Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman can be seen with Muhammed Saad H. Alzahrani and Thaar Ghaleb T. Alharbi in the background.
The links between the 15-man squad that arrived on two planes and entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul while journalist Jamal Khashoggi was inside and the royal Saudi family and military have been exposed.
Jamal Khashoggi was last seen a week ago entering the consulate in Istanbul to obtain documents related to his forthcoming marriage. His fiancée, waiting outside, said he never emerged and Turkish sources said they believe that Khashoggi, a prominent critic of Saudi policies, was killed inside the mission.
Muhammed Saad H. Alzahrani, who is one of Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s close guards, was a part of the squad. Alzahrani touched down in Turkey at 4:29 p.m. local time (1329GMT) on a charter plane. He stayed at the Wyndham Grand Hotel and left the country on a private jet which belonged to Sky Prime Aviation company at 9:44 p.m. local time (1844GMT).
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Thursday that the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi was extremely troubling and went against the spirit of the reforms advocated by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.Khashoggi was last seen on Oct. 2 entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to get documents for his forthcoming marriage. His fiancée, waiting outside, said he never emerged and Turkish sources said they believe Khashoggi was killed in the building."There is no doubt at all as the American administration and the British government have made clear this is an extremely troubling situation," Blair said at a Reuters Newsmaker in London."I know the Saudi government have issued a very strong denial, but the thing has to be properly investigated and explained," Blair said."This issue has to be resolved because otherwise it runs completely contrary to that process of modernisation."Missing Saudi journalist dismembered with bone saw: NYT US senators call for probe over missing Saudi columnistTrump discusses Khashoggi with senior Saudi leaderEx-US energy secretary suspends role in Saudi projectSaudi prince allegedly sought to lure Khashoggi
Former UK PM Blair says the disappearance of Saudi journalist is extremely troubling
Thaar Ghaleb T. Alharbi, who is also one of Salman’s guards, was also a part of the squad. Alharbi arrived at the Istanbul Atatürk Airport on a private jet which belonged to the Sky Prime Aviation company. He entered the country at 3:41 a.m. local time (0041GMT) and stayed at the Mövenpick Hotel. He left the country at 5:44 p.m. (1444GMT) on a private jet.
Alzahrani and Alharbi can be seen in a picture standing close to Salman during a ceremony.
Mansur Othman M. Abahussain is a lieutenant colonel in the Saudi army, and his specialization is civilian protection. Abahussain arrived at Atatürk Airport on a charter plane. He entered the country at 4:13 p.m. local time (1313GMT) and stayed at the Wyndham Grand Hotel. He left the country at 9:45 p.m. (1845GMT) local time.
Maher Abdulaziz M. Mutreb is also a member of the Saudi army. He arrived on a private jet at Atatürk Airport, and passed through passport control at 03:38 a.m. (0038GMT). He stayed at the Mövenpick Hotel during his visit and left the country at 05:49 p.m. (1449GMT).
Naif Hassan S. Alarifi, who is an officer of the Saudi army, landed at Atatürk Airport on a charter plane. He entered the country at 4:12 p.m. local time (1312GMT) and stayed at the Wyndham Grand Hotel. He left the country at 9:45 p.m. local time (1845GMT) on a private jet which belonged to Sky Prime Aviation company.
Waleed Abdullah M. Alsehri, who is a military officer of the Saudi Air Forces, landed at Atatürk Airport on a private jet which belonged to the Sky Prime Aviation company. He entered the country at 3:41 a.m. local time (GMT0041), stayed at the Mövenpick Hotel, and left the country at 5:44 p.m. local time (1444GMT) on a charter plane.
Meshal Saad M. Albostani, who is a lieutenant of the Saudi Air Forces, entered the country at 1:45 a.m. local time (2245GMT). He stayed at the Wyndham Grand Hotel and left the country at 9:46 p.m. local time (1846GMT) on a private jet which belonged to the Sky Prime Aviation company.
Salah Muhammed A. Tubaigy landed at Ataturk Airport on a private jet which belonged to the Sky Prime Aviation company. He entered the country at 3:38 a.m. (0038GMT) local time on Oct. 2, stayed at the Mövenpick Hotel, and left the country at 8:29 p.m. local time (1729GMT) on a private jet. Tubaigy was allegedly heading the team who cleaned up after the alleged murder at the consulate. He is in charge of the Forensic Medicine Institution in Riyadh.
Consulate search deferred
Saudi Arabia on Tuesday invited Turkish experts and relevant officials to visit the consulate, however Turkish authorities were asked on Wednesday to defer the search of the consulate. Once allowed to enter, teams will search the premises with special equipment and chemicals that will reveal whether blood was spilt. However, it must be noted that there are no DNA or blood samples belonging to Khashoggi in Turkey.
New allegations have emerge about Riyadh’s link to the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who went missing a week ago after entering the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, intending to get paperwork that would allow him to marry his Turkish fiancée.According to a senior Turkish official who spoke to The New York Times, the 15-member Saudi intelligence team killed Khashoggi and dismembered his body with a bone saw inside the consulate in Istanbul, on orders from the highest levels of the royal court. “It is like Pulp Fiction,” the official described.The official described the situation in which Mr. Khashoggi was killed within two hours as a “quick and complex” operation.US senators call for probe over missing Saudi columnistTrump discusses Khashoggi with senior Saudi leaderSaudi Special Forces officers, intelligence officials, national guards and a forensics expert, including the head of the Saudi Scientific Council of Forensics Dr. Salah Muhammed al-Tubaigy, were allegedly among the intelligence team, who later smuggled the body out of the country.Khashoggi left Saudi Arabia last year saying he feared retribution for his criticism of Saudi policy over the Yemen war and its crackdown on dissent, and since then wrote columns for the Washington Post newspaper.Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday called on Riyadh to prove its claim that Khashoggi, left the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, while the Washington called on Saudi Arabia to support an investigation into his disappearance.Saudi Arabia has dismissed claims that it killed or abducted Khashoggi as baseless accusations.Ex-US energy secretary suspends role in Saudi projectSaudi prince allegedly sought to lure KhashoggiVideo: Footage shows Saudi journalist walking into consulate before disappearing
Missing Saudi journalist dismembered with bone saw: NYT
Looking for clues
Two senior Turkish officials revealed the existence of an object that may provide important clues to Khashoggi’s fate: the black Apple watch he was wearing when he entered the consulate. The watch was connected to a mobile phone he left outside, they said.
A Saudi source told Reuters that British intelligence believed there had been an attempt to drug Khashoggi inside the consulate that culminated in an overdose. He said the information came from a British intelligence source. Contacted by Reuters, British intelligence did not comment. Asked about this account, a Saudi official said: “This death is not true.”
Khashoggi left Saudi Arabia last year saying he feared retribution for his criticism of Saudi policy over the Yemen war and its crackdown on dissent, and since then wrote columns for the Washington Post newspaper.
Turkey cannot remain silent over the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, President Tayyip Erdoğan said.He added: Turkey is investigating all aspects of the case.Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 to get documents for his forthcoming marriage. Saudi officials say he left shortly afterwards but Turkish officials and his fiancee, who was waiting outside, said he never came out.Erdoğan told reporters on a flight back from Hungary that Turkey is worried about the Khashoggi's disappearance."We are investigating all aspects of the event. It is not possible for us to remain silent regarding such an occurrence, because it is not a common occurrence," he said.He also questioned assertions by Saudi authorities that the consulate does not have footage of Khashoggi leaving the building as the mission's security cameras only provide live footage and do not record images."Is it possible for there to be no camera systems at the Saudi Arabia consulate, where the event took place?," Erdogan said.Fifteen Saudis in journalist Khashoggi’s case identifiedNo proof Khashoggi left Saudi consulate, says fiancéeTrump yet to speak to Saudis about missing journalistTurkey-U.S. deal on Syria's Manbij 'not dead'About Turkey-U.S. deal on Syria's Manbij Erdoğan said:The deal between Turkey and the United States regarding the northern Syrian town of Manbij is delayed "but not completely dead".Turkey and the United States reached a deal in May over Manbij after months of disagreement. Under the deal, the YPG terrorists would withdraw from Manbij and Turkish and U.S. forces would maintain security and stability around the town."There is a delay but (the deal) is not completely dead. U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mattis say they will take concrete steps," Erdogan said.The NATO allies have been carrying out coordinated but independent patrols in the region as part of the deal.On Tuesday, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said that joint training of U.S. and Turkish soldiers for patrols in Manbij had begun.Relations between Turkey and the United States were further strained over the past few months by the trial of U.S. evangelical pastor Andrew Brunson in Turkey on terrorism charges, which he denies.Asked about Brunson's trial, Erdoğan said he was not in a position to interfere with the judiciary."Whatever the judiciary decides on, I have to abide by that decision. Those who are involved with this also need to abide by the judiciary's decision," Erdoğan said.The next session in Brunson's trial will be held on Friday. 
Turkey cannot remain silent over Khashoggi's disappearance, Erdoğan says
Turkish officials know when and where Khashoggi was killed
“We know when Jamal was killed, in which room he was killed and where the body was taken to be dismembered. If the forensic team are allowed in, they know exactly where to go,” a Turkish source told The Middle East Eye.
“Turkish officials say they know when and where in the building the veteran Saudi journalist was killed and are considering whether to dig up the consul-general's garden to see whether his remains are buried there.”
The Saudi squad “dragged Khashoggi out of the office and into another room where they killed him. Khashoggi's body was then dragged into a third room and dismembered,” The Middle East Eye reported.
Four top U.S. senators triggered an investigation Wednesday into the disappearance of a Saudi journalist under a U.S. law intended to hold human rights abusers to account.U.S. President Donald Trump has 120 days to report back to Sens. Bob Corker, Bob Menendez, Lindsey Graham and Patrick Leahy after they sent him a letter requesting a probe under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.Jamal Khashoggi has not been heard from since Oct. 2, when he visited the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, amid speculation that he was killed by Saudi authorities.In a letter, the minority and majority leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the leaders of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee responsible for the State Department called on Trump to determine whether imposing sanctions "with respect to any foreign person responsible for such a violation related to Mr. Khashoggi" is warranted."The recent disappearance of Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi suggests that he could be a victim of a gross violation of internationally recognized human rights," the senators wrote in the letter, which was co-signed by a group of 18 bipartisan senators."Our expectation is that in making your determination you will consider any relevant information, including with respect to the highest ranking officials in the Government of Saudi Arabia," they added.The Magnitsky Act, passed in 2012 after a Russian whistleblower died in custody in circumstances that remain dubious, requires the president to conduct an investigation to determine if sanctions are warranted to respond to human rights abuses.Trump said earlier Wednesday that he spoke at the "highest" levels to Saudi officials about Khashoggi's disappearance but did not specify with whom he has been in conversation with.Addressing reporters at the White House, Trump said the U.S. will "get to the bottom of" the journalist's mysterious vanishing."I'm not happy about this. We have to see what happens," Trump said, adding that the U.S. has been in contact with Turkish officials about the case.Saudi authorities have yet to give a clear explanation on the fate of Khashoggi 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.According to his fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, Khashoggi first arrived at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Sept. 28. After being told his documents would be ready in a week, Khashoggi went to London and returned to Istanbul on Oct. 1.Khashoggi called the consulate and was told "that documents are being prepared" and he could come to the consulate. He went to the diplomatic building on Oct. 2 with Cengiz but was not seen after entering it.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.Trump discusses Khashoggi with senior Saudi leaderUS senator warns ‘hell to pay’ if Khashoggi murderedInvestigation for missing journalist will definitely reveal something, says Khashoggi's fiancéeEx-US energy secretary suspends role in Saudi projectSaudi prince allegedly sought to lure Khashoggi
US senators call for probe over missing Saudi columnist
Khashoggi incident to damage Saudi’s international relations
“It is my opinion that an event unlike anything seen in the 21st century has come to pass. It is a critical period for our country. I believe that, in any case, Saudi Arabia's relations with other countries will be severely damaged, particularly those with Turkey. Such an undertaking outside the rules of diplomacy and the rule of law in our country against their own citizen will certainly not be left unanswered and the necessary response will be given,” Hatice Cengiz, the fiancée of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi told Anadolu Agency in an interview.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday he discussed the disappearance of a Washington Post journalist with an unnamed senior Saudi leader at the "highest level.""It's a very serious situation for us and this White House," Trump told reporters at the White House, noting talks have taken place "more than once.""I think we'll get to the bottom of it," said Trump. "I'm not happy about this. We have to see what happens."Jamal Khashoggi has been missing since visiting the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul Oct. 2.Investigation for missing journalist will definitely reveal something, says Khashoggi's fiancéeHis fiancee appealed to Trump to assist in efforts to find him Tuesday, penning an opinion piece in the Washington Post newspaper."This much is true: He entered the consulate, and there’s no proof that he came out," wrote Hatice Cengiz."At this time, I implore President Trump and first lady Melania Trump to help shed light on Jamal’s disappearance. I also urge Saudi Arabia, especially King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to show the same level of sensitivity and release CCTV footage from the consulate," she added.Trump said the White House has been in contact with Cengiz and hopes to meet her "fairly quickly."Saudi prince allegedly sought to lure KhashoggiHe declined to comment on Khashoggi's possible fate, but said "we cannot let this happen; to reporters, to anybody." The U.S. has been in contact with Turkish officials about the case, Trump said.Turkish security sources on Wednesday identified eight out 15 suspects linked to Khashoggi's disappearance.According to the Turkish police sources, 15 Saudis, including several officials who arrived on the two planes, entered the consulate in Istanbul while Khashoggi was inside.Prosecutors are investigating the incident, while the consulate said on Twitter it is working in coordination with Turkish authorities.Video: Footage emerges of 15-member Saudi intelligence team arriving in IstanbulTurkey on Monday conveyed its expectation of "full cooperation" from Saudi Arabia in the search for the missing journalist.Trump's National Security Advisor John Bolton and senior advisor Jared Kushner spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman about Khashoggi on Tuesday, the White House confirmed in a statement.Spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also spoke to Salman in a "follow up call" that sought to "reiterate the United States request for information.""In both calls they asked for more details and for the Saudi government to be transparent in the investigation process. We will continue to monitor this situation and provide updates as available,” she said.
Trump discusses Khashoggi with senior Saudi leader
The crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, sought to lure missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi back to Saudi Arabia and detain him, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.The Washington Post columnist has not been heard from since Oct. 2, when he visited the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, amid speculation that he was killed by Saudi authorities.The Washington Post said there are U.S. intelligence intercepts of Saudi officials discussing the plan.According to some friends of Khashoggi, over the past four months, senior Saudi officials close to bin Salman had called Khashoggi to offer him protection and even a high-level job working for the government if he returned to his home country.The report said Khashoggi was "skeptical" over the offers and told one of his friends that the "Saudi government would never make good on its promises not to harm him".Video: Footage shows Saudi journalist walking into consulate before disappearing"He said: ‘Are you kidding? I don’t trust them one bit,’" Khaled Saffuri, an Arab American political activist, was quoted as saying by The Washington Post.A citizen of Saudi Arabia, Khashoggi served as editor of multiple Saudi newspapers including Arab News and Al-Watan.During his residency in the U.S., he lived in northern Virginia and was a contributor to The Washington Post.The Washington Post said in the report that the intelligence about Saudi Arabia’s earlier plans to detain Khashoggi has raised questions about whether the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump should have warned the journalist that he might be in danger.Turkey identifies eight of 15 individuals linked with disappearance of Saudi journalist"Intelligence agencies have a ‘duty to warn’ people who might be kidnapped, seriously injured or killed, according to a directive signed in 2015. The obligation applies regardless of whether the person is a U.S. citizen. Khashoggi was a U.S. resident," it added.A former senior intelligence official who did not want to be named told The Washington Post: "Capturing him, which could have been interpreted as arresting him, would not have triggered a duty-to-warn obligation.""If something in the reported intercept indicated that violence was planned, then, yes, he should have been warned," the official was quoted as saying.US was aware of plan by Saudi officials to capture Khashoggi: Washington PostThe Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversees the warning process, declined to comment on whether Khashoggi had been contacted, according to The Washington Post.Saudi authorities have yet to give a clear explanation on the fate of Khashoggi, 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.According to his fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, Khashoggi first arrived at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Sept. 28. After being told his documents would be ready in a week, Khashoggi went to London and returned to Istanbul on Oct. 1.Khashoggi called the consulate and was told "that documents are being prepared" and he could come to the consulate. He went to the diplomatic building on Oct. 2 with Cengiz but was not seen after entering it.Saudi officials ask Turkish authorities to defer consulate search for missing journalistUS ready to assist on missing Saudi journalist Khashoggi: PenceNo proof Khashoggi left Saudi consulate, says fiancée
Saudi prince allegedly sought to lure Khashoggi