Friday, November 16, 2018

CIA Fingers Saudi Crown Prince for Khashoggi Murder


The Saudis have worked overtime to try to insulate Mohammad bin Sultan, their Crown Prince, from the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi embassy in Istanbul. It doesn't seem to have worked.

The CIA has concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul, the Washington Post has reported. 
The Post said US officials expressed high confidence in the CIA assessment, which contradicts Saudi government assertions that he was not involved. 
It is the strongest assessment to date linking Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler to the killing, and complicates Donald Trump’s efforts to safeguard US ties with one of the closest American allies in the region. 
...The Post, citing people familiar with the matter, said the CIA reached its conclusions after examining multiple sources of intelligence, including a phone call that the prince’s brother – Khalid bin Salman, the Saudi ambassador to the United States – had with Khashoggi.
Khalid told Khashoggi he should go to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to retrieve the documents and gave him assurances that it would be safe to do so, the Post said. 
The newspaper, citing people familiar with the call, said it was not clear if Khalid knew Khashoggi would be killed, but he made the call at his brother’s direction.

12 comments:

Lorne said...

A smoking gun that Trump will be sure to ignore, Mound; after all, he has already said that he would not sacrifice arms deals with them, no matter what the Saudi truth is.

Anonymous said...

Ultimately it's all about the money.

UU

The Mound of Sound said...


Well, fellas, how do you think Justin will react? Any chance he'll stop exporting death wagons to the House of Saud?

Troy said...

It's about overstated oil production. Saudi Arabia depends on oil prices to sustain lavish lifestyles for its elite. It depends on an over-exploited working class, too. Neo-liberalism's theory of plantation economics convinced Saudi Arabia to exploit a singular resource, oil, and now that oil is running out.

Enter a strong man who promises the money will continue to enter and exit Saudi Arabia smoothly. However, his plans were to invade its oil-rich neighbour Yemem (it's hardly oil-rich), and constrain Saudi Arabia's elites. The former was fine with financiers - the buying of military hardware and all that -, but the latter quickly became troubling - "Khashoggi was one of us!"-isms quickly sprang up.

Honestly, it's a political rat king. Everything is all tangled up, and financiers are trying their best to escape but they're far too entangled. Every decision made from now on regarding Saudi Arabia is going to be stupid and ill-thought out. Just a bunch of financiers trying to squeeze as much money out of that doomed economy before it implodes amid food riots and revolution. They'd never think of biting off their own tail, the greedy scum.

Anonymous said...

Actually, no “death wagons” have left Canadian soil as yet. The Saudis haven’t paid so 100+ are sitting in storage. GDLS has shifted production to other contracts for now.

UU

the salamander said...

.. be interesting to know what 'other contracts' GDLS has shifted to per comment from UU - but a word of caution to Indy Bloggers, their followers (c'est moi aussi) as 'we' look for traction amid the Mainstream Media quagmire of indolent laziness cut n pasting 'journalism'

Trump has stolen the media echo chamber focus from the Kardashians.. but hey.. in fairness, we must say TV Trump may now be the most dangerous A-Hole on Spaceship Earth. And of course with the Khashoggi premeditated murder.. (surely a 'canary in the coal mine' murder & muddly scandal..) there is Trump, up to his ears in the Saudi wheeling & dealing.. Oh & there is the vested interest of the Trump Inc & sickening smug son in law Jerod Kushner. And there is the convoluted toxicity of the Saudi Royals and their need for the machinery of war.

But what th hey ? Forget the faker Trump's 'make America great again' .. here comes the 'sunny daze' guy and his political brand - the inheritors of the wealth & nation building those Harper pimped 'transports' represented on delivery. Key drivers of Canada's Economy going forward would be arms manufacture proclaimed Harper.. Well that was typical Harper shit fuckery eh. But hey, along comes middle aged too young Justin, like a shit eating dog .. and need I explain ? Just jeeps saith Justin Trudeau.. albeit with 50 ml machine guns or rocket launcher options.. in case the Saudi citizens get unruly.. domestic violence dontcha know.. and maybe the beheading crews might be overworked or on strike, work to rule..

So now Justin must huddle with the brain trust.. and will utter a variety of pablum blended with quasi outrage.. 'this shall not pass' - 'canada will not abide' - I dunno.. there are endless options to proclaim, waffle, delay, wait for it all to go away, vacillation for the nation - and lard on the posturing. While this murder sucked the oxygen out of the Mainstream Media reportage re the Saudi assault on Yemen

The laugh of the day will be political animals.. following a parasite like Trump.. (posturing, preening in his unique pas sac way..) how he will sanction those convicted for the murder of the ('not a US citizen') .. yes.. those convicted will be sanctioned (interesting term eh?) but the beheading will be private or quasi public.. and again, Trudeau can play aghast or politely deplore.. how sad, too bad .. as he extends Harper's secret Cabinet Confidence war wagon deal. And what is Andrew Scheer to do ? Whine some more from Stornoway without admitting the whole pile of war wagon dogshit was dropped on Canadians as a wondrous deal by Harper, Flaherty, Kenney and himself et al ?

Trudeau gets a free ride.. Canada Open For Business.. show us the blood money eh

Northern PoV said...

"Well, fellas, how do you think Justin will react? Any chance he'll stop exporting death wagons to the House of Saud?"

"One has to admire the Canadian government’s manipulation of the media regarding its relationship with Saudi Arabia. Despite being partners with the Kingdom’s international crimes, the Liberals have managed to convince some gullible folks they are challenging Riyadh’s rights abuses."

https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/11/16/canada-and-saudi-arabia-friends-or-enemies/

Watch out all ye despots!
Our fearless Minister of Foreign Affairs has a twitter account.

Owen Gray said...

What was that line about money being the root of . . .?

Karl Kolchak said...

The CIA is merely trying to eliminate the competition.

Jay Farquharson said...

https://www.juancole.com/2018/11/salmans-khashoggi-kushner.html

Purple library guy said...

Sounds like some US elites have decided MBS is too much trouble and they want a new model. I mean, we all knew he was responsible, but for the CIA to be officially saying it tells me they're ready to trade him in.

Anonymous said...

Well...the Saudis are buying them from the US and as Trump said...something to the effect of "we are selling them to the Saudis so they don't purchase from China". Anyong