CIA has recording of MBS saying ‘silence Jamal Khashoggi’

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The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is in possession of a phone call recording of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in which he is heard giving an instruction to “silence Jamal Khashoggi as soon as possible,” Hürriyet columnist Abdulkadir Selvi wrote on Nov. 22.

According to Selvi, CIA Director Gina Haspel “signalled” during her trip to Ankara last month the existence of the wiretapped phone call between Crown Prince Mohammed and his brother Khaled bin Salman, who is Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States.

Citing unidentified sources, the Turkish columnist wrote that the two Saudi officials are heard in the CIA recording discussing the “discomfort” created by Khashoggi’s public criticism of the kingdom’s administration.

Khashoggi, a frequent contributor to The Washington Post and a prominent critic of Prince Mohammed, was killed on Oct. 2 inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.

After weeks of denying any involvement in the crime, Riyadh finally admitted that Khashoggi had been killed inside the consulate but claimed the Saudi royal family had no prior knowledge about any murder plot.

“It is said that the crown prince gave an instruction to silence Jamal Khashoggi as soon as possible and this instruction was captured during the CIA wiretapping. The subsequent murder is the ultimate confirmation of this instruction,” Selvi added, stressing that an international investigation into the murder, if opened, “can reveal more jaw-dropping evidence, as CIA has more wiretapped phone calls at hand than the public knows about.”

Citing the latest findings in the Turkish investigation into the murder, Selvi had written in his column on Nov. 19 that Khashoggi was forced by his would-be killers to send a message to his son who was still held in the kingdom by Crown Prince Mohammed.

“The hit squad, which was composed of close aides of Crown Prince Mohammed, told Khashoggi to send a message to his son, otherwise he ‘would be brought to Saudi Arabia.’ Khashoggi rejected it, which led to the quarrel that ended with his killing by strangulation with a rope or plastic bag,” Selvi said.

Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor had requested on Nov. 15 the death penalty for five Saudi officials, while charging a total of 11 suspects.

President Donald Trump declared on Nov. 20 that he will not further punish Saudi Arabia for the murder, making clear in an exclamation-filled statement that the benefits of good relations with the kingdom outweigh the possibility its crown prince ordered the killing.

Khashoggi was barred from media appearances after criticizing Trump in late 2016, according to the U.S. State Department.

In its most recent report on Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, the department said on Nov. 21 Khashoggi moved to the U.S. in “self-exile” in September 2017 and “could face arrest upon returning home” due to his writings.

The report said Khashoggi’s column in Saudi newspaper al-Hayat had been cancelled under political pressure.

Khashoggi’s body has yet to be returned to his family amid reports that it was chemically dissolved by the Saudi hit squad.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said he would not meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammedduring a visit to Argentina for the G20 summit.

Earlier on Nov. 22, the state-owned Anadolu news agency quoted presidential spokesman İbrahim Kalın as saying, “We’re looking at the program. It could happen”, in response to a question about whether the two leaders would make contact at the summit.

Are there other countries whose governments kill who they consider to be dissidents in the present day? If so, how does the U.S. treat those countries?

Oh please. I didn't hear any complaints from you when Obama approved the war in Yemen that has killed around 85,000 children over the last few years.

Obama was only looking at the prospect of destroying a mutual enemy, and doubtfully had any mystical foreknowledge of the war's outcome. This is different, with Trump acting as an accessory after the fact.

It really doesn't take any "mystical" insight into how a regime with a long history of brutality will deal with an enemy. The history between America's allegiance with Saudi Arabia goes back over seven decades. Whether it's a Trump, Obama, or some other corporate politician in charge, we will continue to do business with the Saudi's because it's in our best interests to do so. The body count doesn't matter in the least.

It shouldn't really be Trump or Obama singled out, it's US foreign policy in general.

True, but that hardly means Trump should be left off the hook.

So many diversionary whataboutisms posted here and from the usual culprits.

Starting with John Powell's standard whining whatabout rant on Obama, then Magna's triggered whatabout other countries, inciting Powell to whatabout other countries, and on and on. Sad!

The topic here is the CIA recording of Mr Bone Saw saying "silence Jamal Khashoggi", concerning which you have had nothing to say.

Trolling at its most typical.

I see your continuing cries of "whataboutisms" as diverting attention away from some very salient points certain members have made in this thread. How about it? Would you like to have a real logical conversation? Or just continue your crusade against your political adversary without an open mind?

No "salient points" have been made by those "certain members" in this thread. Diversionary whataboutist irrelevancies have been introduced into what could have been a "logical conversation" concerning the CIA's recording of Mr. Bone Saw saying "silence Jamal Khashoggi".

I've not seen that from you, just excuses.
That wasn't my point.

Gotcha. Discussing the history of the Saudi/American connection is not important in the least. Continue with your regularly scheduled agenda, then.

Nothing wrong with discussing Saudi/American relations, except for when it's used to divert the conversation out of sympathy for Trump.