic critics.”“U.S. officials believe that, in addition to seeking dominance in social media, Qahtani and other advisers have helped MBS use the latest and most aggressive hacking techniques against adversaries,” he said, adding that Qahtani urged Saudi to report “enemies of the kingdom” on his Twitter account, which has 1.3 million followers.“MBS’s tight inner circle has helped him push modernization efforts, such as reducing the power of the religious police, allowing women to drive and opening movie theaters and other public entertainment. But his team of palace advisers has often amplified, rather than challenged, the crown prince’s worst impulses,” he said.US senator blasts Trump over Khashoggi caseThe crown prince “went into a funk for several days after learning of Khashoggi’s death before re-emerging on a rampage of anger around what happened and trying to figure out a response," Ignatius said, citing an anonymous “knowledgeable source.”On Monday, Turkish and Saudi officials searched the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul after the start of a joint probe into the disappearance.Saudi authorities have yet to give a clear explanation of what happened to Khashoggi, while several countries -- particularly Turkey, the U.S., and the U.K. -- are pressing for the mystery to be cleared up as soon as possible.Israel using Saudi statements on Khashoggi: OfficialFive Khashoggi suspects linked to crown prince: NY TimesRecordings reveal Khashoggi tortured then dismembered while still alive
Prince Salman can't quash murder probe: Wasington Post column
U.S. backing of such a conclusion would help shield Saudi Arabia from the fallout of such an acknowledgement.
“The specific transfer of funds has been long in process and has nothing to do with other events or the secretary’s visit,” Brett McGurk, the United States envoy to the coalition fighting Daesh said, dismissing claims that the visit is connected to the money transfer.
Combined with another $50 million from the UAE, the Saudi funding will enable U.S. presence in Syria to continue without dipping into Washington’s own pocket.
“The funds will be used by USAID and the State Department for a variety of programs, including infrastructure repairs and provision of health, education and sanitation services,” The New York Times reported.
Some of America’s most highly trained soldiers hired by Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed have worked on mercenary missions to kill prominent leaders as well as politicians in the Middle East, according to a BuzzFeed News report.According to reports, United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, also known as MBZ, hired the Delaware-based U.S. mercenary company Spear Operations Group to kill particularly Yemeni leaders, including clerics, politicians, and religious figures.Investigative U.S. journalist Aram Roston, who focuses on reporting about military contracting, published a long list of United Arab Emirates-led assassinations and revealed the photos of the murder squad.Some of the hitmen are said to be a former U.S. Green Berets, former Navy SEALs, a former worker for the CIA’s “ground branch,” and a Special Forces sergeant in the Maryland Army National Guard.Mohammed Dahlan is the mediator Mohammed Dahlan, the former security chief for the Palestinian Authority who is also known as the “hitman” of the Middle East, was the main mediator between the UAE government and the assassination squad. He first called former U.S. Navy SEAL Isaac Gilmore and Abraham Golan to gather at a lunch meeting at a military base in the UAE’s second most populous city of Abu Dhabi, in 2015.Golan and Gilmore received $1.5 million per month in salary and bonuses, the amount of which they refused to reveal, for successfully assassinating their targets.They also said that the deal included training UAE soldiers in commando tactics.UAE’s targeted assassination program“There was a targeted assassination program in Yemen,” said Abraham Golan, the head of Spear Operations Group, who confessed the crime, but did not specify all the names on the murder list, adding: “I was running it. We did it. It was sanctioned by the UAE within the coalition.”Abraham Golan is a Hungarian Israeli who lives near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Zayed’s target cardsThe target list of the UAE crown prince was handed to the hit squad with business cards, featuring names, photos, phone numbers, company names and titles.Gilmore stressed MBZ’s own interest and said, “There is the possibility that the target would be someone who MBZ doesn’t like” and the article further stated that “some of the targets may have been people who merely fell out of favor with the ruling family.”The U.S. Department of Defense has approved to the UAE at least $27 billion in arms sales and defense services since 2009.
UAE Crown Prince Zayed’s army of assassins
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said he hopes that the residence of Saudi Arabia's consul general will be searched on Wednesday."The search of the Saudi consul general residence did not happen on Tuesday due to claims of the family's presence, but the team hopes to enter today," Çavuşoğlu said.Following permission for a search of the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkish and Saudi officials are to search the residence of the Saudi consul concerning the case of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi.Spain 'concerned' on case of missing Saudi journalistAmid the ongoing investigation of Khashoggi however, Saudi Arabia's Consul General in Istanbul Mohammad al-Otaibi left Turkey for Riyadh on Tuesday.Khashoggi has long been feared killed at the consulate after he entered the Saudi Consulate building in Istanbul on Oct. 2 and was never seen exiting.On the same day, 15 other Saudis, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and visited the consulate while Khashoggi was still inside, Turkish police sources said. All of the identified individuals have since left Turkey.Five Khashoggi suspects linked to crown prince: NY TimesRecordings reveal Khashoggi tortured then dismembered while still aliveTurkey, U.S. are “on the same page on lifting sanctions”Speaking from the airport in Ankara, Çavuşoğlu said talks with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo were "beneficial and fruitful." Pompeo was on a brief visit to Turkey after having met with the Saudi king, crown prince and foreign minister in Riyadh on Tuesday.Çavuşoğlu said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told Pompeo Turkey could easily clear northern Syria's Manbij of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) if Washington failed to do so.The YPG is the armed wing of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), which is the Syrian offshoot of the PKK. The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union and the United States.MoU between Turkey, Russia on Idlib ‘being implemented’The foreign minister added that the U.S. “accepts there is a delay in implementing the Manbij roadmap.”The Manbij deal between Turkey and the U.S. focuses on the withdrawal of YPG/PKK terrorists from the city to stabilize the region, which is in the northeast of Aleppo province in northern Syria.Çavuşoğlu said Turkey and the U.S. “are on same page regarding the lifting of sanctions and other related matters.”US continues to arm PKK terrorists in Syria under the pretext of fighting Daesh
Turkey hopes to enter Saudi consul’s residence on Wednesday: FM
A prominent U.S. senator has blasted U.S. President Donald Trump’s approach to the disappearance of a Saudi journalist, suggesting he may be thinking more about his wallet than solving the case."The Saudis bailed out Donald Trump’s failed businesses for years. How much money did he take?” Senator Elizabeth Warren, a likely Democratic Party challenger to Trump seeking a second term, said on Twitter late Tuesday.“What's the going rate to get the President to act as a mouthpiece for a Saudi king? Trump should release his tax returns so we can find out," she added.Spain 'concerned' on case of missing Saudi journalistTrump has suggested that “rogue killers” may be responsible for the presumed death of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist who went missing after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2. On the same day Khashoggi disappeared, 15 other Saudis, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and visited the building while was also inside, according to Turkish police sources. All of the identified individuals have since left Turkey.A joint Turkish-Saudi team has been investigating the disappearance, including through a search of the consulate with Saudi permission.Five Khashoggi suspects linked to crown prince: NY TimesTrump gives Saudi Arabia benefit of doubt in journalist's disappearance'Khashoggi case not only global matter, also a test for Turkish judiciary'Recordings reveal Khashoggi tortured then dismembered while still alive
US senator blasts Trump over Khashoggi case
Some of the suspects identified by Turkey in the disappearance of a Saudi journalist in Istanbul had ties to Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, according to a New York Times report on the case."The New York Times has confirmed independently that at least nine of 15 suspects identified by Turkish authorities worked for the Saudi security services, military or other government ministries," the newspaper reported late Tuesday, referring to the case of Jamal Khashoggi, who disappeared after entering the the Saudi Consulate on Oct. 2.The Times has frequently cited "Turkish officials" supposedly giving details of the case, but without giving any names.Trump gives Saudi Arabia benefit of doubt in journalist's disappearanceIt stated that one of the suspects was a “frequent companion” of Salman who was alongside the crown prince during visits to Paris, Madrid, Houston, Boston, and the UN, publishing photos showing the suspect in Salman’s entourage.Three other suspects were part of Salman’s security detail, said the story.A fifth suspect was said to be a forensic science expert holding a senior position in the Saudi Interior Ministry and country's medical institutes.President Erdoğan, US’ Pompeo meet in AnkaraUnclear fateKhashoggi is feared killed after he entered the consulate and was never seen exiting.On that same day, 15 Saudis, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and visited the building while Khashoggi was still inside, Turkish 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 pressed for the matter to be cleared up as soon as possible.'Khashoggi case not only global matter, also a test for Turkish judiciary'"Turkish officials have said they possess evidence that the 15 Saudi agents flew into Istanbul on Oct. 2, assassinated Mr. Khashoggi, dismembered his body with a bone saw they had brought for the purpose, and flew out the same day,” reported the Times, without giving the names of the officials reportedly cited.“Records show that two private jets chartered by a Saudi company with close ties to the Saudi crown prince and Interior Ministry arrived and left Istanbul on the day of Mr. Khashoggi’s disappearance," the story added.Five reported suspectsFive suspects linked to Khashoggi’s disappearance were named in the Times story.Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, one of the suspects, was a diplomat in the Saudi Embassy in London and has travelled frequently with the crown prince, perhaps as a bodyguard, said the Times.Recordings reveal Khashoggi tortured then dismembered while still aliveAbdulaziz Mohammed al-Hawsawi, said to work on Salman’s security team and for the Saudi royal family, was identified as a second suspect.A third suspect was said to be Thaar Ghaleb al-Harbi, who was promoted last year to lieutenant in the Saudi royal guard for his bravery in the defense of Mohammed’s palace in Jeddah.A fourth suspect, Muhammed Saad Alzahrani, was another member of the royal guard.Rounding out the suspects was Salah al-Tubaigy, a forensic doctor and reported autopsy expert.Europe may need to change Saudi policies over Khashoggi case: Merkel ally
Five Khashoggi suspects linked to crown prince: NY Times