If Saudi Arabia is under pressure to give chapter and verse on the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in its consulate in Istanbul, Iran risks straining relations with Europe at a time when it needs European support the most by targeting ethnic rights activists.

Khashoggi’s murder has focused attention on Saudi harassment and intimidation of dissidents as part of the kingdom’s effort to silence critical voices. The Saudi campaign had little geopolitical significance until Khashoggi’s killing.

By contrast, Iran’s long history of targeting ethnic rights activists, including Iranians of Arab descent and Kurds, has long been rooted in the Islamic republic’s belief that they enjoy the support of the United States, Saudi Arabia and Israel in a bid to destabilise the country.

If Saudi Arabia has suffered severe reputational damage with the killing of Khashoggi and could face sanctions for the first time in its history, Iran, long struggling to polish its tarnished image, could face sanctioning by Europe at a moment when it needs the Europeans the most.

In the latest Iranian incident, Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and intelligence chief Finn Borch Andersen are calling for European Union sanctions after they discovered a plot to kill Danish residents associated with the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahvaz (ASMLA), an Iranian Arab group.

The plot, together with at least two other incidents in Europe in the last year, complicates European efforts to salvage a 2015 international agreement to curb Iran’s nuclear program after the United States withdrew from the deal and imposed crippling sanctions on Iran despite Iran’s denials of involvement.

The alleged Danish plot came to a head when authorities in late September closed bridges into Copenhagen and suspended train operations in connection with the case. Andersen said that Norway had since extradited to Denmark a Norwegian national of Iranian descent who was seen taking pictures of the Danish home of an ASMLA leader.

ASMLA strives for the independence of Iran’s south-eastern oil-rich province of Khuzestan that is home to Iran’s ethnic Arab community and borders on Iraq at the head of the Gulf.

Two other groups, the Islamic State and the Ahvaz National Resistance, claimed responsibility in September for an attack on a Revolutionary Guards parade in the Khuzestan capital of Ahwaz in which 29 people were killed and 70 others wounded.

Iranian officials blamed the United States and its allies, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Israel for the attack.

Iran at the time summoned the ambassadors of the Netherlands, Denmark and Britain to protest the three countries’ hosting of Iranian ethnic rights militants.

The Danish plot followed the killing by unidentified gunmen in the Netherlands in November 2017 of Ahmad Mola Nissi, another ASMLA leader. Shot dead on a street in The Hague, Mola Nissi died the violent life he was alleged to have lived.

A 52-year-old refugee living in the Netherlands since 2005, was believed to have been responsible for attacks in Khuzestan in 2005, 2006 and 2013 on oil facilities, the office of the Khuzestan governor, other government offices, and banks.

Together with Habib Jaber al-Ahvazi also known as Abo Naheth, another ASMLA activist, Mola Nissi focussed in recent years on media activities and fundraising, at times creating footage of alleged attacks involving gas cylinder explosions to attract Saudi funding, according to Iranian activists.

Mola Nissi was killed as he was preparing to establish a television station backed by Saudi-trained personnel and funding that would target Khuzestan.

The Netherlands has emerged in recent years as a hub for Iranian activists alongside Britain.

A group of exile Iranian academics and political activists, led by The Hague-based social scientist Damon Golriz, announced in September the creation of a group that intends to campaign for a liberal democracy in Iran under the auspices of Reza Pahlavi, the son of the ousted Shah of Iran who lives in the United States.

Compounding the fallout of Iran’s targeting of activists is last month’s expulsion by France of an Iranian diplomat accused of being part of a plot to bomb a rally in Paris organised by the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, a Saudi-backed Iranian exile group that calls for regime change in Tehran. The diplomat was among six people arrested for allegedly plotting the bombing.

Mujahedeen enjoy the support of prominent Western politicians like US President Donald J Trump’s national security advisor, John Bolton, his personal lawyer, Rudolph Giuliani, and Saudi Arabia’s former intelligence chief, Prince Turki al-Faisal. Giuliani addressed the targeted rally.

US officials say Iran plotted to attack the group’s massive base in Albania in March.

Support for the Mujahedeen has figured prominently in broadcasts of UK-based television station Iran International that according to The Guardian is owned by a secretive offshore entity with close links to Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The Guardian reported that Saud al-Qahtani, Prince Mohammed’s menacing information czar who was one of several senior Saudi officials removed from office in the wake of the killing of Khashoggi, was among the station’s main funders.

“I can say that Iran International TV has turned into a platform … for ethnic partisanship and sectarianism,” The Guardian quoted a source as saying.

The Danish, French and Dutch incidents suggest that Iran takes serious indications that Saudi Arabia is considering attempting to destabilise the Islamic republic by stirring unrest among its ethnic minorities.

Bolton advocated a similar strategy before becoming Trump’s national security advisor.

Iran has been the target in the past year of various insurgent groups believed to have Saudi support, sparking repeated clashes with Iranian security forces and the interception of Kurdish, Baloch and other ethnic rebels.

Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived in Islamabad this week on an unscheduled visit to discuss the recent kidnapping of at least 12 Iranian border and Revolutionary Guards believed to have been abducted on the Iranian side of the Pakistani-Iranian border by Jaish al-Adl, a Pakistani group that often issues its statements in Arabic rather than Baloch, Urdu or Farsi.

As the United States prepared to next week impose a new round of sanctions against Iran, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo used the Iranian attacks in Europe to weaken European rejection of the US move.

“For nearly 40 years, Europe has been the target of Iran-sponsored terrorist attacks. We call on our allies and partners to confront the full range of Iran’s threats to peace and security,” Pompeo tweeted.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

If Saudi Arabia is under pressure to give chapter and verse on the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in its consulate in Istanbul, Iran risks straining relations with Europe at a time when it needs European support the most by targeting ethnic rights activists.

If Saudi Arabia is under pressure to give chapter and verse on the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in its consulate in Istanbul, Iran risks straining relations with Europe at a time when it needs European support the most by targeting ethnic rights activists. Khashoggi’s murder has focused attention on Saudi harassment and intimidation of dissidents as part of the kingdom’s effort to silence critical voices. The Saudi campaign had little geopolitical significance until Khashoggi’s killing. By contrast, Iran’s long history of targeting ethnic rights activists, including Iranians of Arab descent and Kurds, has long been rooted in the Islamic republic’s belief that they enjoy the support of the United States, Saudi Arabia and Israel in a bid to destabilise the country. If Saudi Arabia has suffered severe reputational damage with the killing of Khashoggi and could face sanctions for the first time in its history, Iran, long struggling to polish its tarnished image, could face sanctioning by Europe at a moment when it needs the Europeans the most. In the latest Iranian incident, Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and intelligence chief Finn Borch Andersen are calling for European Union sanctions after they discovered a plot to kill Danish residents associated with the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahvaz (ASMLA), an Iranian Arab group. The plot, together with at least two other incidents in Europe in the last year, complicates European efforts to salvage a 2015 international agreement to curb Iran’s nuclear program after the United States withdrew from the deal and imposed crippling sanctions on Iran despite Iran’s denials of involvement. The alleged Danish plot came to a head when authorities in late September closed bridges into Copenhagen and suspended train operations in connection with the case. Andersen said that Norway had since extradited to Denmark a Norwegian national of Iranian descent who was seen taking pictures of the Danish home of an ASMLA leader. ASMLA strives for the independence of Iran’s south-eastern oil-rich province of Khuzestan that is home to Iran’s ethnic Arab community and borders on Iraq at the head of the Gulf. Two other groups, the Islamic State and the Ahvaz National Resistance, claimed responsibility in September for an attack on a Revolutionary Guards parade in the Khuzestan capital of Ahwaz in which 29 people were killed and 70 others wounded. Iranian officials blamed the United States and its allies, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Israel for the attack. Iran at the time summoned the ambassadors of the Netherlands, Denmark and Britain to protest the three countries’ hosting of Iranian ethnic rights militants. The Danish plot followed the killing by unidentified gunmen in the Netherlands in November 2017 of Ahmad Mola Nissi, another ASMLA leader. Shot dead on a street in The Hague, Mola Nissi died the violent life he was alleged to have lived. A 52-year-old refugee living in the Netherlands since 2005, was believed to have been responsible for attacks in Khuzestan in 2005, 2006 and 2013 on oil facilities, the office of the Khuzestan governor, other government offices, and banks. Together with Habib Jaber al-Ahvazi also known as Abo Naheth, another ASMLA activist, Mola Nissi focussed in recent years on media activities and fundraising, at times creating footage of alleged attacks involving gas cylinder explosions to attract Saudi funding, according to Iranian activists. Mola Nissi was killed as he was preparing to establish a television station backed by Saudi-trained personnel and funding that would target Khuzestan. The Netherlands has emerged in recent years as a hub for Iranian activists alongside Britain. A group of exile Iranian academics and political activists, led by The Hague-based social scientist Damon Golriz, announced in September the creation of a group that intends to campaign for a liberal democracy in Iran under the auspices of Reza Pahlavi, the son of the ousted Shah of Iran who lives in the United States. Compounding the fallout of Iran’s targeting of activists is last month’s expulsion by France of an Iranian diplomat accused of being part of a plot to bomb a rally in Paris organised by the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, a Saudi-backed Iranian exile group that calls for regime change in Tehran. The diplomat was among six people arrested for allegedly plotting the bombing. Mujahedeen enjoy the support of prominent Western politicians like US President Donald J Trump’s national security advisor, John Bolton, his personal lawyer, Rudolph Giuliani, and Saudi Arabia’s former intelligence chief, Prince Turki al-Faisal. Giuliani addressed the targeted rally. US officials say Iran plotted to attack the group’s massive base in Albania in March. Support for the Mujahedeen has figured prominently in broadcasts of UK-based television station Iran International that according to The Guardian is owned by a secretive offshore entity with close links to Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. The Guardian reported that Saud al-Qahtani, Prince Mohammed’s menacing information czar who was one of several senior Saudi officials removed from office in the wake of the killing of Khashoggi, was among the station’s main funders. “I can say that Iran International TV has turned into a platform … for ethnic partisanship and sectarianism,” The Guardian quoted a source as saying. The Danish, French and Dutch incidents suggest that Iran takes serious indications that Saudi Arabia is considering attempting to destabilise the Islamic republic by stirring unrest among its ethnic minorities. Bolton advocated a similar strategy before becoming Trump’s national security advisor. Iran has been the target in the past year of various insurgent groups believed to have Saudi support, sparking repeated clashes with Iranian security forces and the interception of Kurdish, Baloch and other ethnic rebels. Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived in Islamabad this week on an unscheduled visit to discuss the recent kidnapping of at least 12 Iranian border and Revolutionary Guards believed to have been abducted on the Iranian side of the Pakistani-Iranian border by Jaish al-Adl, a Pakistani group that often issues its statements in Arabic rather than Baloch, Urdu or Farsi. As the United States prepared to next week impose a new round of sanctions against Iran, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo used the Iranian attacks in Europe to weaken European rejection of the US move. “For nearly 40 years, Europe has been the target of Iran-sponsored terrorist attacks. We call on our allies and partners to confront the full range of Iran’s threats to peace and security,” Pompeo tweeted. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Saudi Arabia and Iran: When it comes to exiles, the pot calls the kettle black

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/khashoggi-murder-outcry-threatens-us-saudi-ties-saudi-prince-says-174743">Khashoggi murder outcry threatens US-Saudi ties, Saudi prince says</a>

The outcry in the United States demonising Saudi Arabia over the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul threatens US-Saudi strategic ties, the former Saudi intelligence minister warned on Wednesday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-doesnt-want-to-harm-friends-allies-with-iran-sanctions-john-bolton-174742">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-doesnt-want-to-harm-friends-allies-with-iran-sanctions-john-bolton-174742"> doesn't want to harm friends, allies with Iran sanctions: John Bolton</a>

US national security adviser John Bolton said on Wednesday the Trump administration wants sanctions on Iran's crude exports to strain Tehran, but does not want to harm countries that depend on the oil.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/tdp-chief-chandrababu-naidu-to-discuss-opposition-unity-with-rahul-today-174752">TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu to discuss opposition unity with Rahul Gandhi today</a>

In an effort&nbsp;to build a strong opposition alliance to take on the BJP in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu will meet Congress president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Thursday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/wikileaks-assange-says-ecuador-seeking-to-end-his-asylum-174759">WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says Ecuador seeking to end his asylum</a>

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said on Monday that Ecuador is seeking to end his asylum in its London embassy and hand him over to the United States, but a judge rejected his lawsuit over embassy living conditions.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-he-does-not-feel-betrayed-by-saudis-174753">US President Donald Trump says he does not feel betrayed by Saudis</a>

Both Republican and Democratic senators asked US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (October 31) to suspend civilian nuclear energy talks with Saudi Arabia after the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

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Khashoggi murder outcry threatens US-Saudi ties, Saudi prince says The outcry in the United States demonising Saudi Arabia over the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul threatens US-Saudi strategic ties, the former Saudi intelligence minister warned on Wednesday.

Khashoggi murder outcry threatens US-Saudi ties, Saudi prince says The outcry in the United States demonising Saudi Arabia over the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul threatens US-Saudi strategic ties, the former Saudi intelligence minister warned on Wednesday. US doesn't want to harm friends, allies with Iran sanctions: John Bolton US national security adviser John Bolton said on Wednesday the Trump administration wants sanctions on Iran's crude exports to strain Tehran, but does not want to harm countries that depend on the oil. TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu to discuss opposition unity with Rahul Gandhi today In an effort to build a strong opposition alliance to take on the BJP in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu will meet Congress president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Thursday. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says Ecuador seeking to end his asylum WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said on Monday that Ecuador is seeking to end his asylum in its London embassy and hand him over to the United States, but a judge rejected his lawsuit over embassy living conditions. US President Donald Trump says he does not feel betrayed by Saudis Both Republican and Democratic senators asked US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (October 31) to suspend civilian nuclear energy talks with Saudi Arabia after the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Both Republican and Democratic senators asked US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (October 31) to suspend civilian nuclear energy talks with Saudi Arabia after the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Five Republican US lawmakers, led by Senator Marco Rubio, said in a letter to Trump they would use the Atomic Energy Act to block any US-Saudi nuclear agreements if Trump did not cut off talks.

In addition, Democratic Senator Edward Markey wrote another letter to Trump calling for a suspension of discussions on civilian nuclear cooperation with Saudi Arabia, and for the administration to revoke any approvals for the transfer of nuclear services, technology or assistance to the kingdom.

Representatives for the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the Republican letter, first reported by NBC News, or Markey's letter.

Markey said in his letter that cooperation between nations, particularly on nuclear energy, must be based on trust and shared values, but Saudi Arabia's actions "have made it clear that any nuclear cooperation with its government does not currently meet that bar."

Washington has wanted Saudi Arabia to buy nuclear power technology from US companies, including Westinghouse, which recently emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

In July, Saudi Arabia put South Korea's state-run utility KEPCO, the United States, France, China and Russia on a shortlist to bid for a nuclear power project and the winner would likely be selected in 2019, a South Korea official said.

Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, disappeared after visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2. The death of the Washington Post columnist, a US resident who had American children, sparked global outrage and pitched the world's top oil exporter into crisis.

The United States has called for transparency in the investigation of Khashoggi's death and revoked the US visas of some Saudis over the incident. Trump has said Prince Mohammed bore ultimate responsibility for what happened to Khashoggi but has also cited Riyadh as a strong ally.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary James Mattis on Tuesday called for a cessation of hostilities in Yemen and urged the start of UN-led negotiations to end the civil war next month.

Saudi Arabia's official comments on Khashoggi's death have shifted from initially denying any involvement to saying the killing was premeditated. Both Saudi Arabia and Turkey are investigating Khashoggi's death.

Both Republican and Democratic senators asked US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (October 31) to suspend civilian nuclear energy talks with Saudi Arabia after the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Both Republican and Democratic senators asked US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (October 31) to suspend civilian nuclear energy talks with Saudi Arabia after the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Five Republican US lawmakers, led by Senator Marco Rubio, said in a letter to Trump they would use the Atomic Energy Act to block any US-Saudi nuclear agreements if Trump did not cut off talks. In addition, Democratic Senator Edward Markey wrote another letter to Trump calling for a suspension of discussions on civilian nuclear cooperation with Saudi Arabia, and for the administration to revoke any approvals for the transfer of nuclear services, technology or assistance to the kingdom. Representatives for the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the Republican letter, first reported by NBC News, or Markey's letter. Markey said in his letter that cooperation between nations, particularly on nuclear energy, must be based on trust and shared values, but Saudi Arabia's actions "have made it clear that any nuclear cooperation with its government does not currently meet that bar." Washington has wanted Saudi Arabia to buy nuclear power technology from US companies, including Westinghouse, which recently emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In July, Saudi Arabia put South Korea's state-run utility KEPCO, the United States, France, China and Russia on a shortlist to bid for a nuclear power project and the winner would likely be selected in 2019, a South Korea official said. Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, disappeared after visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2. The death of the Washington Post columnist, a US resident who had American children, sparked global outrage and pitched the world's top oil exporter into crisis. The United States has called for transparency in the investigation of Khashoggi's death and revoked the US visas of some Saudis over the incident. Trump has said Prince Mohammed bore ultimate responsibility for what happened to Khashoggi but has also cited Riyadh as a strong ally. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary James Mattis on Tuesday called for a cessation of hostilities in Yemen and urged the start of UN-led negotiations to end the civil war next month. Saudi Arabia's official comments on Khashoggi's death have shifted from initially denying any involvement to saying the killing was premeditated. Both Saudi Arabia and Turkey are investigating Khashoggi's death.

US President Donald Trump says he does not feel betrayed by Saudis

The outcry in the United States demonising Saudi Arabia over the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul threatens US-Saudi strategic ties, the former Saudi intelligence minister warned on Wednesday.

"We value our strategic relationship with the United States and hope to sustain it. We hope the United States reciprocates in kind," royal family member Prince Turki bin Faisal al Saud said in an address to the National Council on US-Arab Relations, a non-profit advocacy organisation.

Turki, to whom Khashoggi once served as an adviser, has also served as an ambassador to London and Washington. His speech denouncing what he called "the demonisation of Saudi Arabia" clearly carried Riyadh's imprimatur, as he heads an Islamic research centre named after his father, the late King Faisal.

Turki's address came after Istanbul's chief prosecutor on Tuesday said that Khashoggi was suffocated in a premeditated killing and his body was then dismembered.

Khashoggi, who lived in self-imposed exile in the United States, wrote columns for the Washington Post critical of the kingdom's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Some US&nbsp;lawmakers have accused the crown prince of ordering Khashoggi's death - a charge that Riyadh denies - and threatened sanctions. US&nbsp;commentators have strongly condemned the kingdom.

Recalling that more than 70 years of US-Saudi ties survived previous crises, Turki said, "Nowadays, this relationship is once again threatened."

"The tragic and unjustified" slaying of Khashoggi "is the theme of today's onslaught and demonisation of Saudi Arabia in the same fashion as the previous crises. The intensity and gleefulness of it is equally unfair," he said. "Subjecting our relationship to this issue is not healthy at all."

Turki reiterated that the kingdom is committed to bringing to justice those responsible for Khashoggi's murder "and whoever else failed to uphold the law."

The Trump administration is demanding full accountability from Riyadh in Khashoggi's death. In what it called the first step, it revoked the visas of some Saudi officials implicated in the slaying.

The US-Saudi relationship "is too big to fail," Turki said.

Those ties, he noted, transcend oil production, trade, arms sales and investment to cooperation on Middle East peace efforts, stabilizing oil markets, fighting extremism and containing Iran, the kingdom's main regional foe.

The outcry in the United States demonising Saudi Arabia over the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul threatens US-Saudi strategic ties, the former Saudi intelligence minister warned on Wednesday.

The outcry in the United States demonising Saudi Arabia over the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul threatens US-Saudi strategic ties, the former Saudi intelligence minister warned on Wednesday. "We value our strategic relationship with the United States and hope to sustain it. We hope the United States reciprocates in kind," royal family member Prince Turki bin Faisal al Saud said in an address to the National Council on US-Arab Relations, a non-profit advocacy organisation. Turki, to whom Khashoggi once served as an adviser, has also served as an ambassador to London and Washington. His speech denouncing what he called "the demonisation of Saudi Arabia" clearly carried Riyadh's imprimatur, as he heads an Islamic research centre named after his father, the late King Faisal. Turki's address came after Istanbul's chief prosecutor on Tuesday said that Khashoggi was suffocated in a premeditated killing and his body was then dismembered. Khashoggi, who lived in self-imposed exile in the United States, wrote columns for the Washington Post critical of the kingdom's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Some US lawmakers have accused the crown prince of ordering Khashoggi's death - a charge that Riyadh denies - and threatened sanctions. US commentators have strongly condemned the kingdom. Recalling that more than 70 years of US-Saudi ties survived previous crises, Turki said, "Nowadays, this relationship is once again threatened." "The tragic and unjustified" slaying of Khashoggi "is the theme of today's onslaught and demonisation of Saudi Arabia in the same fashion as the previous crises. The intensity and gleefulness of it is equally unfair," he said. "Subjecting our relationship to this issue is not healthy at all." Turki reiterated that the kingdom is committed to bringing to justice those responsible for Khashoggi's murder "and whoever else failed to uphold the law." The Trump administration is demanding full accountability from Riyadh in Khashoggi's death. In what it called the first step, it revoked the visas of some Saudi officials implicated in the slaying. The US-Saudi relationship "is too big to fail," Turki said. Those ties, he noted, transcend oil production, trade, arms sales and investment to cooperation on Middle East peace efforts, stabilizing oil markets, fighting extremism and containing Iran, the kingdom's main regional foe.

Khashoggi murder outcry threatens US-Saudi ties, Saudi prince says

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called for an end to the fighting in Yemen.&nbsp;

Pompeo said missile strikes by the Iran-allied Houthi rebels against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates should stop, and that the Saudi-led coalition must stop air strikes in all populated areas.&nbsp;

Pompeo added that UN-led negotiations to bring the civil war to an end should begin next month.&nbsp;

Pompeo's call was earlier voiced by US Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis even as the Saudi-led military coalition sent more than 10,000 new troops toward a vital rebel-held port city ahead of a new assault.

Mattis said the US had been watching the conflict "for long enough", adding that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which are in a US-backed coalition fighting Shiite Huthi rebels, are ready for talks.

"We have got to move toward a peace effort here, and we can't say we are going to do it some time in the future," Mattis said at the US Institute of Peace in Washington.&nbsp;

"We need to be doing this in the next 30 days."

He said the US is calling for all warring parties to meet with United Nations special envoy Martin Griffiths in Sweden in November and "come to a solution."

US-Saudi ties have cooled in recent weeks after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent critic of the conservative kingdom, that has also tarnished the image of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in the conflict between embattled Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, whose government is recognised by the United Nations, and the Huthis in 2015.

Nearly 10,000 people have since been killed and the country now stands at the brink of famine, with more than 22 million Yemenis — three-quarters of the population — in need of humanitarian assistance.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called for an end to the fighting in Yemen. Pompeo said missile strikes by the Iran-allied Houthi rebels against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates should stop, and that the Saudi-led coalition must stop air strikes in all populated areas.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called for an end to the fighting in Yemen. Pompeo said missile strikes by the Iran-allied Houthi rebels against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates should stop, and that the Saudi-led coalition must stop air strikes in all populated areas. Pompeo added that UN-led negotiations to bring the civil war to an end should begin next month. Pompeo's call was earlier voiced by US Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis even as the Saudi-led military coalition sent more than 10,000 new troops toward a vital rebel-held port city ahead of a new assault. Mattis said the US had been watching the conflict "for long enough", adding that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which are in a US-backed coalition fighting Shiite Huthi rebels, are ready for talks. "We have got to move toward a peace effort here, and we can't say we are going to do it some time in the future," Mattis said at the US Institute of Peace in Washington. "We need to be doing this in the next 30 days." He said the US is calling for all warring parties to meet with United Nations special envoy Martin Griffiths in Sweden in November and "come to a solution." US-Saudi ties have cooled in recent weeks after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent critic of the conservative kingdom, that has also tarnished the image of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in the conflict between embattled Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, whose government is recognised by the United Nations, and the Huthis in 2015. Nearly 10,000 people have since been killed and the country now stands at the brink of famine, with more than 22 million Yemenis — three-quarters of the population — in need of humanitarian assistance. (With inputs from agencies)

After Khashoggi killing, US calls for end to fighting in Yemen

By Rasheed Alameer

I was amongst those who were in denial about the possible murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul earlier this month. It was not because I think the Saudi regime is not capable of murder, but because it would be a bad decision to invite a critic into the country’s diplomatic mission in order to murder him. Also, if I am being honest, I did not want to believe it.

Nevertheless, our worst fears have been confirmed, and we have to accept what happened. On October 17, The Washington Post published Khashoggi’s last column which it had received from his translator a few days after his disappearance. In what were to be his last words, Jamal, as if prescient that this could be his final public statement, was reflecting on the dire state of freedom of expression in the Arab world and its impact on our lives. The fight for freedom, including freedom of expression, is one of the common causes we, Saudi dissidents and critics, stand united in.

Picking up from where Jamal Khashoggi left off, the Arab world needs to be informed. In other words, all we need is freedom of expression, for it is the way of disseminating and sharing of knowledge and information. In his touching last words, Khashoggi emphasized the need to provide a platform for Arab voices to be heard. It is absolutely true that at the core of the problems that we face in the Arab world is the fact that citizens are uninformed, or misinformed. Take, for example, the misinformation campaign that surrounded the Qatar crisis. This is relevant on so many levels and explains most of the development issues we have, and why we are still either developing or undeveloped nations.

Across the Arab world, people are being suffocated, and we have had enough of our regimes’ oppression. We are devoid of the right to freely express and share our opinions, let alone the right to participate in governing our own affairs. When the Arab Spring broke in 2010-11, we were full of hope that a wave of change was finally coming our way. But as the world witnessed, this wave was either kept at bay (Egypt, Yemen), or put down with brutal crackdowns (Syria, Bahrain). Tunisia was the only success story. The Arab Spring and the revolutions it produced are one way in which change could happen within the political systems across the Middle East. The other way is a slow, guided and deliberate transformation.

For this transformation to happen, an essential element is to have informed participants, for in an ideal world, a true and just democracy that we all dream of is hinged on the inclusion of all citizens in the political process. However, this is not relevant for the current state of politics across the region where, democratically speaking, the standard falls below absolute zero. What is relevant is the importance of having informed citizens as a precursor to change. When most of the citizens are misinformed and controlled through the government narrative, it is easy for the dictator to control, and keep controlling, the population. For example, just a day after its launch in 2015, the Bahraini authorities have ordered the shutting down of Al Arab TV channel, then under Khashoggi’s management. The reason for censorship was an interview with a figure from Bahrain’s Shia opposition.

A stark example of this approach is also found in the way the Saudi media has covered the disappearance and presumed murder of Khashoggi before finally admitting he was killed inside the consulate. The whole narrative revolved around a conspiracy theory in which the state of Qatar and Khashoggi’s fiancée were to blame. The story went that the journalist had disappeared after he left the consulate and was kidnapped by Qatar in order to initiate a diplomatic rift and a conflict between Turkey and Saudi Arabia. You couldn’t see any other version of events in the Saudi media. Even columnists and writers capitalized on this tragedy — or, more precisely, crime — to defend and praise the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), who is largely believed to have been involved in the murder plot. Because of this, the Saudis did (and do) genuinely believe that MBS is innocent, and that the government is under an unjust attack.

So, if a government manages to misinform its public about what happened to Khashoggi so easily, even though the prevalent counternarrative is much stronger and supported by evidence and logic, imagine how easy it is to misinform the public on other matters.

However, we, the change-makers — dissidents and activists — believe that we can counter this brutal attack on the access to information thanks to the internet, using Twitter and other information-sharing platforms to spread the counternarrative that governments try to block. These are also platforms to freely voice our opinions and takes on public affairs (for lack of alternative forums like parliament). Outlets like Al Jazeera also fill this gap. The Qatari news network has revolutionized news coverage in the Arab region. It is today the number one source for a holistic coverage of events in the Arab world and beyond and a source of reliable information. As such, it constitutes an existential threat to regimes like that of the House of Saud, and that is why it comes under attack by Riyadh and Abu Dhabi.

Jamal Khashoggi’s last words are wisdom. His sound analysis is a reflection of a deep insight into the problem and the solution. We all share his position and we will work to attain our rights starting by freedom of expression. 
 
(Rasheed Alameer is a political dissident and activist from Saudi Arabia)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/middle_east_north_africa/freedom-of-expression-arab-world-jamal-khashoggi-news-65431/">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

By Rasheed Alameer I was amongst those who were in denial about the possible murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul earlier this month.

By Rasheed Alameer I was amongst those who were in denial about the possible murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul earlier this month. It was not because I think the Saudi regime is not capable of murder, but because it would be a bad decision to invite a critic into the country’s diplomatic mission in order to murder him. Also, if I am being honest, I did not want to believe it. Nevertheless, our worst fears have been confirmed, and we have to accept what happened. On October 17, The Washington Post published Khashoggi’s last column which it had received from his translator a few days after his disappearance. In what were to be his last words, Jamal, as if prescient that this could be his final public statement, was reflecting on the dire state of freedom of expression in the Arab world and its impact on our lives. The fight for freedom, including freedom of expression, is one of the common causes we, Saudi dissidents and critics, stand united in. Picking up from where Jamal Khashoggi left off, the Arab world needs to be informed. In other words, all we need is freedom of expression, for it is the way of disseminating and sharing of knowledge and information. In his touching last words, Khashoggi emphasized the need to provide a platform for Arab voices to be heard. It is absolutely true that at the core of the problems that we face in the Arab world is the fact that citizens are uninformed, or misinformed. Take, for example, the misinformation campaign that surrounded the Qatar crisis. This is relevant on so many levels and explains most of the development issues we have, and why we are still either developing or undeveloped nations. Across the Arab world, people are being suffocated, and we have had enough of our regimes’ oppression. We are devoid of the right to freely express and share our opinions, let alone the right to participate in governing our own affairs. When the Arab Spring broke in 2010-11, we were full of hope that a wave of change was finally coming our way. But as the world witnessed, this wave was either kept at bay (Egypt, Yemen), or put down with brutal crackdowns (Syria, Bahrain). Tunisia was the only success story. The Arab Spring and the revolutions it produced are one way in which change could happen within the political systems across the Middle East. The other way is a slow, guided and deliberate transformation. For this transformation to happen, an essential element is to have informed participants, for in an ideal world, a true and just democracy that we all dream of is hinged on the inclusion of all citizens in the political process. However, this is not relevant for the current state of politics across the region where, democratically speaking, the standard falls below absolute zero. What is relevant is the importance of having informed citizens as a precursor to change. When most of the citizens are misinformed and controlled through the government narrative, it is easy for the dictator to control, and keep controlling, the population. For example, just a day after its launch in 2015, the Bahraini authorities have ordered the shutting down of Al Arab TV channel, then under Khashoggi’s management. The reason for censorship was an interview with a figure from Bahrain’s Shia opposition. A stark example of this approach is also found in the way the Saudi media has covered the disappearance and presumed murder of Khashoggi before finally admitting he was killed inside the consulate. The whole narrative revolved around a conspiracy theory in which the state of Qatar and Khashoggi’s fiancée were to blame. The story went that the journalist had disappeared after he left the consulate and was kidnapped by Qatar in order to initiate a diplomatic rift and a conflict between Turkey and Saudi Arabia. You couldn’t see any other version of events in the Saudi media. Even columnists and writers capitalized on this tragedy — or, more precisely, crime — to defend and praise the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), who is largely believed to have been involved in the murder plot. Because of this, the Saudis did (and do) genuinely believe that MBS is innocent, and that the government is under an unjust attack. So, if a government manages to misinform its public about what happened to Khashoggi so easily, even though the prevalent counternarrative is much stronger and supported by evidence and logic, imagine how easy it is to misinform the public on other matters. However, we, the change-makers — dissidents and activists — believe that we can counter this brutal attack on the access to information thanks to the internet, using Twitter and other information-sharing platforms to spread the counternarrative that governments try to block. These are also platforms to freely voice our opinions and takes on public affairs (for lack of alternative forums like parliament). Outlets like Al Jazeera also fill this gap. The Qatari news network has revolutionized news coverage in the Arab region. It is today the number one source for a holistic coverage of events in the Arab world and beyond and a source of reliable information. As such, it constitutes an existential threat to regimes like that of the House of Saud, and that is why it comes under attack by Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. Jamal Khashoggi’s last words are wisdom. His sound analysis is a reflection of a deep insight into the problem and the solution. We all share his position and we will work to attain our rights starting by freedom of expression. (Rasheed Alameer is a political dissident and activist from Saudi Arabia) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Continuing Jamal Khashoggi’s fight for free expression in the Arab world

Riyadh Saturday dismissed Ankara's calls to extradite 18 Saudis wanted for the murder of critic Jamal Khashoggi, as Washington warned the crisis risked destabilising the Middle East.

"The individuals are Saudi nationals. They're detained in Saudi Arabia, and the investigation is in Saudi Arabia, and they will be prosecuted in Saudi Arabia," Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told a regional defence forum in Bahrain.

He was responding to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who on Friday renewed his call for the 18 men to be extradited for trial in Turkey.

Khashoggi, 59, who had lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since 2017, vanished after entering the consulate on October 2 to obtain paperwork for his marriage to his Turkish fiancee.

Gruesome reports have alleged that he was murdered and his body dismembered by a team sent from Saudi Arabia to silence the Washington Post columnist, who had criticised Saudi's powerful Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.

After weeks of denials, Riyadh has sought to draw a line under the crisis with an investigation.

Prince Mohammad, heir to the oil-rich nation's throne, publicly denounced the murder as "repulsive", while the Saudi prosecutor acknowledged for the first time this week that based on the evidence of a Turkish investigation the killing had been "premeditated".

Riyadh Saturday dismissed Ankara's calls to extradite 18 Saudis wanted for the murder of critic Jamal Khashoggi, as Washington warned the crisis risked destabilising the Middle East.

Riyadh Saturday dismissed Ankara's calls to extradite 18 Saudis wanted for the murder of critic Jamal Khashoggi, as Washington warned the crisis risked destabilising the Middle East. "The individuals are Saudi nationals. They're detained in Saudi Arabia, and the investigation is in Saudi Arabia, and they will be prosecuted in Saudi Arabia," Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told a regional defence forum in Bahrain. He was responding to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who on Friday renewed his call for the 18 men to be extradited for trial in Turkey. Khashoggi, 59, who had lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since 2017, vanished after entering the consulate on October 2 to obtain paperwork for his marriage to his Turkish fiancee. Gruesome reports have alleged that he was murdered and his body dismembered by a team sent from Saudi Arabia to silence the Washington Post columnist, who had criticised Saudi's powerful Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. After weeks of denials, Riyadh has sought to draw a line under the crisis with an investigation. Prince Mohammad, heir to the oil-rich nation's throne, publicly denounced the murder as "repulsive", while the Saudi prosecutor acknowledged for the first time this week that based on the evidence of a Turkish investigation the killing had been "premeditated".

Saudi Arabia rejects Turkey call to extradite Khashoggi killers

Saudi Arabia will prosecute the suspects in the killing of journalist <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/khashoggi-was-dead-in-twenty-minutes-says-tura-khislakchi-as-he-unfolds-the-incident-to-wion-173771">Jamal Khashoggi</a>, Riyadh's foreign minister said Saturday in response to a call by Turkey for their extradition.&nbsp;

"On the issue of extradition, the individuals are Saudi nationals. They're detained in Saudi Arabia, and the investigation is in Saudi Arabia, and they will be prosecuted in Saudi Arabia," Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said at a regional defence forum in the Bahraini capital.

Jubeir's comments come the day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for the extradition of 18 Saudi nationals authorities say were involved in the murder of Khashoggi, a Saudi government critic killed in his country's consulate in Istanbul this month.&nbsp;

After denying knowledge of Khashoggi's whereabouts for nearly three weeks, Riyadh admitted Khashoggi's murder had been "premeditated" but denied the involvement of the kingdom's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.&nbsp;

"We will overcome it," Jubeir told the defence forum.&nbsp;

"The issue, as I said, is being investigated. We will know the truth. We will hold those responsible accountable. And we will put in place mechanisms to ensure it doesn't happen again."

Once an insider in Saudi royal circles, Khashoggi fell out of favour with the monarchy after Mohammed bin Salman was named heir to the throne last year.&nbsp;

The columnist went into self-imposed exile in the United States, where he wrote a column for The Washington Post, which was often critical of the crown prince.&nbsp;

Khashoggi was least seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 to complete paperwork for his wedding to his Turkish fiancee, Hatice Cengiz.

She has demanded punishment of everyone involved in his murder "from the highest to the lowest levels."

Saudi Arabia will prosecute the suspects in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Riyadh's foreign minister said Saturday in response to a call by Turkey for their extradition.

Saudi Arabia will prosecute the suspects in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Riyadh's foreign minister said Saturday in response to a call by Turkey for their extradition. "On the issue of extradition, the individuals are Saudi nationals. They're detained in Saudi Arabia, and the investigation is in Saudi Arabia, and they will be prosecuted in Saudi Arabia," Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said at a regional defence forum in the Bahraini capital. Jubeir's comments come the day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for the extradition of 18 Saudi nationals authorities say were involved in the murder of Khashoggi, a Saudi government critic killed in his country's consulate in Istanbul this month. After denying knowledge of Khashoggi's whereabouts for nearly three weeks, Riyadh admitted Khashoggi's murder had been "premeditated" but denied the involvement of the kingdom's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. "We will overcome it," Jubeir told the defence forum. "The issue, as I said, is being investigated. We will know the truth. We will hold those responsible accountable. And we will put in place mechanisms to ensure it doesn't happen again." Once an insider in Saudi royal circles, Khashoggi fell out of favour with the monarchy after Mohammed bin Salman was named heir to the throne last year. The columnist went into self-imposed exile in the United States, where he wrote a column for The Washington Post, which was often critical of the crown prince. Khashoggi was least seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 to complete paperwork for his wedding to his Turkish fiancee, Hatice Cengiz. She has demanded punishment of everyone involved in his murder "from the highest to the lowest levels."

Khashoggi's killers 'will be prosecuted in Saudi Arabia': Saudi FM

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/after-visiting-turkey-cia-chief-gina-haspel-submits-report-on-khashoggi-to-trump-173506">After visiting Turkey, CIA chief Gina Haspel submits </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/after-visiting-turkey-cia-chief-gina-haspel-submits-report-on-khashoggi-to-trump-173506">report</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/after-visiting-turkey-cia-chief-gina-haspel-submits-report-on-khashoggi-to-trump-173506"> on Khashoggi to Trump</a>

The head of the CIA on Thursday&nbsp;briefed US President Donald Trump on the latest&nbsp;developments in the investigation of the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi after a fact-finding mission to Turkey, officials said.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/fuel-prices-continue-to-decline-petrol-at-rs-8085-per-litre-diesel-at-rs-7473-per-litre-in-delhi-173498">Fuel prices continue to decline; Petrol at Rs 80.85 per litre, Diesel at Rs 74.73 per litre in Delhi</a>

The petrol price in Delhi was revised to Rs 80.85 per litre, while that in Mumbai was Rs 86.33 per litre after a reduction of 25 paise.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/googles-sundar-pichai-says-48-employees-were-fired-for-sexual-harassment-173488">Google's Sundar Pichai says 48 employees were fired for sexual harassment</a>

Google Inc Chief Executive Sundar Pichai said on Thursday the company had fired 48 employees for sexual harassment over the past two years.&nbsp;Pichai sent an email to Google employees in response to a New York Times story that was published earlier in the day.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/package-bombs-sent-to-trump-critics-lead-investigators-to-florida-report-173486">Package bombs sent to Trump critics lead investigators to Florida: Report</a>

The investigation into 10 pipe bombs sent to high-profile Democrats and critics of US&nbsp;President Donald Trump is focusing on leads in Florida, a federal law enforcement source said on Thursday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/design-of-bombs-targeting-trump-critics-came-from-internet-173495">Design of bombs targeting Trump critics came from </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/design-of-bombs-targeting-trump-critics-came-from-internet-173495">Internet</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/design-of-bombs-targeting-trump-critics-came-from-internet-173495">: Source</a>

Investigators believe that the design and instructions for&nbsp;building the bombs&nbsp;sent to several critics of US&nbsp;President Donald Trump this week were taken from the internet, a federal law enforcement official told Reuters on Thursday.

After visiting Turkey, CIA chief Gina Haspel submits report on Khashoggi to Trump The head of the CIA on Thursday briefed US President Donald Trump on the latest developments in the investigation of the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi after a fact-finding mission to Turkey, officials said.

After visiting Turkey, CIA chief Gina Haspel submits report on Khashoggi to Trump The head of the CIA on Thursday briefed US President Donald Trump on the latest developments in the investigation of the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi after a fact-finding mission to Turkey, officials said. Fuel prices continue to decline; Petrol at Rs 80.85 per litre, Diesel at Rs 74.73 per litre in Delhi The petrol price in Delhi was revised to Rs 80.85 per litre, while that in Mumbai was Rs 86.33 per litre after a reduction of 25 paise. Google's Sundar Pichai says 48 employees were fired for sexual harassment Google Inc Chief Executive Sundar Pichai said on Thursday the company had fired 48 employees for sexual harassment over the past two years. Pichai sent an email to Google employees in response to a New York Times story that was published earlier in the day. Package bombs sent to Trump critics lead investigators to Florida: Report The investigation into 10 pipe bombs sent to high-profile Democrats and critics of US President Donald Trump is focusing on leads in Florida, a federal law enforcement source said on Thursday. Design of bombs targeting Trump critics came from Internet: Source Investigators believe that the design and instructions for building the bombs sent to several critics of US President Donald Trump this week were taken from the internet, a federal law enforcement official told Reuters on Thursday.

The eldest son of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Salah, and his family have left the Gulf kingdom for Washington after the government lifted a travel ban, Human Rights Watch said Thursday.

Salah Khashoggi's departure came after he was photographed on Tuesday with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a condolence visit, staring coldly as the pair shook hands.

"Salah and his family are on a plane to (Washington) DC," Sarah Leah Whitson, the rights watchdog's executive director for the Middle East and North Africa, told AFP, citing a family friend.

Saudi Arabia's pro-government Okaz newspaper said Salah -- a dual US-Saudi citizen -- departed the kingdom on Wednesday, without offering any details.

Saudi officials did not respond to requests for comment, but Whitson said that they were apparently allowed to leave after a travel ban on Salah was lifted. 
Salah will join his other siblings who are based in the US, friends of the family told AFP.

"Jamal's family needs a place to be together where they feel safe to mourn their beloved one," said Randa Slim, director of conflict resolution at the Washington-based Middle East Institute, who knew the slain journalist personally.

"It is tragic that it took his death to get the Saudi authorities to grant them the freedom to travel," Slim told AFP.

An official in Washington said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had "raised the safety and security of the Khashoggi family members with the Saudi leadership", but declined to discuss the specifics of Salah's travel.

Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor, was killed on October 2 after a visit to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain paperwork before marrying his Turkish fiancee.

After first insisting Khashoggi left the consulate unharmed, Saudi authorities said he was killed in an argument that degenerated into a brawl.

Riyadh finally accepted on Thursday what Turkey had said virtually from the start -- that he was killed in a premeditated hit.

Saudi King Salman and Prince Mohammed met Salah and Khashoggi's brother Sahel at the royal palace in Riyadh on Tuesday.

The photo of the handshake with Prince Mohammed, who has faced a torrent of global criticism over the killing, went viral on social media, where rights activists demanded the immediate lifting of the travel ban.

Whitson said the end of travel restrictions on Salah had come as a huge relief. 
But she added: "We should keep in mind there are hundreds, if not thousands, of people in Saudi Arabia who face travel bans and are held in detention without any justice."

Saudi Arabia has sought to draw a line under the crisis over Khashoggi's murder, but has come under mounting pressure from sceptical world powers demanding answers and the whereabouts of his body.

US President Donald Trump has derided the killing as "one of the worst cover-ups" in history.

The eldest son of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Salah, and his family have left the Gulf kingdom for Washington after the government lifted a travel ban, Human Rights Watch said Thursday.

The eldest son of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Salah, and his family have left the Gulf kingdom for Washington after the government lifted a travel ban, Human Rights Watch said Thursday. Salah Khashoggi's departure came after he was photographed on Tuesday with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a condolence visit, staring coldly as the pair shook hands. "Salah and his family are on a plane to (Washington) DC," Sarah Leah Whitson, the rights watchdog's executive director for the Middle East and North Africa, told AFP, citing a family friend. Saudi Arabia's pro-government Okaz newspaper said Salah -- a dual US-Saudi citizen -- departed the kingdom on Wednesday, without offering any details. Saudi officials did not respond to requests for comment, but Whitson said that they were apparently allowed to leave after a travel ban on Salah was lifted. Salah will join his other siblings who are based in the US, friends of the family told AFP. "Jamal's family needs a place to be together where they feel safe to mourn their beloved one," said Randa Slim, director of conflict resolution at the Washington-based Middle East Institute, who knew the slain journalist personally. "It is tragic that it took his death to get the Saudi authorities to grant them the freedom to travel," Slim told AFP. An official in Washington said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had "raised the safety and security of the Khashoggi family members with the Saudi leadership", but declined to discuss the specifics of Salah's travel. Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor, was killed on October 2 after a visit to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain paperwork before marrying his Turkish fiancee. After first insisting Khashoggi left the consulate unharmed, Saudi authorities said he was killed in an argument that degenerated into a brawl. Riyadh finally accepted on Thursday what Turkey had said virtually from the start -- that he was killed in a premeditated hit. Saudi King Salman and Prince Mohammed met Salah and Khashoggi's brother Sahel at the royal palace in Riyadh on Tuesday. The photo of the handshake with Prince Mohammed, who has faced a torrent of global criticism over the killing, went viral on social media, where rights activists demanded the immediate lifting of the travel ban. Whitson said the end of travel restrictions on Salah had come as a huge relief. But she added: "We should keep in mind there are hundreds, if not thousands, of people in Saudi Arabia who face travel bans and are held in detention without any justice." Saudi Arabia has sought to draw a line under the crisis over Khashoggi's murder, but has come under mounting pressure from sceptical world powers demanding answers and the whereabouts of his body. US President Donald Trump has derided the killing as "one of the worst cover-ups" in history.

Khashoggi's son leaves Saudi Arabia for US after govt lifts travel ban

The Trump administration and the US defence industry are scrambling to save the few actual deals in the much-touted $110 billion arms package for Saudi Arabia as concerns rise about the role of the Kingdom's leadership over the death of a prominent critic.

President Donald Trump has hedged his criticism of Saudi leaders over the disappearance and death of US resident and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, insisting he does not want to imperil a "tremendous order" of $110 billion of weapons he says will support 500,000 US jobs - figures that experts say are highly exaggerated.

Khashoggi's killing in the Saudi consulate on October 2 has caused global outrage and raised questions about the possible role of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the powerful de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia who controls the kingdom's security services.

Riyadh has blamed a "rogue operation" and said the crown prince had no knowledge of the killing.

Working behind the scenes in Washington, a defence industry group has circulated talking points to industry executives, focusing on the importance of arms sales to US allies. Companies hope to preserve the deals on the Saudi list with near-term delivery dates in 2019 and 2020, ideally firming up the soft commitments made during Trump's trip in May 2017.

"Contingency Points On Defense Sales to Saudi Arabia" were emailed to defence contractors by the Aerospace Industry Association (AIA) in recent days, instructing executives to explain that stopping arms sales could reduce the US ability to influence foreign governments.

Talking points help executives promote their point of view when speaking with their own staff, suppliers, the media, government officials and elected officials.

The AIA email says the death of Khashoggi "sparked an important conversation about the United States' relationship with Saudi Arabia," and details two short responses to whether industry communicated with US government about Khashoggi and the scale of arms sales to Saudi Arabia last year before a lengthy response to the "jobs question."

Yet the answer, laid out in four bullet points, does not mention the numbers Trump has spoken about or any other estimates of possible job gains, instead touching on "economic impact" and explaining how weapons sales strengthen political-military relationships.

"When we sell American products to allies and partners, we can ensure our adversaries aren't able to supplant our political, military or economic ties," the document says.

AIA spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said she wouldn't comment on the details of the email sent to their members, adding they do not tell their members what to say on any given issue. AIA's executive committee includes the chief executives of the top five US defence contractors Lockheed Martin Corp, Northrop Grumman Corp, Boeing Co, Raytheon Co, and General Dynamics Corp.

Congress Concerned

Defence contractors have a lot to worry about. Republican Senator Bob Corker, who as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee can block foreign military arms sales, told reporters at the US Capitol that a defence contractor had come to see him at his office, and he had warned that – even before Khashoggi's death - it would not be a good time to try to push a major defence deal through Congress.

Speaking of Khashoggi's death Corker said: "I know that Congress will not let this idly go by. This is something that enrages people, as it should."

A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill in the House of Representatives on Wednesday that would stop most US arms sales to Saudi Arabia in response to Khashoggi's death.

Under mounting Congressional criticism the White House has also stepped up its efforts to save the Saudi arms sales package. Peter Navarro, Trump's White House trade chief and architect of his "Buy American" policy to ease restrictions on foreign arms sales, has been a significant voice during the Khashoggi affair in reinforcing to the president the importance of Saudi weapons deals and the US job implications, a senior US official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

At a roundtable with defence contractors at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona on Saturday, Trump and his aides sought to ease top executives concerns about future Saudi arms sales, assuring them that the President would do all he could to keep them on track, the official said.

Jobs, Payments

How Trump has arrived at the 500,000 jobs figure deal is unclear since the five biggest US defence contractors, who manufacture nearly every item on the Saudi list, now only employ 383,000 people.

Since the $110 billion package was first announced 18 months ago, some Saudi payments, like those to Lockheed Martin, for its frigates have begun to flow. But most of the other deals, such as a $13.5 billion THAAD missile defence system from Lockheed, have languished without a firm purchase agreement.

As it stands, the US State Department said it has begun processing over $14.5 billion of military sales to Saudi Arabia since Trump's trip.

Many of the remaining deals were either already negotiated under President Obama or were conditional in nature. Industry executives and government officials speaking on condition of anonymity said the Saudis wanted much of the military equipment only if the deals created new jobs the kingdom as a part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 initiative.

According to a 2017 draft list of deals in the arms package seen by Reuters about $95 billion were defined as memorandums of intent, non-binding commitments to buy.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Even before the disappearance of Khashoggi, Trump and Saudi King Salman discussed in a late September phone call the THAAD missile defence system deal, a Saudi official told Reuters earlier this month. The official said the deal could well be closed by the end of the year. The official was speaking before Saudi authorities admitted that Khashoggi had been killed inside the consulate, and it was unclear if the case would have any effect on the deal. 
Lockheed said this week they did not know when a firm agreement would be signed.

Saudi Arabia - seen as the linchpin of the Trump administration’s strategy to counter Iran’s influence in the Middle East - is a top buyer of US military equipment. Its imports totalled $65 billion between 2009 and 2016, according to the Government Accountability Office that monitors public finances and halting shipments to the kingdom would be inconceivable for the US defence industry.

Still, defence contractors and the administration worry deals could stall in Congress where Democrats and Republicans alike are alarmed by the Khashoggi case, which has laid bare the risks of downgrading human rights concerns amid the "Buy American" push.

Even before the news of his death, Democratic lawmakers have effectively blocked at least four military equipment deals from being finalised, leaving them in limbo, largely because of Saudi attacks that killed Yemeni civilians.

"This makes it more likely they'll expand holds to include systems that aren't necessarily controversial by themselves. It's a major concern," the senior administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The Trump administration and the US defence industry are scrambling to save the few actual deals in the much-touted $110 billion arms package for Saudi Arabia as concerns rise about the role of the Kingdom's leadership over the death of a prominent critic.

The Trump administration and the US defence industry are scrambling to save the few actual deals in the much-touted $110 billion arms package for Saudi Arabia as concerns rise about the role of the Kingdom's leadership over the death of a prominent critic. President Donald Trump has hedged his criticism of Saudi leaders over the disappearance and death of US resident and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, insisting he does not want to imperil a "tremendous order" of $110 billion of weapons he says will support 500,000 US jobs - figures that experts say are highly exaggerated. Khashoggi's killing in the Saudi consulate on October 2 has caused global outrage and raised questions about the possible role of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the powerful de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia who controls the kingdom's security services. Riyadh has blamed a "rogue operation" and said the crown prince had no knowledge of the killing. Working behind the scenes in Washington, a defence industry group has circulated talking points to industry executives, focusing on the importance of arms sales to US allies. Companies hope to preserve the deals on the Saudi list with near-term delivery dates in 2019 and 2020, ideally firming up the soft commitments made during Trump's trip in May 2017. "Contingency Points On Defense Sales to Saudi Arabia" were emailed to defence contractors by the Aerospace Industry Association (AIA) in recent days, instructing executives to explain that stopping arms sales could reduce the US ability to influence foreign governments. Talking points help executives promote their point of view when speaking with their own staff, suppliers, the media, government officials and elected officials. The AIA email says the death of Khashoggi "sparked an important conversation about the United States' relationship with Saudi Arabia," and details two short responses to whether industry communicated with US government about Khashoggi and the scale of arms sales to Saudi Arabia last year before a lengthy response to the "jobs question." Yet the answer, laid out in four bullet points, does not mention the numbers Trump has spoken about or any other estimates of possible job gains, instead touching on "economic impact" and explaining how weapons sales strengthen political-military relationships. "When we sell American products to allies and partners, we can ensure our adversaries aren't able to supplant our political, military or economic ties," the document says. AIA spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said she wouldn't comment on the details of the email sent to their members, adding they do not tell their members what to say on any given issue. AIA's executive committee includes the chief executives of the top five US defence contractors Lockheed Martin Corp, Northrop Grumman Corp, Boeing Co, Raytheon Co, and General Dynamics Corp. Congress Concerned Defence contractors have a lot to worry about. Republican Senator Bob Corker, who as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee can block foreign military arms sales, told reporters at the US Capitol that a defence contractor had come to see him at his office, and he had warned that – even before Khashoggi's death - it would not be a good time to try to push a major defence deal through Congress. Speaking of Khashoggi's death Corker said: "I know that Congress will not let this idly go by. This is something that enrages people, as it should." A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill in the House of Representatives on Wednesday that would stop most US arms sales to Saudi Arabia in response to Khashoggi's death. Under mounting Congressional criticism the White House has also stepped up its efforts to save the Saudi arms sales package. Peter Navarro, Trump's White House trade chief and architect of his "Buy American" policy to ease restrictions on foreign arms sales, has been a significant voice during the Khashoggi affair in reinforcing to the president the importance of Saudi weapons deals and the US job implications, a senior US official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. At a roundtable with defence contractors at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona on Saturday, Trump and his aides sought to ease top executives concerns about future Saudi arms sales, assuring them that the President would do all he could to keep them on track, the official said. Jobs, Payments How Trump has arrived at the 500,000 jobs figure deal is unclear since the five biggest US defence contractors, who manufacture nearly every item on the Saudi list, now only employ 383,000 people. Since the $110 billion package was first announced 18 months ago, some Saudi payments, like those to Lockheed Martin, for its frigates have begun to flow. But most of the other deals, such as a $13.5 billion THAAD missile defence system from Lockheed, have languished without a firm purchase agreement. As it stands, the US State Department said it has begun processing over $14.5 billion of military sales to Saudi Arabia since Trump's trip. Many of the remaining deals were either already negotiated under President Obama or were conditional in nature. Industry executives and government officials speaking on condition of anonymity said the Saudis wanted much of the military equipment only if the deals created new jobs the kingdom as a part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 initiative. According to a 2017 draft list of deals in the arms package seen by Reuters about $95 billion were defined as memorandums of intent, non-binding commitments to buy. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Even before the disappearance of Khashoggi, Trump and Saudi King Salman discussed in a late September phone call the THAAD missile defence system deal, a Saudi official told Reuters earlier this month. The official said the deal could well be closed by the end of the year. The official was speaking before Saudi authorities admitted that Khashoggi had been killed inside the consulate, and it was unclear if the case would have any effect on the deal. Lockheed said this week they did not know when a firm agreement would be signed. Saudi Arabia - seen as the linchpin of the Trump administration’s strategy to counter Iran’s influence in the Middle East - is a top buyer of US military equipment. Its imports totalled $65 billion between 2009 and 2016, according to the Government Accountability Office that monitors public finances and halting shipments to the kingdom would be inconceivable for the US defence industry. Still, defence contractors and the administration worry deals could stall in Congress where Democrats and Republicans alike are alarmed by the Khashoggi case, which has laid bare the risks of downgrading human rights concerns amid the "Buy American" push. Even before the news of his death, Democratic lawmakers have effectively blocked at least four military equipment deals from being finalised, leaving them in limbo, largely because of Saudi attacks that killed Yemeni civilians. "This makes it more likely they'll expand holds to include systems that aren't necessarily controversial by themselves. It's a major concern," the senior administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Trump, industry work behind the scenes to save Saudi arms package

The death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi is proving to be a blessing in disguise for cash- strapped Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. Khan’s blessing is also likely to offer Saudi Arabia geopolitical advantage.

On the principle of all good things are three, Khan struck gold on his second visit to the kingdom since coming to office in August.

Khan was rewarded for attending Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s showcase investors conference in Riyadh, dubbed Davos in the Desert, that was being shunned by numerous CEOs of Western financial institutions, tech entrepreneurs and media moguls as well as senior Western government officials because of the Khashoggi affair.

Saudi Arabia promised to deposit $3 billion in Pakistan’s central bank as balance of payments support and to defer up to $3 billion in payments for oil imports for a year.

Saudi Arabia declined Khan’s request for financial aid during his first visit to the kingdom in September but was willing to consider investing billions of dollars in a refinery in the Chinese-operated Arabian Sea port of Gwadar as well as in mining but was reluctant to acquiesce to Pakistani requests for financial relief.

Saudi Arabia’s subsequent agreement to provided finance is likely to help Khan reduce the size of the $8-12 billion bailout he is negotiating with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Speaking in an interview before leaving for Riyadh, Khan said he was attending the conference despite the “shocking” killing of&nbsp;Khashoggi because “unless we get loans from friendly countries or the IMF, we actually won’t have in another two or three months enough foreign exchange to service our debts or to pay for our imports. So we’re desperate at the moment.”

Pakistan’s foreign reserves dropped this month to $8.1 billion, a four-year low and barely enough to cover sovereign debt payments due through the end of the year. The current account deficit has swelled to about $18 billion.

Potential Saudi investment in the Reko Diq copper and gold mine as well as a refinery in Gwadar, both close to Pakistan’s border with Iran would give it a further foothold in the troubled province of Balochistan. Gwadar is a mere 70 kilometres down the coast from the Indian-backed Iranian port of Chabahar.

Pakistani militants reported last year that funds from the kingdom were flowing into the coffers of ultra-conservative anti-Shiite, anti-Iranian Sunni Muslim madrassahs or religious seminars in the region. It was unclear whether the funds originated with the Saudi government or Saudi nationals of Baloch descent and members of the two million-strong Pakistani Diaspora in the kingdom.

It was equally unclear how Saudi Arabia expected to capitalize on its rewarding of Khan in its competition with Iran for Pakistan’s favours.

Ensuring that Pakistan, home to the world’s largest Shiite minority, does not snuggle up too much to Iran has become even more crucial for Saudi Arabia as it seeks in the wake of Khashoggi’s death to enhance its indispensability to US President Donald J. Trump’s effort to isolate and cripple Iran economically, if not to engineer a change of regime in Tehran.

Trump sees Saudi Arabia as central to his strategy aimed at forcing the Islamic republic to halt its support for proxies in Yemen and Lebanon, withdraw its forces from Syria, and permanently dismantle its nuclear and ballistic missiles programs.

Saudi financial support means that Khan may find it more difficult to shield Pakistan from being sucked into the US-Saudi effort.

Insurgents last week kidnapped 14 Iranian security personnel, reportedly including Revolutionary Guards on the Iranian side of the border with Pakistan. Pakistan pledged to help liberate the abductees who are believed to have been taken across the border into Balochistan, long a militant and Baloch nationalist hotbed.

“Members of terrorist groups that are guided and supported by foreign forces carried this out through deceiving and bribing infiltrators,” the Guards said in a statement that appeared to blame Saudi Arabia and the United States without mentioning them by name.

The incident is likely to heighten Chinese concerns that in a worst-case scenario, Saudi investment rather than boosting economic activity and helping Gwadar get out of the starting blocks, could ensnare it too in one of the Middle East’s most debilitating conflicts.

China is further concerned that there would be a set of third-party eyes monitoring activity if and when it decides to use Gwadar not only for commercial purposes but also as a naval facility.

Saudi investment could further thwart potential Chinese plans to link the ports of Gwadar and Chabahar, a prospect that Pakistani and Iranian officials have in the past not excluded. With Saudi financial aid, that may no longer be an option that Khan can entertain.

Khan will have to take that into account when he travels to Beijing next week in a bid to secure Chinese financial support and convince Beijing to fast forward focusing the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a $45 billion plus infrastructure and energy generation-driven Belt and Road crown jewel, on issues such as job creation, manufacturing and agriculture.

Khan appeared to anticipate in his interview with Middle East Eye on the eve of his participation in the Riyadh investment conference that he would have reduced leeway by blaming the United States for increased tensions with Iran and hinting that Pakistan did not want to be drawn into conflict with the Islamic republic.

Said Khan: “The US-Iran situation is disturbing for all of us in the Muslim world... The last thing the Muslim world wants is another conflict. The worrying part is that the Trump administration is moving towards some sort of conflict with Iran.” 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi is proving to be a blessing in disguise for cash- strapped Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. Khan’s blessing is also likely to offer Saudi Arabia geopolitical advantage.

The death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi is proving to be a blessing in disguise for cash- strapped Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. Khan’s blessing is also likely to offer Saudi Arabia geopolitical advantage. On the principle of all good things are three, Khan struck gold on his second visit to the kingdom since coming to office in August. Khan was rewarded for attending Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s showcase investors conference in Riyadh, dubbed Davos in the Desert, that was being shunned by numerous CEOs of Western financial institutions, tech entrepreneurs and media moguls as well as senior Western government officials because of the Khashoggi affair. Saudi Arabia promised to deposit $3 billion in Pakistan’s central bank as balance of payments support and to defer up to $3 billion in payments for oil imports for a year. Saudi Arabia declined Khan’s request for financial aid during his first visit to the kingdom in September but was willing to consider investing billions of dollars in a refinery in the Chinese-operated Arabian Sea port of Gwadar as well as in mining but was reluctant to acquiesce to Pakistani requests for financial relief. Saudi Arabia’s subsequent agreement to provided finance is likely to help Khan reduce the size of the $8-12 billion bailout he is negotiating with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Speaking in an interview before leaving for Riyadh, Khan said he was attending the conference despite the “shocking” killing of Khashoggi because “unless we get loans from friendly countries or the IMF, we actually won’t have in another two or three months enough foreign exchange to service our debts or to pay for our imports. So we’re desperate at the moment.” Pakistan’s foreign reserves dropped this month to $8.1 billion, a four-year low and barely enough to cover sovereign debt payments due through the end of the year. The current account deficit has swelled to about $18 billion. Potential Saudi investment in the Reko Diq copper and gold mine as well as a refinery in Gwadar, both close to Pakistan’s border with Iran would give it a further foothold in the troubled province of Balochistan. Gwadar is a mere 70 kilometres down the coast from the Indian-backed Iranian port of Chabahar. Pakistani militants reported last year that funds from the kingdom were flowing into the coffers of ultra-conservative anti-Shiite, anti-Iranian Sunni Muslim madrassahs or religious seminars in the region. It was unclear whether the funds originated with the Saudi government or Saudi nationals of Baloch descent and members of the two million-strong Pakistani Diaspora in the kingdom. It was equally unclear how Saudi Arabia expected to capitalize on its rewarding of Khan in its competition with Iran for Pakistan’s favours. Ensuring that Pakistan, home to the world’s largest Shiite minority, does not snuggle up too much to Iran has become even more crucial for Saudi Arabia as it seeks in the wake of Khashoggi’s death to enhance its indispensability to US President Donald J. Trump’s effort to isolate and cripple Iran economically, if not to engineer a change of regime in Tehran. Trump sees Saudi Arabia as central to his strategy aimed at forcing the Islamic republic to halt its support for proxies in Yemen and Lebanon, withdraw its forces from Syria, and permanently dismantle its nuclear and ballistic missiles programs. Saudi financial support means that Khan may find it more difficult to shield Pakistan from being sucked into the US-Saudi effort. Insurgents last week kidnapped 14 Iranian security personnel, reportedly including Revolutionary Guards on the Iranian side of the border with Pakistan. Pakistan pledged to help liberate the abductees who are believed to have been taken across the border into Balochistan, long a militant and Baloch nationalist hotbed. “Members of terrorist groups that are guided and supported by foreign forces carried this out through deceiving and bribing infiltrators,” the Guards said in a statement that appeared to blame Saudi Arabia and the United States without mentioning them by name. The incident is likely to heighten Chinese concerns that in a worst-case scenario, Saudi investment rather than boosting economic activity and helping Gwadar get out of the starting blocks, could ensnare it too in one of the Middle East’s most debilitating conflicts. China is further concerned that there would be a set of third-party eyes monitoring activity if and when it decides to use Gwadar not only for commercial purposes but also as a naval facility. Saudi investment could further thwart potential Chinese plans to link the ports of Gwadar and Chabahar, a prospect that Pakistani and Iranian officials have in the past not excluded. With Saudi financial aid, that may no longer be an option that Khan can entertain. Khan will have to take that into account when he travels to Beijing next week in a bid to secure Chinese financial support and convince Beijing to fast forward focusing the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a $45 billion plus infrastructure and energy generation-driven Belt and Road crown jewel, on issues such as job creation, manufacturing and agriculture. Khan appeared to anticipate in his interview with Middle East Eye on the eve of his participation in the Riyadh investment conference that he would have reduced leeway by blaming the United States for increased tensions with Iran and hinting that Pakistan did not want to be drawn into conflict with the Islamic republic. Said Khan: “The US-Iran situation is disturbing for all of us in the Muslim world... The last thing the Muslim world wants is another conflict. The worrying part is that the Trump administration is moving towards some sort of conflict with Iran.” (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Khashoggi crisis a blessing in disguise for Imran Khan

Trump hints Saudi prince could be behind Khashoggi's murder

Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi's "heinous murder" would have been unthinkable "without US backing," Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday.

"I don't think that any country would dare do such a thing without US backing," Rouhani said in remarks to cabinet broadcast on state television.

Rouhani said that before Khashoggi's murder "it would have been unthinkable that in this day and age we would witness such an organised felony.

"It is extremely significant that an institution planned such a heinous murder.

"The tribal group that is ruling that nation (Saudi Arabia) has a security margin. That security margin is that it relies on US backing. It is this superpower that is backing them."

Khashoggi, a government critic who was living in self-imposed exile in the United States, was murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 as he organised the paperwork for his marriage to his Turkish fiancee.

The case has triggered an international outcry against Saudi Arabia. US President Donald Trump on Tuesday ridiculed Riyadh's response as "one of the worst cover-ups" in history.

Iran had been silent about the Khashoggi case until Monday when its judiciary chief slammed Saudi Arabia over his death.

"This heinous murder further revealed the nature of Saudis, their kingdom and that young man who is seeking fame and murdering innocent people," Sadegh Amoli Larijani was quoted as saying by the judiciary's news agency Mizan Online, apparently referring to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.

'Child-killing regime'

Iran has closely followed the backlash faced by its regional rival Saudi Arabia over the Khashoggi murder.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Wednesday lashed out at the US Treasury for sanctioning two Iranian Revolutionary Guard officers who allegedly provided training, financial and logistical support to Afghanistan's Taliban.

"To deflect from headlines on Saudi brutality in Istanbul and across Yemen, US Treasury -- while in Saudi Arabia, no less -- sanctions Iran for 'supporting' anti-Iran Taliban," he tweeted.

The sanctions were announced by the Riyadh-based Terrorist Financing Targeting Center on Tuesday.

Separately Saudi Arabia and Bahrain also on Tuesday designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and three of its officers, including Quds Force commander Major General Qasem Soleimani, as terrorist sponsors.

"The House of Saud is seeking to divert international and regional public opinion away from the murder of Jamal Khashoggi," Brigadier General Esmail Kowsari of the Guards said, quoted by Mehr news agency.

"Saudi Arabia is stuck in a quagmire they can't get out of," Kowsari said, adding that the designation was an attempt to utilise the tactic of attack being the best form of defence.

"The murder of this journalist is one of the thousands of villainies committed by this child-killing regime, but they want to revolve the world’s attention away from themselves onto Iran," said Kowsari. 
&nbsp;

Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi's "heinous murder" would have been unthinkable "without US backing," Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday. "I don't think that any country would dare do such a thing without US backing," Rouhani said in remarks to cabinet broadcast on state television.

Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi's "heinous murder" would have been unthinkable "without US backing," Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday. "I don't think that any country would dare do such a thing without US backing," Rouhani said in remarks to cabinet broadcast on state television. Rouhani said that before Khashoggi's murder "it would have been unthinkable that in this day and age we would witness such an organised felony. "It is extremely significant that an institution planned such a heinous murder. "The tribal group that is ruling that nation (Saudi Arabia) has a security margin. That security margin is that it relies on US backing. It is this superpower that is backing them." Khashoggi, a government critic who was living in self-imposed exile in the United States, was murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 as he organised the paperwork for his marriage to his Turkish fiancee. The case has triggered an international outcry against Saudi Arabia. US President Donald Trump on Tuesday ridiculed Riyadh's response as "one of the worst cover-ups" in history. Iran had been silent about the Khashoggi case until Monday when its judiciary chief slammed Saudi Arabia over his death. "This heinous murder further revealed the nature of Saudis, their kingdom and that young man who is seeking fame and murdering innocent people," Sadegh Amoli Larijani was quoted as saying by the judiciary's news agency Mizan Online, apparently referring to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. 'Child-killing regime' Iran has closely followed the backlash faced by its regional rival Saudi Arabia over the Khashoggi murder. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Wednesday lashed out at the US Treasury for sanctioning two Iranian Revolutionary Guard officers who allegedly provided training, financial and logistical support to Afghanistan's Taliban. "To deflect from headlines on Saudi brutality in Istanbul and across Yemen, US Treasury -- while in Saudi Arabia, no less -- sanctions Iran for 'supporting' anti-Iran Taliban," he tweeted. The sanctions were announced by the Riyadh-based Terrorist Financing Targeting Center on Tuesday. Separately Saudi Arabia and Bahrain also on Tuesday designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and three of its officers, including Quds Force commander Major General Qasem Soleimani, as terrorist sponsors. "The House of Saud is seeking to divert international and regional public opinion away from the murder of Jamal Khashoggi," Brigadier General Esmail Kowsari of the Guards said, quoted by Mehr news agency. "Saudi Arabia is stuck in a quagmire they can't get out of," Kowsari said, adding that the designation was an attempt to utilise the tactic of attack being the best form of defence. "The murder of this journalist is one of the thousands of villainies committed by this child-killing regime, but they want to revolve the world’s attention away from themselves onto Iran," said Kowsari.

Khashoggi murder unthinkable 'without US backing': Iran President Hassan Rouhani

By Nathaniel Handy

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey is once again back, center stage. The question this time is what he is doing there. The murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi has all the hallmarks of the dark side of the modern security state. But the affair was largely a story about Saudi Arabia and, to a lesser extent, its eternal ally and superpower benefactor, the United States.

The mix was that the whole affair played out on Turkish soil (if we exclude the soil beneath the Saudi Consulate). Until October 23, Erdogan remained tight-lipped. This is not surprising. Political elites are usually cautious when such intelligence and security activities spill into the public domain.

But this was an earthquake everyone knew was coming. You could hear the clock ticking. Why? Because — drip, drip drip — the leaks kept coming. Daily, the pro-government Turkish press was teasing out a story that the Saudis were clearly desperate to brush under the carpet. It was plain that more was going on here than met the eye.

There was speculation that such leaks were a warning from President Erdogan to the Saudi regime that Turkey could blow the story, but could also refrain with the right incentives. If so, were the incentives not forthcoming? Or was the plan all along to bleed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s regime dry?

Do nothing and be damned 
 
Let’s look at this from the Turkish government’s perspective. It mostly likely bugged the Saudi consulate. It had ample CCTV footage. It knew what had occurred, who had been involved and how. It could have said nothing, just like the Saudis. Just like what usually happens in such cases — especially in the open-ended case of a journalist who went missing.

But then, how likely was this story to stay hidden? Khashoggi didn’t go missing in Saudi Arabia or even in some non-descript hotel or apartment. He went missing — as his Turkish fiancée made clear — inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Given such circumstances, Ankara may well have calculated two things: Either the story would surface, or even if it didn’t, it would look so dirty as to leave a bad stain on anyone vaguely connected with it — including the Turkish authorities.

It’s reasonable to question at this point why the Saudis even executed such a brazen and thinly disguised plot. Fifteen intelligence and security men flown in overnight — several with close ties to the crown prince — and whisked away again just after Khashoggi’s disappearance. It’s like they were asking to be held to ransom by Turkey. Was this an inept operation or simply the action of a regime that didn’t expect to be closely scrutinized?

Whatever it was, for the Turkish government, the calculation seems to have been clear. This was an opportunity to be on the right side of the story. Not even President Erdogan’s enemies could outmaneuver him here. To the charge of playing politics with a journalist’s murder, the answer is simple: What would you have me do — conceal a crime when we have the evidence? To do so would simply put the Turkish president on par with the despots of the Middle East, and he knows it.

This was — at last — an opportunity not to be missed. Events have not been kind to Erdogan of late, but here was a gift. This is a situation in which the Turkish president perhaps feels vindicated after all the moral outrage that has been thrown at him from outside powers. It is a situation that plays out in two spheres: the Middle Eastern and Muslim world on one side, and the Western world on the other. In both, it plays well for Turkey.

Since the days of Turkey’s soft power outreach in the Middle East, prior to the Arab uprisings of 2010-11, the Turkish government has vied with Saudi Arabia for the mantle of leader of the Sunni world, if not the wider Muslim world. Such rivalry appeared to have been somewhat eclipsed by the Syrian Civil War, which turned Saudi Arabia and Turkey into potential allies against the Iranian backing of Shia regimes in Syria and Iraq.

But look more closely and this was never the case. Erdogan, with his close affinity to the Muslim Brotherhood, was never in the Saudi camp. The apparent triumph of political Islam during the early days of the Arab uprisings was a triumph for Turkey and Iran, not for Saudi Arabia. It was the Saudis who gave the nod to the 2013 coup d’état in Egypt, removing the Muslim Brotherhood from power after then-Prime Minister Erdogan’s high-profile visit and endorsement of the Brotherhood.

For all the ambiguities of the Turkish-Iranian relationship, the Saudi-led assault on Iranian interests, the blockade of Qatar in 2017, and the drive toward an American-Israeli-Saudi understanding over Palestine and the future Middle East order is an attack on political Islam and a threat to Turkey. In all these Saudi actions, Ankara has been a robust critic and supporter of the opposing side. President Erdogan has also been a steadfast champion of the Palestinian cause, in particular that of the beleaguered Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

A boost to Turkey's moral standing 
 
Given the erratic nature of the Saudi regime under Mohammed bin Salman’s guidance and its apparent willingness to raise stakes and tensions across the region, it seems somewhat surprising that they were not expecting some mudslinging. Yet in the grand scheme of things, that may not have seemed so bad. After all, the Khashoggi affair appears to have had negligible impact of the popularity of the crown prince at home. In fact, his agenda of social liberties for the middle classes is having the converse effect. It is dampening dissent.

What’s more, in the regional power struggle that has been laid bare by the Arab uprisings, power matters more than popularity to the Saudi regime. Saudi Arabia is an autocratic monarchy. The Saudis are also the key US ally, and that is their ace. Erdogan is a political figure of a very different type. He is a populist, elected to his office. He is instinctively against the US system of autocratic alliances in the Middle East, and he knows he has popular support in that.

The Khashoggi affair will not bring the Saudis to heel. That’s because, as Ankara well knows, its Western backers and arms suppliers will very soon find ways to circumnavigate the awkward moral questions surrounding the murder, as they have so many other moral questions in relation to Saudi Arabia. That is not what motivates President Erdogan. What motivates him is the opportunity to lead in the region, to take the moral high ground that lies so vacant, and in doing so to expose the Saudis and their Western backers to the popular verdict. 
 
(Nathaniel Handy is a writer and academic with over ten years of experience in international print and broadcast media.)

(This article was originally published on Fair Observer. Read the <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/middle_east_north_africa/recep-tayyip-erdogan-jamal-khashoggi-killing-murder-saudi-arabia-arab-world-news-39038/">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

By Nathaniel Handy President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey is once again back, center stage. The question this time is what he is doing there. The murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi has all the hallmarks of the dark side of the modern security state.

By Nathaniel Handy President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey is once again back, center stage. The question this time is what he is doing there. The murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi has all the hallmarks of the dark side of the modern security state. But the affair was largely a story about Saudi Arabia and, to a lesser extent, its eternal ally and superpower benefactor, the United States. The mix was that the whole affair played out on Turkish soil (if we exclude the soil beneath the Saudi Consulate). Until October 23, Erdogan remained tight-lipped. This is not surprising. Political elites are usually cautious when such intelligence and security activities spill into the public domain. But this was an earthquake everyone knew was coming. You could hear the clock ticking. Why? Because — drip, drip drip — the leaks kept coming. Daily, the pro-government Turkish press was teasing out a story that the Saudis were clearly desperate to brush under the carpet. It was plain that more was going on here than met the eye. There was speculation that such leaks were a warning from President Erdogan to the Saudi regime that Turkey could blow the story, but could also refrain with the right incentives. If so, were the incentives not forthcoming? Or was the plan all along to bleed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s regime dry? Do nothing and be damned Let’s look at this from the Turkish government’s perspective. It mostly likely bugged the Saudi consulate. It had ample CCTV footage. It knew what had occurred, who had been involved and how. It could have said nothing, just like the Saudis. Just like what usually happens in such cases — especially in the open-ended case of a journalist who went missing. But then, how likely was this story to stay hidden? Khashoggi didn’t go missing in Saudi Arabia or even in some non-descript hotel or apartment. He went missing — as his Turkish fiancée made clear — inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Given such circumstances, Ankara may well have calculated two things: Either the story would surface, or even if it didn’t, it would look so dirty as to leave a bad stain on anyone vaguely connected with it — including the Turkish authorities. It’s reasonable to question at this point why the Saudis even executed such a brazen and thinly disguised plot. Fifteen intelligence and security men flown in overnight — several with close ties to the crown prince — and whisked away again just after Khashoggi’s disappearance. It’s like they were asking to be held to ransom by Turkey. Was this an inept operation or simply the action of a regime that didn’t expect to be closely scrutinized? Whatever it was, for the Turkish government, the calculation seems to have been clear. This was an opportunity to be on the right side of the story. Not even President Erdogan’s enemies could outmaneuver him here. To the charge of playing politics with a journalist’s murder, the answer is simple: What would you have me do — conceal a crime when we have the evidence? To do so would simply put the Turkish president on par with the despots of the Middle East, and he knows it. This was — at last — an opportunity not to be missed. Events have not been kind to Erdogan of late, but here was a gift. This is a situation in which the Turkish president perhaps feels vindicated after all the moral outrage that has been thrown at him from outside powers. It is a situation that plays out in two spheres: the Middle Eastern and Muslim world on one side, and the Western world on the other. In both, it plays well for Turkey. Since the days of Turkey’s soft power outreach in the Middle East, prior to the Arab uprisings of 2010-11, the Turkish government has vied with Saudi Arabia for the mantle of leader of the Sunni world, if not the wider Muslim world. Such rivalry appeared to have been somewhat eclipsed by the Syrian Civil War, which turned Saudi Arabia and Turkey into potential allies against the Iranian backing of Shia regimes in Syria and Iraq. But look more closely and this was never the case. Erdogan, with his close affinity to the Muslim Brotherhood, was never in the Saudi camp. The apparent triumph of political Islam during the early days of the Arab uprisings was a triumph for Turkey and Iran, not for Saudi Arabia. It was the Saudis who gave the nod to the 2013 coup d’état in Egypt, removing the Muslim Brotherhood from power after then-Prime Minister Erdogan’s high-profile visit and endorsement of the Brotherhood. For all the ambiguities of the Turkish-Iranian relationship, the Saudi-led assault on Iranian interests, the blockade of Qatar in 2017, and the drive toward an American-Israeli-Saudi understanding over Palestine and the future Middle East order is an attack on political Islam and a threat to Turkey. In all these Saudi actions, Ankara has been a robust critic and supporter of the opposing side. President Erdogan has also been a steadfast champion of the Palestinian cause, in particular that of the beleaguered Hamas in the Gaza Strip. A boost to Turkey's moral standing Given the erratic nature of the Saudi regime under Mohammed bin Salman’s guidance and its apparent willingness to raise stakes and tensions across the region, it seems somewhat surprising that they were not expecting some mudslinging. Yet in the grand scheme of things, that may not have seemed so bad. After all, the Khashoggi affair appears to have had negligible impact of the popularity of the crown prince at home. In fact, his agenda of social liberties for the middle classes is having the converse effect. It is dampening dissent. What’s more, in the regional power struggle that has been laid bare by the Arab uprisings, power matters more than popularity to the Saudi regime. Saudi Arabia is an autocratic monarchy. The Saudis are also the key US ally, and that is their ace. Erdogan is a political figure of a very different type. He is a populist, elected to his office. He is instinctively against the US system of autocratic alliances in the Middle East, and he knows he has popular support in that. The Khashoggi affair will not bring the Saudis to heel. That’s because, as Ankara well knows, its Western backers and arms suppliers will very soon find ways to circumnavigate the awkward moral questions surrounding the murder, as they have so many other moral questions in relation to Saudi Arabia. That is not what motivates President Erdogan. What motivates him is the opportunity to lead in the region, to take the moral high ground that lies so vacant, and in doing so to expose the Saudis and their Western backers to the popular verdict. (Nathaniel Handy is a writer and academic with over ten years of experience in international print and broadcast media.) (This article was originally published on Fair Observer. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Why Erdogan had to act on Khashoggi killing

After Saudi Arabia agreed to provide financial assistance to Pakistan on Tuesday, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the package had eased pressure on Pak's depleting foreign exchange reserves.

He further added that soon Pakistan will become a country that would be offering loans to others instead of borrowing.&nbsp;

"The time is not far when Pakistan would be offering loans to the other countries instead of taking, stay strong, May Allah help us all", he said.

Praising Saudi Arabia's assistance he said that the financial package from Saudi will strengthen Pakistan's bargaining position in case the government approached the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout.

He said even if the government was forced to seek IMF assistance, it would not need as much money as it would have needed in the absence of the Saudi assistance.&nbsp;

Saudi Arabia's deal with Pakistan was announced on Tuesday after Imran Khan called on Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz. The country has assured Pakistan US $3 billion in foreign currency support for a year in addition to a loan worth up to US $3 billion in deferred payments.&nbsp;

"We were facing really hard times. We were under high pressure to pay heavy debts. But thanks to Saudi Arab's extension of assistance, we are out of the pressure," Khan said.

He said people should not worry as the difficult time would pass and Pakistan will emerge as a much stronger and prosperous country in the coming years.&nbsp;

He also hinted on taking financial assistance from two other "friendly countries".

Khan is set to visit Malaysia later this month and China on November 3.

Pakistan's Finance Minister Asad Umar recently said the country may need more than US $12 billion to plug its finances as the current-account deficit widens and foreign-currency reserves plummet.&nbsp;

The Khan criticised the previous governments and held them responsible for the current economic crisis.

He said the country's debt was Rs 6,000 billion in 2008 which snowballed to Rs 30,000 billion in 2018.

Khan said the government was doing audit of the massive debt and threatened that the corrupt element would face merciless accountability.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

After Saudi Arabia agreed to provide financial assistance to Pakistan on Tuesday, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the package had eased pressure on Pak's depleting foreign exchange reserves.

After Saudi Arabia agreed to provide financial assistance to Pakistan on Tuesday, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the package had eased pressure on Pak's depleting foreign exchange reserves. He further added that soon Pakistan will become a country that would be offering loans to others instead of borrowing. "The time is not far when Pakistan would be offering loans to the other countries instead of taking, stay strong, May Allah help us all", he said. Praising Saudi Arabia's assistance he said that the financial package from Saudi will strengthen Pakistan's bargaining position in case the government approached the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout. He said even if the government was forced to seek IMF assistance, it would not need as much money as it would have needed in the absence of the Saudi assistance. Saudi Arabia's deal with Pakistan was announced on Tuesday after Imran Khan called on Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz. The country has assured Pakistan US $3 billion in foreign currency support for a year in addition to a loan worth up to US $3 billion in deferred payments. "We were facing really hard times. We were under high pressure to pay heavy debts. But thanks to Saudi Arab's extension of assistance, we are out of the pressure," Khan said. He said people should not worry as the difficult time would pass and Pakistan will emerge as a much stronger and prosperous country in the coming years. He also hinted on taking financial assistance from two other "friendly countries". Khan is set to visit Malaysia later this month and China on November 3. Pakistan's Finance Minister Asad Umar recently said the country may need more than US $12 billion to plug its finances as the current-account deficit widens and foreign-currency reserves plummet. The Khan criticised the previous governments and held them responsible for the current economic crisis. He said the country's debt was Rs 6,000 billion in 2008 which snowballed to Rs 30,000 billion in 2018. Khan said the government was doing audit of the massive debt and threatened that the corrupt element would face merciless accountability. (With inputs from agencies)

Time is not far when Pakistan would be offering loans to other countries: Imran Khan

Saudi Royal family meets Khashoggi's kin

Saudi Arabia's USD 6 billion assistance package of loans and deferred payments to Pakistan will immediately relieve pressure on the cash-strapped government and improve its negotiating position during the tough bailout negotiations with the IMF, media reports said Wednesday.

In the deal announced Tuesday after Prime Minister Imran Khan called on Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Riyadh said it will give Pakistan USD 3 billion in foreign currency support for a year and a further loan worth up to USD 3 billion in deferred payments for oil imports.

Pakistan's Finance Minister Asad Umar recently said the country may need more than USD 12 billion to plug its finances as the current-account deficit widens and foreign-currency reserves plummet.

The Saudi assistance will immediately push the official foreign currency reserves back to double-digit in addition to lessening the stress on the external sector.

Saudi Arabia will place USD 3 billion cash deposits with the State Bank of Pakistan, in addition to providing a one-year deferred payment facility for the import of oil, worth up to USD 3 billion, according to the Pakistan Foreign Office.

The cash injection will immediately relieve pressure on the government and improve its negotiating position during the upcoming programme loan talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), starting from November 7, the Express Tribune said.

The cash assistance will lower the requirements to devalue the rupee, as the one-off assistance will for the time being improve the macroeconomic projections, the report quoted some independent economists as saying.

The Saudi package may provide breathing space to the government for dealing with economic challenges, but would not be enough to avoid the IMF facility, the Dawn newspaper reported.

It is believed that improved foreign exchange reserves would strengthen Pakistan's negotiating position in talks with the IMF, it added.

The situation could further improve if China also makes some commitments to rescue its 'all-weather friend', it said, noting that Khan is scheduled to travel to China on November 3 for his first visit.

Saudi Arabia agreed to bail out Pakistan during the second visit of the prime minister, as the agreement could not be reached during his September visit to the kingdom, it said.

Prime minister Khan is keen to avoid the IMF bailout package and had requested Saudi Arabia, China and the United Arab Emirates for placement of deposits in the central bank to artificially inflate the foreign currency reserves, it said.

Earlier, Saudi Arabia gave USD 1.5 billion grant in 2014 when Pakistan's economy was facing similar pressures.

Saudi Arabia had also given oil on deferred payments in the 1990s, but Pakistan never repaid the amount, according to the officials of the finance ministry.

Pakistan is in search of USD 12 billion foreign loans and aid to avoid default on international debt obligations, as the country is required to return USD 11.7 billion loans to foreign countries. 
&nbsp;

Saudi Arabia's USD 6 billion assistance package of loans and deferred payments to Pakistan will immediately relieve pressure on the cash-strapped government and improve its negotiating position during the tough bailout negotiations with the IMF, media reports said Wednesday.

Saudi Arabia's USD 6 billion assistance package of loans and deferred payments to Pakistan will immediately relieve pressure on the cash-strapped government and improve its negotiating position during the tough bailout negotiations with the IMF, media reports said Wednesday. In the deal announced Tuesday after Prime Minister Imran Khan called on Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Riyadh said it will give Pakistan USD 3 billion in foreign currency support for a year and a further loan worth up to USD 3 billion in deferred payments for oil imports. Pakistan's Finance Minister Asad Umar recently said the country may need more than USD 12 billion to plug its finances as the current-account deficit widens and foreign-currency reserves plummet. The Saudi assistance will immediately push the official foreign currency reserves back to double-digit in addition to lessening the stress on the external sector. Saudi Arabia will place USD 3 billion cash deposits with the State Bank of Pakistan, in addition to providing a one-year deferred payment facility for the import of oil, worth up to USD 3 billion, according to the Pakistan Foreign Office. The cash injection will immediately relieve pressure on the government and improve its negotiating position during the upcoming programme loan talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), starting from November 7, the Express Tribune said. The cash assistance will lower the requirements to devalue the rupee, as the one-off assistance will for the time being improve the macroeconomic projections, the report quoted some independent economists as saying. The Saudi package may provide breathing space to the government for dealing with economic challenges, but would not be enough to avoid the IMF facility, the Dawn newspaper reported. It is believed that improved foreign exchange reserves would strengthen Pakistan's negotiating position in talks with the IMF, it added. The situation could further improve if China also makes some commitments to rescue its 'all-weather friend', it said, noting that Khan is scheduled to travel to China on November 3 for his first visit. Saudi Arabia agreed to bail out Pakistan during the second visit of the prime minister, as the agreement could not be reached during his September visit to the kingdom, it said. Prime minister Khan is keen to avoid the IMF bailout package and had requested Saudi Arabia, China and the United Arab Emirates for placement of deposits in the central bank to artificially inflate the foreign currency reserves, it said. Earlier, Saudi Arabia gave USD 1.5 billion grant in 2014 when Pakistan's economy was facing similar pressures. Saudi Arabia had also given oil on deferred payments in the 1990s, but Pakistan never repaid the amount, according to the officials of the finance ministry. Pakistan is in search of USD 12 billion foreign loans and aid to avoid default on international debt obligations, as the country is required to return USD 11.7 billion loans to foreign countries.

Saudi help to give breathing space to Pakistan government: Pakistan finance minister

WION Gravitas: Saudis face risk of sanctions over Khashoggi's murder

Imran Khan's aide has denied the existence of an interview where the prime minister had said that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/pakistan/pakistan-is-desperately-looking-for-loans-imran-khan-at-saudi-investment-conference-172963">Pakistan was "desperate" for financial help from Saudi</a>.&nbsp;

"PM did not give any interview. A delegation of foreigners touring Pakistan called on him and were told about the state of affairs we are faced with. Why can't senior journalists like you get our version",&nbsp;Special Assistant to Pakistan's Prime Minister, Naeem ul Haque said.

In an interview to journalists on October 20 Imran Khan had said that even though Pakistan was concerned about the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, they were "desperate" for financial help from Saudi Arabia.

Khan who is currently in Riyadh is on his second visit to Saudi Arabia in just over a month.&nbsp;He has however not been able to secure significant financial assistance to stave off a looming balance of payments crisis in Pakistan.

In response to Haque, Amanda Coakley, a freelance Irish journalist who was a part of a UK media delegation that conducted the interview, stated that Naeem ul Haque was present in the room when the "on-the-record interview" took place.

She tweeted, "I beg to differ Mr ul Haque. On Sunday 14th three British journalists and myself an Irish journalist went to Pak as part of a UK Media Delegation and were offered an interview with PM Khan. On Saturday 20th we met the PM and conducted an on-the-record interview which lasted 1 hour and 12 minutes. You were in attendance as was Mr Fawad Chaudhry and Mr Sarfraz Hussain, picture attached".

She also mentioned that the interview had been recorded on "different devices" by "all journalists present".

(With inputs from agencies)

Imran Khan's aide has denied the existence of an interview where the prime minister had said that Pakistan was "desperate" for financial help from Saudi. "PM did not give any interview.

Imran Khan's aide has denied the existence of an interview where the prime minister had said that Pakistan was "desperate" for financial help from Saudi. "PM did not give any interview. A delegation of foreigners touring Pakistan called on him and were told about the state of affairs we are faced with. Why can't senior journalists like you get our version", Special Assistant to Pakistan's Prime Minister, Naeem ul Haque said. In an interview to journalists on October 20 Imran Khan had said that even though Pakistan was concerned about the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, they were "desperate" for financial help from Saudi Arabia. Khan who is currently in Riyadh is on his second visit to Saudi Arabia in just over a month. He has however not been able to secure significant financial assistance to stave off a looming balance of payments crisis in Pakistan. In response to Haque, Amanda Coakley, a freelance Irish journalist who was a part of a UK media delegation that conducted the interview, stated that Naeem ul Haque was present in the room when the "on-the-record interview" took place. She tweeted, "I beg to differ Mr ul Haque. On Sunday 14th three British journalists and myself an Irish journalist went to Pak as part of a UK Media Delegation and were offered an interview with PM Khan. On Saturday 20th we met the PM and conducted an on-the-record interview which lasted 1 hour and 12 minutes. You were in attendance as was Mr Fawad Chaudhry and Mr Sarfraz Hussain, picture attached". She also mentioned that the interview had been recorded on "different devices" by "all journalists present". (With inputs from agencies)

Imran Khan's aide denies interview where the PM said, 'desperate for help from Saudi'

A day after Pakistan announced Saudi's assent to provide rescue aid to the country, Pakistani shares escalated 3.3 per cent in early trading on Wednesday.

The Pakistan Stock Exchange's benchmark 100-share index rose 1,256.29 points to trade at 38,971.19 at 10.34 am (0534 GMT), according to the bourse's website.

Islamabad on Tuesday said that Saudi Arabi had agreed to give Pakistan $3 billion in foreign currency support for a year and a further loan worth up to $3 billion in deferred payments for oil imports to help revive the country looming under economic crisis.

The agreement was announced as the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/pakistan/pakistan-is-desperately-looking-for-loans-imran-khan-at-saudi-investment-conference-172963">new Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan&nbsp;</a>attended a Saudi investment conference in Riyadh on Tuesday.

(With inputs from agencies)

A day after Pakistan announced Saudi's assent to provide rescue aid to the country, Pakistani shares escalated 3.3 per cent in early trading on Wednesday. The Pakistan Stock Exchange's benchmark 100-share index rose 1,256.

A day after Pakistan announced Saudi's assent to provide rescue aid to the country, Pakistani shares escalated 3.3 per cent in early trading on Wednesday. The Pakistan Stock Exchange's benchmark 100-share index rose 1,256.29 points to trade at 38,971.19 at 10.34 am (0534 GMT), according to the bourse's website. Islamabad on Tuesday said that Saudi Arabi had agreed to give Pakistan $3 billion in foreign currency support for a year and a further loan worth up to $3 billion in deferred payments for oil imports to help revive the country looming under economic crisis. The agreement was announced as the new Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan attended a Saudi investment conference in Riyadh on Tuesday. (With inputs from agencies)

Pakistani stocks jump 3.3% on Saudi offer of $6 billion rescue package

Saudi Arabia on Tuesday hosted the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/west-asia/journalist-khashoggis-murder-us-official-meets-saudi-crown-prince-despite-global-backlash-172896">"Future Investment Initiative" popularly</a> known as "Davos in the Desert" even as the controversy over journalist Jamal Khashoggi's killing continued to hit global headlines.

Several high profiles corporate head honchos JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon, Ford executive chairman Bill Ford including International Monetary Fund chief(IMF) chief Christine Lagarde and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had pulled out earlier.

Siemens CEO Joe Kaeser was the latest big name to quit the summit even as top ministers from Britain, France and Germany decided to stay away in a big blow to Prince Salman's initiative to showcase Saudi Arabia as an investment destination.

However, Pakistan PM Imran Khan decided to attend the marquee event despite high profile pullouts in order to look for funds to salvage the country's deteriorating balance of payment crisis.

"PM Imran signifies our solidarity with the kingdom in its efforts to become an emerging hub of international business and investment,” the foreign ministry said in the statement.

“The conference provides an opportunity to interact with important business leaders who are interested in investing in Pakistan," the statement added.

Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin who decided to stay away from the high profile conference faced a global backlash after he met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at a close door meeting.

President Trump ha said earlier on that he was "not satisfied" with Saudi Arabia's explanation on how Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.&nbsp;

Turkey had declared on Monday that Jamal Khashoggi's death was &nbsp;"savagely planned" as it promised to reveal the "naked truth" related to his murder.

"This was extremely savagely planned, and we are faced with a situation where there has been a lot of effort to whitewash this," Justice and Development Party (AKP) spokesman Omer Celik said.

"This is a very complicated murder," Celik added.

Turkish government officials have said a team of 15 Saudis were sent to Istanbul to kill Khashoggi who was a vocal critic of the Saudi regime and regular opinion writer for the Washington Post.

Saudi Arabia on Tuesday hosted the "Future Investment Initiative" popularly known as "Davos in the Desert" even as the controversy over journalist Jamal Khashoggi's killing continued to hit global headlines.

Saudi Arabia on Tuesday hosted the "Future Investment Initiative" popularly known as "Davos in the Desert" even as the controversy over journalist Jamal Khashoggi's killing continued to hit global headlines. Several high profiles corporate head honchos JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon, Ford executive chairman Bill Ford including International Monetary Fund chief(IMF) chief Christine Lagarde and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had pulled out earlier. Siemens CEO Joe Kaeser was the latest big name to quit the summit even as top ministers from Britain, France and Germany decided to stay away in a big blow to Prince Salman's initiative to showcase Saudi Arabia as an investment destination. However, Pakistan PM Imran Khan decided to attend the marquee event despite high profile pullouts in order to look for funds to salvage the country's deteriorating balance of payment crisis. "PM Imran signifies our solidarity with the kingdom in its efforts to become an emerging hub of international business and investment,” the foreign ministry said in the statement. “The conference provides an opportunity to interact with important business leaders who are interested in investing in Pakistan," the statement added. Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin who decided to stay away from the high profile conference faced a global backlash after he met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at a close door meeting. President Trump ha said earlier on that he was "not satisfied" with Saudi Arabia's explanation on how Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Turkey had declared on Monday that Jamal Khashoggi's death was "savagely planned" as it promised to reveal the "naked truth" related to his murder. "This was extremely savagely planned, and we are faced with a situation where there has been a lot of effort to whitewash this," Justice and Development Party (AKP) spokesman Omer Celik said. "This is a very complicated murder," Celik added. Turkish government officials have said a team of 15 Saudis were sent to Istanbul to kill Khashoggi who was a vocal critic of the Saudi regime and regular opinion writer for the Washington Post.

Saudi Arabia hosts international investment summit despite Khashoggi killing backlash

The most serious threat to the Saudi version is in the hands of Turkish intelligence. Ankara might determine the nature of relations between Riyadh and Washington, and the question is – what will it want to make of the scandal?

Has the formula been found for the lie that absolves Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of responsibility for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi?

Is the kingdom’s latest version, according to which the Saudi journalist died in a fist fight with a number of Saudis who were arrested last week, enough to salvage Donald Trump’s precious $110 billion arms deal?&nbsp;

The US president rushed to declare the Saudi explanation “credible.” It’s possible that someone who dispenses lies on a daily basis knows the difference between credible and incredible lies. But anyone who chooses to believe the Saudi version must ask a few nagging questions.

The first pertains to the location of Khashoggi’s body, whole or otherwise. If he died in a brawl, why was it necessary to dismember the corpse? What were 15 Saudi security officers doing at the consulate? Why did the crown prince lie when he said he didn’t know about Khashoggi’s murder, and why did the Saudis say the journalist left the consulate shortly after arriving, which is why he could not be found?&nbsp;

But, even if these contradictions can be papered over with a credible cover story, the dismissal of senior Saudi intelligence official General Ahmed al-Asiri and Saud al-Qahtani, both of them close advisers to Crown Prince Mohammed, has pulled the rug out from under the official version. If the two knew about the murder, or perhaps even ordered it, this cannot have been without the knowledge of Saudi General Intelligence Khalid al-Humaidan. And if Humaidan, whose head hasn’t rolled yet, knew about it, so did the crown prince.&nbsp;

One should treat with suspicion these dismissals, as well as King Salman’s establishment of a commission of inquiry, under Crown Prince Mohammed, that has also been tasked with reorganising the kingdom’s intelligence services. Asiri and Qahtani, who were appointed by the crown prince, will most likely win new appointments: they know too much about the crown prince and his military and economic failures.&nbsp;

Asiri was previously a spokesman for the Saudi forces operating in Yemen, heading PR efforts to justify the war as benefiting international interests and to absolve Saudi Arabia from responsibility for the deaths of thousands of civilians in Yemen. Qahtani, meanwhile, directed the Saudi media from behind the scenes, operating social networks while shaping a positive image for the crown prince in Arab and international media.&nbsp;

But, the most serious threat to the Saudi story and an American seal of approval is in Turkish intelligence headquarters in Ankara. Turkish listening devices and sensitive cameras have already yielded most of the horrific details of Khashoggi’s murder. Turkey claims the Saudis are cooperating with Turkish investigators, who are sharing their findings with their US counterparts, American intelligence agencies, but no one knows what is being held back from publication. Turkey, which changed from a Saudi rival to its enemy in the wake of the incident, is the main target of criticism of Saudi Arabia and its allies.&nbsp;

Ankara is not accepting Saudi explanations regarding Khashoggi’s death. A spokesman for the ruling Justice and Development Party, Omer Celik, has said that Turkey will get to the bottom of Khashoggi’s disappearance and death.&nbsp;

His remark suggests that Turkey, to the extent that it has the evidence to back its claims, will determine the nature of future relations between Riyadh and Washington. If it has a recording of the murderers calling Crown Prince Mohammed to announce “mission accomplished,” or a record of the crown prince calling them during their stay in Turkey, Trump will have to re-examine, if not disavow, his support for the new Saudi version of events.&nbsp;

The question is whether and how Turkey might want to leverage the Khashoggi affair, which is evolving from a mafia-style hit by Saudi intelligence operatives into an international incident obligating Western countries to manoeuvre carefully vis-a-vis Riyadh, caught between pressure to guarantee a transparent investigation of the murder and the need to preserve their political and economic interests. Theoretically, Turkey could demand political “hush money” such as the lifting of the Saudi embargo on Qatar in exchange for freezing the investigation or accepting the Saudi version. This is a high price, which the crown prince is unlikely to pay, but if the demand comes with American pressure and mediation, it could serve the interests of all sides.&nbsp;

Khashoggi’s murder poses a dilemma for Saudi Arabia’s allies. For now, only Trump is willing to pull Riyadh’s chestnuts out of the fire. His decision will clearly and greatly affect the future of the investigation as well as international responses towards Saudi Arabia.&nbsp;

Interestingly, no leader, including Turkey’s president, has called for sanctions like the ones imposed on Russia for assassinating former agents and dissident journalists. Perhaps that’s because Western states still regard the killing of a journalist by an Arab government as infuriating but not inconceivable, particularly since this was done in another Muslim state, which treats its own journalists as criminals.&nbsp;

Russia, on the other hand, is perceived as part of the “civilised” world, committing its assassinations in the heart of Europe. Saudi Arabia, however, is seen as pro-Western by virtue of its membership in the alliance against Iran. As a result, even if it is far removed from embracing Western values, it enjoys certain “discounts” that the anti-Western resistance front members, Russia and China, do not.

(This article was originally published on DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-more-queries-than-answers-2678020">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The most serious threat to the Saudi version is in the hands of Turkish intelligence. Ankara might determine the nature of relations between Riyadh and Washington, and the question is – what will it want to make of the scandal?

The most serious threat to the Saudi version is in the hands of Turkish intelligence. Ankara might determine the nature of relations between Riyadh and Washington, and the question is – what will it want to make of the scandal? Has the formula been found for the lie that absolves Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of responsibility for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi? Is the kingdom’s latest version, according to which the Saudi journalist died in a fist fight with a number of Saudis who were arrested last week, enough to salvage Donald Trump’s precious $110 billion arms deal? The US president rushed to declare the Saudi explanation “credible.” It’s possible that someone who dispenses lies on a daily basis knows the difference between credible and incredible lies. But anyone who chooses to believe the Saudi version must ask a few nagging questions. The first pertains to the location of Khashoggi’s body, whole or otherwise. If he died in a brawl, why was it necessary to dismember the corpse? What were 15 Saudi security officers doing at the consulate? Why did the crown prince lie when he said he didn’t know about Khashoggi’s murder, and why did the Saudis say the journalist left the consulate shortly after arriving, which is why he could not be found? But, even if these contradictions can be papered over with a credible cover story, the dismissal of senior Saudi intelligence official General Ahmed al-Asiri and Saud al-Qahtani, both of them close advisers to Crown Prince Mohammed, has pulled the rug out from under the official version. If the two knew about the murder, or perhaps even ordered it, this cannot have been without the knowledge of Saudi General Intelligence Khalid al-Humaidan. And if Humaidan, whose head hasn’t rolled yet, knew about it, so did the crown prince. One should treat with suspicion these dismissals, as well as King Salman’s establishment of a commission of inquiry, under Crown Prince Mohammed, that has also been tasked with reorganising the kingdom’s intelligence services. Asiri and Qahtani, who were appointed by the crown prince, will most likely win new appointments: they know too much about the crown prince and his military and economic failures. Asiri was previously a spokesman for the Saudi forces operating in Yemen, heading PR efforts to justify the war as benefiting international interests and to absolve Saudi Arabia from responsibility for the deaths of thousands of civilians in Yemen. Qahtani, meanwhile, directed the Saudi media from behind the scenes, operating social networks while shaping a positive image for the crown prince in Arab and international media. But, the most serious threat to the Saudi story and an American seal of approval is in Turkish intelligence headquarters in Ankara. Turkish listening devices and sensitive cameras have already yielded most of the horrific details of Khashoggi’s murder. Turkey claims the Saudis are cooperating with Turkish investigators, who are sharing their findings with their US counterparts, American intelligence agencies, but no one knows what is being held back from publication. Turkey, which changed from a Saudi rival to its enemy in the wake of the incident, is the main target of criticism of Saudi Arabia and its allies. Ankara is not accepting Saudi explanations regarding Khashoggi’s death. A spokesman for the ruling Justice and Development Party, Omer Celik, has said that Turkey will get to the bottom of Khashoggi’s disappearance and death. His remark suggests that Turkey, to the extent that it has the evidence to back its claims, will determine the nature of future relations between Riyadh and Washington. If it has a recording of the murderers calling Crown Prince Mohammed to announce “mission accomplished,” or a record of the crown prince calling them during their stay in Turkey, Trump will have to re-examine, if not disavow, his support for the new Saudi version of events. The question is whether and how Turkey might want to leverage the Khashoggi affair, which is evolving from a mafia-style hit by Saudi intelligence operatives into an international incident obligating Western countries to manoeuvre carefully vis-a-vis Riyadh, caught between pressure to guarantee a transparent investigation of the murder and the need to preserve their political and economic interests. Theoretically, Turkey could demand political “hush money” such as the lifting of the Saudi embargo on Qatar in exchange for freezing the investigation or accepting the Saudi version. This is a high price, which the crown prince is unlikely to pay, but if the demand comes with American pressure and mediation, it could serve the interests of all sides. Khashoggi’s murder poses a dilemma for Saudi Arabia’s allies. For now, only Trump is willing to pull Riyadh’s chestnuts out of the fire. His decision will clearly and greatly affect the future of the investigation as well as international responses towards Saudi Arabia. Interestingly, no leader, including Turkey’s president, has called for sanctions like the ones imposed on Russia for assassinating former agents and dissident journalists. Perhaps that’s because Western states still regard the killing of a journalist by an Arab government as infuriating but not inconceivable, particularly since this was done in another Muslim state, which treats its own journalists as criminals. Russia, on the other hand, is perceived as part of the “civilised” world, committing its assassinations in the heart of Europe. Saudi Arabia, however, is seen as pro-Western by virtue of its membership in the alliance against Iran. As a result, even if it is far removed from embracing Western values, it enjoys certain “discounts” that the anti-Western resistance front members, Russia and China, do not. (This article was originally published on DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Jamal Khashoggi’s murder poses a dilemma for Saudi Arabia’s allies

Saudi Arabia has agreed <a href="http://www.wionews.com/pakistan/pakistan-is-desperately-looking-for-loans-imran-khan-at-saudi-investment-conference-172963">to give Pakistan $3 billion</a> in foreign currency support for a year and allow it to defer payments for oil imports to help stave off a current accounts crisis, Pakistan's government said on Tuesday

The agreement came as new Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan attended a Saudi investment conference that has been boycotted by several other leaders over the death of a dissident Saudi writer at the country's consulate in Istanbul.

"It was agreed Saudi Arabia will place a deposit of $3 Billion for a period of one year as balance of payment support," Pakistan's foreign ministry said in a statement.

"It was also agreed that a one-year deferred payment facility for import of oil, up to $3 Billion, will be provided by Saudi Arabia. This arrangement will be in place for three years, which will be reviewed thereafter."

Saudi Arabia has agreed to give Pakistan $3 billion in foreign currency support for a year and allow it to defer payments for oil imports to help stave off a current accounts crisis, Pakistan's government said on Tuesday The agreement came as new Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan attended a Saudi investment conference that has been boycotted by several other leaders over the death of a dissident Saudi writer at the country's consulate in Istanbul.

Saudi Arabia has agreed to give Pakistan $3 billion in foreign currency support for a year and allow it to defer payments for oil imports to help stave off a current accounts crisis, Pakistan's government said on Tuesday The agreement came as new Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan attended a Saudi investment conference that has been boycotted by several other leaders over the death of a dissident Saudi writer at the country's consulate in Istanbul. "It was agreed Saudi Arabia will place a deposit of $3 Billion for a period of one year as balance of payment support," Pakistan's foreign ministry said in a statement. "It was also agreed that a one-year deferred payment facility for import of oil, up to $3 Billion, will be provided by Saudi Arabia. This arrangement will be in place for three years, which will be reviewed thereafter."

Saudi Arabia offers Pak $3 billion to ease balance of payments crisis

Saudi Arabia will hold to account those responsible of journalist Jamal Khashoggi's killing and those who failed in their duties, whoever they are, the Saudi cabinet said after a meeting chaired by King Salman on Tuesday.

Khashoggi went missing on October 2 when he entered the consulate in Istanbul. After weeks of denying knowledge of his fate, Saudi officials said the prominent journalist was killed in a "rogue operation".

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has demanded to know, in a speech to ruling party lawmakers in Istanbul, who gave the order to kill Saudi journalist and dissident Jamal Khashoggi. Erdogan also demanded to know where Khashoggi's corpse is.&nbsp;

Saudi Arabia will hold to account those responsible of journalist Jamal Khashoggi's killing and those who failed in their duties, whoever they are, the Saudi cabinet said after a meeting chaired by King Salman on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia will hold to account those responsible of journalist Jamal Khashoggi's killing and those who failed in their duties, whoever they are, the Saudi cabinet said after a meeting chaired by King Salman on Tuesday. Khashoggi went missing on October 2 when he entered the consulate in Istanbul. After weeks of denying knowledge of his fate, Saudi officials said the prominent journalist was killed in a "rogue operation". Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has demanded to know, in a speech to ruling party lawmakers in Istanbul, who gave the order to kill Saudi journalist and dissident Jamal Khashoggi. Erdogan also demanded to know where Khashoggi's corpse is.

Saudi Arabia to hold to account those involved in Khashoggi killing: Cabinet

World shares slid towards their lowest level in a year on Tuesday, as negative drivers from fatigued earnings and Saudi Arabia's diplomatic isolation to a brewing spat over Italy's finances piled on the pressure.

Wall Street looked set to for another jolt lower when it reopens but it was heavy selloffs in both Asia and Europe, which was heading for the fifth day of uninterrupted falls, that did the main damage.

The tech sector posted the worst performance after Swiss-listed chipmaker AMS plunged 25 per cent as its outlook triggered alarm bells, but there was a broader force at play.

The pan-European STOXX 600 was near a two-year low with almost half of its stocks now in the bear-market territory -- down 20 per cent from their peak.

Germany's DAX dropped to late 2016 lows, MSCI's world share index was just two points of a one-year low while Wall Street's S&amp;P 500 was set to test the lower limits of its 200-day moving average again.

"This is quite an important period now because we have tried to rally a few times and haven't really managed it," said Natwest Markets' head of global strategy James McCormick.

There has been a spike in US&nbsp;bond yields similar to earlier in the year, "but the macro picture for equities is more challenging now," he added, pointing to fading synchronization in global growth as well a stronger dollar.

That strength kept the euro pinned near a two-month low at $1.146 before a European Commission meeting that could see Brussels take the unprecedented step of demanding changes to Italy's recently laid out budget plans.

Italian bond traders were biding their time amid reports of some conciliatory moves from Rome's coalition but the spat has also bred doubts about the European Central Bank plans to possibly raise its interest rates next year.

Questions about the future of Britain's prime minister, mired in a stalemate over Brexit, relented just an enough to help sterling claw higher but the mood remained distinctly 'risk off' regardless.

That helped strengthen the safe-haven Japanese yen and Swiss franc while higher-yielding currencies like the Australian and New Zealand dollars fell.

"The prospect of a normalisation of (ECB) monetary policy was the main reason why the euro was able to appreciate over the past year. However, there is a rising risk that this support is now going to crumble," Commerzbank analyst Thu Lan Nguyen said.

SAUDI TENSIONS

US stock index futures were pointing to a more than 1 per cent fall for Wall Streets main markets later. Digger maker Caterpillar's shares fell 5.4 per cent in premarket moves after it blamed US tariffs for rising costs, while 3M slumped 7 per cent after missing analysts estimates.

Markets were also digesting Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's comments on the killing of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a Saudi consulate in Istanbul this month.

"Intelligence and security institutions have evidence showing the murder was planned... Pinning such a case on some security and intelligence members will not satisfy us or the international community," Erdogan told Turkey's parliament, though he did not reveal a smoking gun in the form of recordings that some reports had hinted at.

Saudi Arabia, a top crude oil exporter, faces international pressure to provide all the facts about an incident that has raised a global storm and added the threat of sanctions against the kingdom to a list of market concerns.

US President Donald Trump said on Monday he was not satisfied with what he had heard from Saudi Arabia about the killing, but expressed reluctance to punish the kingdom economically.

Investors worry that may lead to Saudi retaliation through crude oil, although a Saudi pledge to play a "responsible role" and keep markets supplied held down crude prices on Tuesday.

Front-month Brent crude oil futures were at $79.51 a barrel, down 0.4 per cent. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $69.12 a barrel, dropping 0.35 per cent.

Asia's overnight tumble gave back some of the ground the region had clawed back over the last two sessions.

MSCI's broadest index of Asian shares dropped 2 per cent to a 1 1/2-year low, with declines in many of the region's heavyweight bourses even more pronounced.

South Korea's Kospi and Hong Kong's Hang Seng both fell 3 per cent and Japan's Nikkei lost 2.7 per cent.

"We've got a few negative factors when market sentiment was already fragile," said Hiroyuki Ueno, senior strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management. "And earnings from some Japanese companies were weaker than expected, with some starting to blame trade wars."

The yen gained 0.4 per cent amid the risk-off mood to 112.42 to the dollar.

The yuan was little changed but stood near Monday's 21-month low of 6.9445 per dollar in the onshore trade on expectations China will pursue looser monetary policy to cope with pressure from US President Donald Trump on tariffs.

World shares slid towards their lowest level in a year on Tuesday, as negative drivers from fatigued earnings and Saudi Arabia's diplomatic isolation to a brewing spat over Italy's finances piled on the pressure.

World shares slid towards their lowest level in a year on Tuesday, as negative drivers from fatigued earnings and Saudi Arabia's diplomatic isolation to a brewing spat over Italy's finances piled on the pressure. Wall Street looked set to for another jolt lower when it reopens but it was heavy selloffs in both Asia and Europe, which was heading for the fifth day of uninterrupted falls, that did the main damage. The tech sector posted the worst performance after Swiss-listed chipmaker AMS plunged 25 per cent as its outlook triggered alarm bells, but there was a broader force at play. The pan-European STOXX 600 was near a two-year low with almost half of its stocks now in the bear-market territory -- down 20 per cent from their peak. Germany's DAX dropped to late 2016 lows, MSCI's world share index was just two points of a one-year low while Wall Street's S&P 500 was set to test the lower limits of its 200-day moving average again. "This is quite an important period now because we have tried to rally a few times and haven't really managed it," said Natwest Markets' head of global strategy James McCormick. There has been a spike in US bond yields similar to earlier in the year, "but the macro picture for equities is more challenging now," he added, pointing to fading synchronization in global growth as well a stronger dollar. That strength kept the euro pinned near a two-month low at $1.146 before a European Commission meeting that could see Brussels take the unprecedented step of demanding changes to Italy's recently laid out budget plans. Italian bond traders were biding their time amid reports of some conciliatory moves from Rome's coalition but the spat has also bred doubts about the European Central Bank plans to possibly raise its interest rates next year. Questions about the future of Britain's prime minister, mired in a stalemate over Brexit, relented just an enough to help sterling claw higher but the mood remained distinctly 'risk off' regardless. That helped strengthen the safe-haven Japanese yen and Swiss franc while higher-yielding currencies like the Australian and New Zealand dollars fell. "The prospect of a normalisation of (ECB) monetary policy was the main reason why the euro was able to appreciate over the past year. However, there is a rising risk that this support is now going to crumble," Commerzbank analyst Thu Lan Nguyen said. SAUDI TENSIONS US stock index futures were pointing to a more than 1 per cent fall for Wall Streets main markets later. Digger maker Caterpillar's shares fell 5.4 per cent in premarket moves after it blamed US tariffs for rising costs, while 3M slumped 7 per cent after missing analysts estimates. Markets were also digesting Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's comments on the killing of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a Saudi consulate in Istanbul this month. "Intelligence and security institutions have evidence showing the murder was planned... Pinning such a case on some security and intelligence members will not satisfy us or the international community," Erdogan told Turkey's parliament, though he did not reveal a smoking gun in the form of recordings that some reports had hinted at. Saudi Arabia, a top crude oil exporter, faces international pressure to provide all the facts about an incident that has raised a global storm and added the threat of sanctions against the kingdom to a list of market concerns. US President Donald Trump said on Monday he was not satisfied with what he had heard from Saudi Arabia about the killing, but expressed reluctance to punish the kingdom economically. Investors worry that may lead to Saudi retaliation through crude oil, although a Saudi pledge to play a "responsible role" and keep markets supplied held down crude prices on Tuesday. Front-month Brent crude oil futures were at $79.51 a barrel, down 0.4 per cent. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $69.12 a barrel, dropping 0.35 per cent. Asia's overnight tumble gave back some of the ground the region had clawed back over the last two sessions. MSCI's broadest index of Asian shares dropped 2 per cent to a 1 1/2-year low, with declines in many of the region's heavyweight bourses even more pronounced. South Korea's Kospi and Hong Kong's Hang Seng both fell 3 per cent and Japan's Nikkei lost 2.7 per cent. "We've got a few negative factors when market sentiment was already fragile," said Hiroyuki Ueno, senior strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Asset Management. "And earnings from some Japanese companies were weaker than expected, with some starting to blame trade wars." The yen gained 0.4 per cent amid the risk-off mood to 112.42 to the dollar. The yuan was little changed but stood near Monday's 21-month low of 6.9445 per dollar in the onshore trade on expectations China will pursue looser monetary policy to cope with pressure from US President Donald Trump on tariffs.

Global Markets: Biting bears sink world shares to 1-year low

Saudi Arabia was set to sign deals worth $50 billion on Tuesday at the opening of an investment conference despite being overshadowed by the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi which prompted a boycott by Western politicians, top world bankers and company executives.

Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih told a panel that the world's largest oil exporter was passing through a "crisis of a sort" but would power ahead with economic diversification plans.

"Nobody in the kingdom can justify it (Khashoggi's killing) or explain it," he said.

Speaking at the opening session, Saudi businesswoman Lubna Olayan described the killing of the dissident Saudi journalist which has sparked a global outcry and strained Riyadh's ties with the West as "alien to our culture".

"It is natural that our thoughts tend to focus on recent events surrounding the death of Jamal Khashoggi ... may he rest in peace," she said.

Hundreds of bankers and company executives joined officials at a palatial Riyadh hotel for the Future Investment Initiative. But while last year's inaugural conference drew the global business elite, this year's event has been marred by the pullout of more than two dozen high-level speakers.

Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi Arabia's crown prince, vanished after he entered its consulate in Istanbul on October 2. After first denying any involvement in his disappearance, Riyadh on Saturday said Khashoggi died during a fight in the consulate. Later, a Saudi official attributed the death to a chokehold.

Turkey's president said in parliament in Ankara on Tuesday that there was strong evidence the killing was savage and planned. He said he was not satisfied with Riyadh placing the blame on some of its intelligence agents.

Many foreign investors see a risk that the Khashoggi case, which drew global condemnation, could damage Riyadh's ties with Western governments. Saudi Arabia's stock index was down 1.7 per cent in afternoon trading on persistent investor concern.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and senior ministers from Britain and France pulled out of the event along with chief executives or chairmen of about a dozen big financial firms such as JP Morgan Chase and HSBC, and International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde.

NEW DEALS

However, Saudi Arabia is set to sign deals worth more than $50 billion on the opening day in the oil, gas, industries and infrastructure sectors with firms such as Trafigura, Total, Hyundai, Norinco, Schlumberger, Halliburton and Baker Hughes.

Oil giant Saudi Aramco said it signed 15 memoranda of understandings worth $34 billion.

Total Chief Executive Patrick Pouyanné, a panelist on Tuesday, said the French oil and gas producer would announce a retail network in the kingdom with Saudi Aramco.

Russia sent a large delegation led by Direct Investment Fund head Kirill Dmitriev, who said Saudi Arabia's economic transformation was "important for the world" and that partnerships between sovereign wealth funds was a "great opportunity".

The managing director of the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund, the main backer of the event, said the country was becoming more transparent and that the Saudi Public Investment Fund continued to develop new industries under economic reforms launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Yasir al-Rumayyan said the fund has invested in 50 or 60 firms via SoftBank Group's Vision Fund and would bring most of those businesses to the kingdom. PIF has committed to invest $45 billion in Vision Fund.

Many Western banks and other companies, fearful of losing business such as fees from arranging deals for Saudi Arabia's $250 billion sovereign wealth fund, sent lower-level executives even as their top people stayed away.

Top executives of Asian firms have been hesitant to pull out, so the participation of Chinese and Japanese institutions may help Riyadh claim the three-day conference as a success.

For these reasons, the Western boycott may have little long-term impact on Saudi economic prospects.

Foreigners sold a net 4.01 billion riyals ($1.07 billion) of Saudi equities last week, by far the biggest pull-out of overseas money since the stock market opened to direct foreign investment in mid-2015.

The event is being held at the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh, where scores of princes, businessmen and officials were detained in a crackdown on corruption soon after last year's conference ended.

Authorities said the crackdown extracted over $100 billion from suspects in financial settlements. But that figure has not been verified, and details of the alleged crimes were never made public, fuelling investors' concern about legal transparency.

Saudi Arabia was set to sign deals worth $50 billion on Tuesday at the opening of an investment conference despite being overshadowed by the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi which prompted a boycott by Western politicians, top world bankers and company executives.

Saudi Arabia was set to sign deals worth $50 billion on Tuesday at the opening of an investment conference despite being overshadowed by the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi which prompted a boycott by Western politicians, top world bankers and company executives. Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih told a panel that the world's largest oil exporter was passing through a "crisis of a sort" but would power ahead with economic diversification plans. "Nobody in the kingdom can justify it (Khashoggi's killing) or explain it," he said. Speaking at the opening session, Saudi businesswoman Lubna Olayan described the killing of the dissident Saudi journalist which has sparked a global outcry and strained Riyadh's ties with the West as "alien to our culture". "It is natural that our thoughts tend to focus on recent events surrounding the death of Jamal Khashoggi ... may he rest in peace," she said. Hundreds of bankers and company executives joined officials at a palatial Riyadh hotel for the Future Investment Initiative. But while last year's inaugural conference drew the global business elite, this year's event has been marred by the pullout of more than two dozen high-level speakers. Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi Arabia's crown prince, vanished after he entered its consulate in Istanbul on October 2. After first denying any involvement in his disappearance, Riyadh on Saturday said Khashoggi died during a fight in the consulate. Later, a Saudi official attributed the death to a chokehold. Turkey's president said in parliament in Ankara on Tuesday that there was strong evidence the killing was savage and planned. He said he was not satisfied with Riyadh placing the blame on some of its intelligence agents. Many foreign investors see a risk that the Khashoggi case, which drew global condemnation, could damage Riyadh's ties with Western governments. Saudi Arabia's stock index was down 1.7 per cent in afternoon trading on persistent investor concern. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and senior ministers from Britain and France pulled out of the event along with chief executives or chairmen of about a dozen big financial firms such as JP Morgan Chase and HSBC, and International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde. NEW DEALS However, Saudi Arabia is set to sign deals worth more than $50 billion on the opening day in the oil, gas, industries and infrastructure sectors with firms such as Trafigura, Total, Hyundai, Norinco, Schlumberger, Halliburton and Baker Hughes. Oil giant Saudi Aramco said it signed 15 memoranda of understandings worth $34 billion. Total Chief Executive Patrick Pouyanné, a panelist on Tuesday, said the French oil and gas producer would announce a retail network in the kingdom with Saudi Aramco. Russia sent a large delegation led by Direct Investment Fund head Kirill Dmitriev, who said Saudi Arabia's economic transformation was "important for the world" and that partnerships between sovereign wealth funds was a "great opportunity". The managing director of the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund, the main backer of the event, said the country was becoming more transparent and that the Saudi Public Investment Fund continued to develop new industries under economic reforms launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Yasir al-Rumayyan said the fund has invested in 50 or 60 firms via SoftBank Group's Vision Fund and would bring most of those businesses to the kingdom. PIF has committed to invest $45 billion in Vision Fund. Many Western banks and other companies, fearful of losing business such as fees from arranging deals for Saudi Arabia's $250 billion sovereign wealth fund, sent lower-level executives even as their top people stayed away. Top executives of Asian firms have been hesitant to pull out, so the participation of Chinese and Japanese institutions may help Riyadh claim the three-day conference as a success. For these reasons, the Western boycott may have little long-term impact on Saudi economic prospects. Foreigners sold a net 4.01 billion riyals ($1.07 billion) of Saudi equities last week, by far the biggest pull-out of overseas money since the stock market opened to direct foreign investment in mid-2015. The event is being held at the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh, where scores of princes, businessmen and officials were detained in a crackdown on corruption soon after last year's conference ended. Authorities said the crackdown extracted over $100 billion from suspects in financial settlements. But that figure has not been verified, and details of the alleged crimes were never made public, fuelling investors' concern about legal transparency.

Saudi sees deals worth $50 billion at investment conference despite boycotts

The killing of a critic like<a href="http://www.wionews.com/west-asia/saudi-arabia-hosts-international-investment-summit-despite-khashoggi-killing-backlash-172942"> Jamal Khashoggi is something</a> that must "never happen again", Saudi Arabia's foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Tuesday, as he pledged a full investigation into the journalist's death.

Saudi Arabia's leadership will "see to it that the investigation is thorough and complete and that the truth is revealed and those responsible will be held to account", al-Jubeir told reporters after meeting with his Indonesian counterpart in Jakarta.

"And that mechanism and procedures are put in place to ensure that something like this can never happen again."

His comments, following a bilateral meeting in the Indonesian capital, come after al-Jubeir appeared on Fox News Sunday to blame a "rogue operation" by individuals who "exceeded their responsibilities" and then "tried to cover up for it".

Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi said on Tuesday that Jakarta was "deeply concerned" about Khashoggi's killing at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul this month, which Ankara has said was "savagely planned".

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected later on Tuesday to reveal what he has said is the "naked truth" about the murder.

Omer Celik, the spokesman of Erdogan's ruling party, said the killing "was planned in an extremely savage manner," and that "there has been a lot of effort to whitewash this".

A tough critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Khashoggi, 59, disappeared after he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 to collect a document for his upcoming marriage.

A few days later, a Turkish government source said police believed he was murdered by a team sent to Istanbul, and on October 17, a Turkish newspaper said he was tortured and decapitated inside the consulate.

After more than two weeks of near silence, Saudi Arabia admitted on Saturday that Khashoggi was killed in an altercation at the consular office -- an explanation rejected by friends and foes alike.

US President Donald Trump, who said he found Riyadh's initial explanations credible, told reporters at the White House Monday: "I am not satisfied with what I have heard", and that he expected to know more "very soon".

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin meanwhile met the Crown Prince behind closed doors in Riyadh for talks while CIA Director Gina Haspel headed for Turkey, although details of her trip were not immediately clear.

White House advisor and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner said he had urged Prince Mohammed to be "fully transparent" stressing that "the world is watching".

The case has shone the spotlight on the Crown Prince, who was credited with spearheading a reform drive but is now accused of having ordered Khashoggi's murder -- a claim Riyadh denies.

The killing of a critic like Jamal Khashoggi is something that must "never happen again", Saudi Arabia's foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Tuesday, as he pledged a full investigation into the journalist's death.

The killing of a critic like Jamal Khashoggi is something that must "never happen again", Saudi Arabia's foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Tuesday, as he pledged a full investigation into the journalist's death. Saudi Arabia's leadership will "see to it that the investigation is thorough and complete and that the truth is revealed and those responsible will be held to account", al-Jubeir told reporters after meeting with his Indonesian counterpart in Jakarta. "And that mechanism and procedures are put in place to ensure that something like this can never happen again." His comments, following a bilateral meeting in the Indonesian capital, come after al-Jubeir appeared on Fox News Sunday to blame a "rogue operation" by individuals who "exceeded their responsibilities" and then "tried to cover up for it". Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi said on Tuesday that Jakarta was "deeply concerned" about Khashoggi's killing at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul this month, which Ankara has said was "savagely planned". Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected later on Tuesday to reveal what he has said is the "naked truth" about the murder. Omer Celik, the spokesman of Erdogan's ruling party, said the killing "was planned in an extremely savage manner," and that "there has been a lot of effort to whitewash this". A tough critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Khashoggi, 59, disappeared after he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 to collect a document for his upcoming marriage. A few days later, a Turkish government source said police believed he was murdered by a team sent to Istanbul, and on October 17, a Turkish newspaper said he was tortured and decapitated inside the consulate. After more than two weeks of near silence, Saudi Arabia admitted on Saturday that Khashoggi was killed in an altercation at the consular office -- an explanation rejected by friends and foes alike. US President Donald Trump, who said he found Riyadh's initial explanations credible, told reporters at the White House Monday: "I am not satisfied with what I have heard", and that he expected to know more "very soon". US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin meanwhile met the Crown Prince behind closed doors in Riyadh for talks while CIA Director Gina Haspel headed for Turkey, although details of her trip were not immediately clear. White House advisor and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner said he had urged Prince Mohammed to be "fully transparent" stressing that "the world is watching". The case has shone the spotlight on the Crown Prince, who was credited with spearheading a reform drive but is now accused of having ordered Khashoggi's murder -- a claim Riyadh denies.

Procedures put in place to ensure it never happens again: Saudi foreign minister on Khashoggi's killing

He ran social media for Saudi Arabia's crown prince. He masterminded the arrest of hundreds of his country's elite. He detained a Lebanese prime minister. And, according to two intelligence sources, he ran journalist <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudis-king-salman-prince-mohammed-makes-condolence-call-to-jamal-khashoggis-son-172794">Jamal Khashoggi's brutal killing</a> at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul by giving orders over Skype.

Saud al-Qahtani, a top aide for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is one of the fall guys as Riyadh tries to stem international outrage at <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-says-khashoggi-murder-savagely-planned-172861">Khashoggi’s death</a>. On Saturday, Saudi state media said King Salman had sacked Qahtani and four other officials over the killing carried out by a 15-man hit team.

But Qahtani's influence in the crown prince's entourage has been so vast over the past three years - his own rise tracking that of his boss - that it will be hard for Saudi officials to paint Qahtani as the mastermind of the murder without also raising questions about the involvement of Prince Mohammed, according to several sources with links to the royal court.

"This episode won't topple MbS, but it has hit his image which will take a long time to be repaired if it ever does. The king is protecting him," one of the sources with ties to the royal court said.

Qahtani himself once said he would never do anything without his boss' approval.

"Do you think I make decisions without guidance? I am an employee and a faithful executor of the orders of my lord the king and my lord the faithful crown prince," Qahtani tweeted last summer.

Qahtani did not respond to questions from Reuters. His biography on Twitter changed in recent days from royal adviser to chairman of the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones, a role he had held before.

Prince Mohammed had no knowledge of the operation that led to Khashoggi's death and "certainly did not order a kidnapping or murder of anybody", a Saudi official said on Saturday. Officials in Riyadh could not be reached for further comment.

As the crisis has grown over the past three weeks, Saudi Arabia has changed its tune on Khashoggi's fate, first denying his death, then saying he died during a brawl at the consulate, and now attributing the death to a chokehold.

A senior Saudi official told Reuters that the killers had tried to cover up what happened, contending that the truth was only now emerging. The Turks reject that version of the story, saying they have audio recordings of what happened.

The kingdom has survived other crises in the past year, including the fallout of the crown prince's short-lived kidnapping of Lebanese prime minister Saad al-Hariri in 2017. Hariri, too, was verbally humiliated and beaten, according to eight Saudi, Arab and Western diplomatic sources. The man leading that interrogation: Saud al-Qahtani.

France intervened to free Hariri, but Western capitals did not take Riyadh to task for detaining a head of government - and Prince Mohammed emerged emboldened, according to these Saudi sources.

This time is different, with some Western capitals increasingly critical of the murder and the Saudi explanation.

Germany has announced it will stop arms sales, while Britain, France and Germany issued a joint statement asking for an "urgent … clarification of exactly what happened Oct 2."

President Donald Trump has swung between saying he is unhappy with the Saudi investigation but also that he does not want to jeopardise US arms sales to the country.

SKYPE CALL

To stem the fallout of the Khashoggi killing, the crown prince, commonly known by his initials MbS, allowed Qahtani to take the fall, according to one source close to the Saudi royal court.

A second senior Saudi official said Qahtani had been detained following his sacking by royal decree, but he continued to tweet afterwards. The sources with links to the royal court said he was not believed to be under arrest.

In the Khashoggi killing, Qahtani was present as he has been in other key moments of MbS's administration. This time, though, his presence was virtual.

Khashoggi, a US-based Saudi journalist often critical of Saudi Arabia and its leadership, walked into the Istanbul consulate at around 1pm on October 2, to pick up some documents that would allow him to marry.

Turkish security sources say he was immediately seized inside the consulate by 15 Saudi intelligence operatives who had flown in on two jets just hours before.

According to one high-ranking Arab source with access to intelligence and links to members of Saudi Arabia’s royal court, Qahtani was beamed into a room of the Saudi consulate via Skype.

He began to hurl insults at Khashoggi over the phone. According to the Arab and Turkish sources, Khashoggi answered Qahtani’s insults with his own. But he was no match for the squad, which included top security and intelligence operatives, some with direct links to the royal court.

A Turkish intelligence source relayed that at one point Qahtani told his men to dispose of Khashoggi. "Bring me the head of the dog", the Turkish intelligence source says Qahtani instructed.

It is not clear if Qahtani watched the entire proceedings, which the high-ranking Arab source described as a "bungled and botched operation".

The Arab source and the Turkish intelligence source said the audio of the Skype call is now in the possession of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. The sources say he is refusing to release it to the Americans.

Erdogan said on Sunday <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-vows-to-reveal-naked-truth-over-khashoggi-death-172685">he would release information</a> about the Turkish investigation during a weekly speech on Tuesday. Three Turkish officials reached by Reuters declined to comment ahead of that speech.

The senior Saudi official who laid out the official version of events - that Khashoggi had got into a fight - said he had not heard about Qahtani appearing via Skype, but that the Saudi investigation was ongoing.

QAHTANI’S RISE

Qahtani, 40, has earned a reputation at home as both a violent enforcer of princely whims and as a strident nationalist. In blogs and on social media, some liberal Saudi journalists and activists dubbed him the Saudi Steve Bannon for his aggressive manipulation of the news media and behind-the-scenes strategizing.

Qahtani wrote odes on Twitter to the royal family under the pen name Dari, which means predator in Arabic. Some of his opponents on social media call him Dalim, a figure in Arabic folklore who rose from being a lowly servant to much greater heights.

According to his biography on his Twitter account, Qahtani studied law and made the rank of captain in the Saudi air force. After launching a blog, he caught the eye of Khaled al-Tuwaijri, the former head of the royal court, who hired him in the early 2000s to run an electronic media army tasked with protecting Saudi Arabia’s image , according to a source with ties to the royal court.

Tuwaijri is under house arrest and could not be reached for comment.

Qahtani rose to further prominence after latching onto Prince Mohammed, who was part of his father Salman's court as Riyadh governor, then crown prince and finally king in 2015

Tasked with countering alleged Qatari influence on social media, Qahtani used Twitter to attack criticism of the kingdom in general and Prince Mohammed in particular. He also ran a WhatsApp group with local newspaper editors and prominent journalists, dictating the royal court’s line.

When Riyadh led an economic boycott against Qatar in June 2017, Qahtani ramped up his attacks on the small Gulf state. Online, he urged Saudis to tweet the names of anyone showing sympathy with Qatar under the Arabic hashtag "The Black List".

The high-ranking Arab official and Saudi sources with ties to the royal court said Qahtani was MbS's "bad cop" late last year when 200 people, including Saudi princes, ministers and business tycoons, were detained and put under house arrest at the Ritz Carlton in an anti-corruption sweep. Qahtani oversaw some of the interrogations, the Arab official said.

A KIDNAPPING

The extent of Qahtani’s power is perhaps best illustrated by the kidnapping of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri last year, several of the Saudi and Arab diplomatic sources said.

The Saudis were incensed at the inability of Hariri, a Sunni Muslim and a Saudi client, to stand up to their regional rival Iran and Hezbollah, the Shi'ite paramilitary movement that acts as Tehran’s spearhead in the region. Hariri belonged to the same multi-party coalition government as Hezbollah.

The Saudis were particularly dismayed that Hariri had failed to deliver a message to a top adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to stop interfering in Lebanon and Yemen. Hariri claimed he had delivered the Saudi message, but an informer, planted by Qahtani in Hariri's circle, gave the Saudis the minutes of the meeting which showed that he had not done so.

The Saudis lured Hariri to Riyadh for a meeting with MbS. Upon his arrival on November 3, 2017, there was no line-up of Saudi princes or officials, as would typically greet a prime minister on an official visit. Hariri later received a call that the meeting with the crown prince would take place the next day at a royal compound.

When Hariri arrived, he was ushered into a room where Qahtani was waiting for him with a security team, according to three Arab sources familiar with the incident. The security team beat Hariri; Qahtani cursed at him and then forced him to resign as prime minister in a statement that was broadcast by a Saudi-owned TV channel.

"He (Qahtani) told him you have no choice but to resign and read this statement," said one of the sources. "Qahtani oversaw the interrogation and ill-treatment of Hariri."

Another source said it was the intervention of French President Emmanuel Macron that secured his release following an international outcry.

Macron claimed credit in May for ending the crisis, saying an unscheduled stopover in Riyadh to convince MbS, followed by an invitation to Hariri to come to France, had been the catalyst to resolving it. Lebanese officials confirmed to Reuters that Macron's quick intervention secured Hariri's return.

Saudi officials could not be reached for comment about the sequence of events or Qahtani's involvement. French officials declined to comment when asked about Qahtani's role.

AN OFFER TO RETURN HOME

At least three friends of Khashoggi told Reuters that in the months after the journalist moved to Washington a year ago he received multiple phone calls from MbS’s right-hand man urging him to return to Saudi Arabia. Khashoggi had balked, they said, fearing reprisals for his Washington Post columns and outspoken views.

Qahtani had tried to reassure the former newspaper editor that he was still well respected and had offered the journalist a job as a consultant at the royal court, the friends said.

Khashoggi said that while he found Qahtani gentle and polite during those conversations, he did not trust him, one close friend told Reuters. "Jamal told me afterwards, 'he thinks that I will go back so that he can throw me in jail?"

The second senior Saudi official confirmed that Qahtani had spoken to Khashoggi about returning home. The ambush in Istanbul seems to have been another way to get him home.

How much did the crown prince know about his trusted aide’s plan to abduct Khashoggi?

Most of the 15 hit-man team identified by Turkish and Saudi authorities worked for the kingdom's security and intelligence services, military, government ministries, royal court security and air force. One of them, General Maher Mutreb, a senior intelligence officer, who is part of the security team of Prince Mohammed, appeared in photographs with him on official visits earlier this year to the United States and Europe.

The high-ranking Arab official and the Turkish intelligence source said it was Mutreb's phone that was used to dial in Qahtani while Khashoggi was being interrogated.

Reuters tried to contact members of 15-man team but their phones were either switched off, on voicemail or no longer in service.

The Saudi official said Deputy Intelligence Chief General Ahmed al-Asiri put together the 15-man squad from the intelligence and security forces. Asiri was one of the five officials dismissed on Saturday.

Another key figure was Dr. Salah al-Tubaigy, a forensic expert specialised in autopsies attached to the Saudi Ministry of Interior. His presence - equipped with a bone-saw Turkish sources say was used to dismember the journalist - is hard to explain in an operation Saudi officials now say was aimed at persuading Khashoggi to return home.

It is hard to imagine that the crown prince could have not known about such a delicate operation, the Saudi sources with ties to the royal court say.

The Saudi official who spoke on Saturday said an existing standing order provided authorisation to "negotiate" with dissidents to return home without requiring approval, but that the team involved with Khashoggi exceeded that authorisation.

Another Saudi official close to the investigation said that Qahtani decided on his own to organise Khashoggi’s kidnapping and that he asked Asiri to get a team together, but that their plans had gone wrong.

Qahtani's final act may be to serve his boss by assuming the responsibility for the crisis that has hit Saudi Arabia since Khashoggi's murder. The Saudi king has sacked Qahtani and ordered a restructuring of the general intelligence agency.

To head it, he named MbS.

He ran social media for Saudi Arabia's crown prince. He masterminded the arrest of hundreds of his country's elite. He detained a Lebanese prime minister. And, according to two intelligence sources, he ran journalist Jamal Khashoggi's brutal killing at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul by giving orders over Skype.

He ran social media for Saudi Arabia's crown prince. He masterminded the arrest of hundreds of his country's elite. He detained a Lebanese prime minister. And, according to two intelligence sources, he ran journalist Jamal Khashoggi's brutal killing at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul by giving orders over Skype. Saud al-Qahtani, a top aide for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is one of the fall guys as Riyadh tries to stem international outrage at Khashoggi’s death. On Saturday, Saudi state media said King Salman had sacked Qahtani and four other officials over the killing carried out by a 15-man hit team. But Qahtani's influence in the crown prince's entourage has been so vast over the past three years - his own rise tracking that of his boss - that it will be hard for Saudi officials to paint Qahtani as the mastermind of the murder without also raising questions about the involvement of Prince Mohammed, according to several sources with links to the royal court. "This episode won't topple MbS, but it has hit his image which will take a long time to be repaired if it ever does. The king is protecting him," one of the sources with ties to the royal court said. Qahtani himself once said he would never do anything without his boss' approval. "Do you think I make decisions without guidance? I am an employee and a faithful executor of the orders of my lord the king and my lord the faithful crown prince," Qahtani tweeted last summer. Qahtani did not respond to questions from Reuters. His biography on Twitter changed in recent days from royal adviser to chairman of the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones, a role he had held before. Prince Mohammed had no knowledge of the operation that led to Khashoggi's death and "certainly did not order a kidnapping or murder of anybody", a Saudi official said on Saturday. Officials in Riyadh could not be reached for further comment. As the crisis has grown over the past three weeks, Saudi Arabia has changed its tune on Khashoggi's fate, first denying his death, then saying he died during a brawl at the consulate, and now attributing the death to a chokehold. A senior Saudi official told Reuters that the killers had tried to cover up what happened, contending that the truth was only now emerging. The Turks reject that version of the story, saying they have audio recordings of what happened. The kingdom has survived other crises in the past year, including the fallout of the crown prince's short-lived kidnapping of Lebanese prime minister Saad al-Hariri in 2017. Hariri, too, was verbally humiliated and beaten, according to eight Saudi, Arab and Western diplomatic sources. The man leading that interrogation: Saud al-Qahtani. France intervened to free Hariri, but Western capitals did not take Riyadh to task for detaining a head of government - and Prince Mohammed emerged emboldened, according to these Saudi sources. This time is different, with some Western capitals increasingly critical of the murder and the Saudi explanation. Germany has announced it will stop arms sales, while Britain, France and Germany issued a joint statement asking for an "urgent … clarification of exactly what happened Oct 2." President Donald Trump has swung between saying he is unhappy with the Saudi investigation but also that he does not want to jeopardise US arms sales to the country. SKYPE CALL To stem the fallout of the Khashoggi killing, the crown prince, commonly known by his initials MbS, allowed Qahtani to take the fall, according to one source close to the Saudi royal court. A second senior Saudi official said Qahtani had been detained following his sacking by royal decree, but he continued to tweet afterwards. The sources with links to the royal court said he was not believed to be under arrest. In the Khashoggi killing, Qahtani was present as he has been in other key moments of MbS's administration. This time, though, his presence was virtual. Khashoggi, a US-based Saudi journalist often critical of Saudi Arabia and its leadership, walked into the Istanbul consulate at around 1pm on October 2, to pick up some documents that would allow him to marry. Turkish security sources say he was immediately seized inside the consulate by 15 Saudi intelligence operatives who had flown in on two jets just hours before. According to one high-ranking Arab source with access to intelligence and links to members of Saudi Arabia’s royal court, Qahtani was beamed into a room of the Saudi consulate via Skype. He began to hurl insults at Khashoggi over the phone. According to the Arab and Turkish sources, Khashoggi answered Qahtani’s insults with his own. But he was no match for the squad, which included top security and intelligence operatives, some with direct links to the royal court. A Turkish intelligence source relayed that at one point Qahtani told his men to dispose of Khashoggi. "Bring me the head of the dog", the Turkish intelligence source says Qahtani instructed. It is not clear if Qahtani watched the entire proceedings, which the high-ranking Arab source described as a "bungled and botched operation". The Arab source and the Turkish intelligence source said the audio of the Skype call is now in the possession of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. The sources say he is refusing to release it to the Americans. Erdogan said on Sunday he would release information about the Turkish investigation during a weekly speech on Tuesday. Three Turkish officials reached by Reuters declined to comment ahead of that speech. The senior Saudi official who laid out the official version of events - that Khashoggi had got into a fight - said he had not heard about Qahtani appearing via Skype, but that the Saudi investigation was ongoing. QAHTANI’S RISE Qahtani, 40, has earned a reputation at home as both a violent enforcer of princely whims and as a strident nationalist. In blogs and on social media, some liberal Saudi journalists and activists dubbed him the Saudi Steve Bannon for his aggressive manipulation of the news media and behind-the-scenes strategizing. Qahtani wrote odes on Twitter to the royal family under the pen name Dari, which means predator in Arabic. Some of his opponents on social media call him Dalim, a figure in Arabic folklore who rose from being a lowly servant to much greater heights. According to his biography on his Twitter account, Qahtani studied law and made the rank of captain in the Saudi air force. After launching a blog, he caught the eye of Khaled al-Tuwaijri, the former head of the royal court, who hired him in the early 2000s to run an electronic media army tasked with protecting Saudi Arabia’s image , according to a source with ties to the royal court. Tuwaijri is under house arrest and could not be reached for comment. Qahtani rose to further prominence after latching onto Prince Mohammed, who was part of his father Salman's court as Riyadh governor, then crown prince and finally king in 2015 Tasked with countering alleged Qatari influence on social media, Qahtani used Twitter to attack criticism of the kingdom in general and Prince Mohammed in particular. He also ran a WhatsApp group with local newspaper editors and prominent journalists, dictating the royal court’s line. When Riyadh led an economic boycott against Qatar in June 2017, Qahtani ramped up his attacks on the small Gulf state. Online, he urged Saudis to tweet the names of anyone showing sympathy with Qatar under the Arabic hashtag "The Black List". The high-ranking Arab official and Saudi sources with ties to the royal court said Qahtani was MbS's "bad cop" late last year when 200 people, including Saudi princes, ministers and business tycoons, were detained and put under house arrest at the Ritz Carlton in an anti-corruption sweep. Qahtani oversaw some of the interrogations, the Arab official said. A KIDNAPPING The extent of Qahtani’s power is perhaps best illustrated by the kidnapping of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri last year, several of the Saudi and Arab diplomatic sources said. The Saudis were incensed at the inability of Hariri, a Sunni Muslim and a Saudi client, to stand up to their regional rival Iran and Hezbollah, the Shi'ite paramilitary movement that acts as Tehran’s spearhead in the region. Hariri belonged to the same multi-party coalition government as Hezbollah. The Saudis were particularly dismayed that Hariri had failed to deliver a message to a top adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to stop interfering in Lebanon and Yemen. Hariri claimed he had delivered the Saudi message, but an informer, planted by Qahtani in Hariri's circle, gave the Saudis the minutes of the meeting which showed that he had not done so. The Saudis lured Hariri to Riyadh for a meeting with MbS. Upon his arrival on November 3, 2017, there was no line-up of Saudi princes or officials, as would typically greet a prime minister on an official visit. Hariri later received a call that the meeting with the crown prince would take place the next day at a royal compound. When Hariri arrived, he was ushered into a room where Qahtani was waiting for him with a security team, according to three Arab sources familiar with the incident. The security team beat Hariri; Qahtani cursed at him and then forced him to resign as prime minister in a statement that was broadcast by a Saudi-owned TV channel. "He (Qahtani) told him you have no choice but to resign and read this statement," said one of the sources. "Qahtani oversaw the interrogation and ill-treatment of Hariri." Another source said it was the intervention of French President Emmanuel Macron that secured his release following an international outcry. Macron claimed credit in May for ending the crisis, saying an unscheduled stopover in Riyadh to convince MbS, followed by an invitation to Hariri to come to France, had been the catalyst to resolving it. Lebanese officials confirmed to Reuters that Macron's quick intervention secured Hariri's return. Saudi officials could not be reached for comment about the sequence of events or Qahtani's involvement. French officials declined to comment when asked about Qahtani's role. AN OFFER TO RETURN HOME At least three friends of Khashoggi told Reuters that in the months after the journalist moved to Washington a year ago he received multiple phone calls from MbS’s right-hand man urging him to return to Saudi Arabia. Khashoggi had balked, they said, fearing reprisals for his Washington Post columns and outspoken views. Qahtani had tried to reassure the former newspaper editor that he was still well respected and had offered the journalist a job as a consultant at the royal court, the friends said. Khashoggi said that while he found Qahtani gentle and polite during those conversations, he did not trust him, one close friend told Reuters. "Jamal told me afterwards, 'he thinks that I will go back so that he can throw me in jail?" The second senior Saudi official confirmed that Qahtani had spoken to Khashoggi about returning home. The ambush in Istanbul seems to have been another way to get him home. How much did the crown prince know about his trusted aide’s plan to abduct Khashoggi? Most of the 15 hit-man team identified by Turkish and Saudi authorities worked for the kingdom's security and intelligence services, military, government ministries, royal court security and air force. One of them, General Maher Mutreb, a senior intelligence officer, who is part of the security team of Prince Mohammed, appeared in photographs with him on official visits earlier this year to the United States and Europe. The high-ranking Arab official and the Turkish intelligence source said it was Mutreb's phone that was used to dial in Qahtani while Khashoggi was being interrogated. Reuters tried to contact members of 15-man team but their phones were either switched off, on voicemail or no longer in service. The Saudi official said Deputy Intelligence Chief General Ahmed al-Asiri put together the 15-man squad from the intelligence and security forces. Asiri was one of the five officials dismissed on Saturday. Another key figure was Dr. Salah al-Tubaigy, a forensic expert specialised in autopsies attached to the Saudi Ministry of Interior. His presence - equipped with a bone-saw Turkish sources say was used to dismember the journalist - is hard to explain in an operation Saudi officials now say was aimed at persuading Khashoggi to return home. It is hard to imagine that the crown prince could have not known about such a delicate operation, the Saudi sources with ties to the royal court say. The Saudi official who spoke on Saturday said an existing standing order provided authorisation to "negotiate" with dissidents to return home without requiring approval, but that the team involved with Khashoggi exceeded that authorisation. Another Saudi official close to the investigation said that Qahtani decided on his own to organise Khashoggi’s kidnapping and that he asked Asiri to get a team together, but that their plans had gone wrong. Qahtani's final act may be to serve his boss by assuming the responsibility for the crisis that has hit Saudi Arabia since Khashoggi's murder. The Saudi king has sacked Qahtani and ordered a restructuring of the general intelligence agency. To head it, he named MbS.

How the man behind Khashoggi murder ran the killing via Skype

Turkey President <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/we-do-not-know-where-jamal-khashoggis-body-is-saudi-arabia-172683">Erdogan and US President </a>spoke on the phone on Sunday over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The Turkish president's office said both leaders agreed that Khashoggi's killing needed to be clarified "in all aspects".

Earlier, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir had said that Khashoggi's death occurred as a result of a "rogue operation" where individuals ended up "exceeding their authorities and responsibilities".

Saudi Arabia had earlier denied any involvement in the disappearance of Khashoggi who was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2nd.

Jubeir said Saudi Arabia did not know where &nbsp;Khashoggi's body was while admitting that his killing was a "tremendous mistake".

Meanwhile, President Trump said that US-Saudi relationship will "whether this" while asserting that "when the investigation is over and the facts are revealed, people know who is responsible."

The US president added that King Salman is determined to see this "investigation through and determined to ascertain the facts and hold those responsible accountable."

King Salman, father of Crown Prince Salman has begun to take a personal interest in the case after the disappearance of Khashoggi hit international headlines as Turkish officials privately blamed the Saudi government for Khashoggi's disappearance.

In another related development, Istanbul governor's office has put Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of Khashoggi under 24-hour police protection. Cengiz was outside the Saudi consulate when Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate and never came back.

After Saudi Arabia confirmed his death, she wrote on Twitter in Arabic: "They have taken your body from this world, but your beautiful smile will stay in my world forever."

Khashoggi wanted to submit divorce papers to the consulate and marry Cengiz, a Turkish citizen, even as her fiancee waited outside for hours but the Washington Post columnist who was a long-time critic of the Saudi government, never came out of the consulate and was widely believed to have been killed inside the consulate premises.

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b8ZdY1TQerU" width="560"></iframe>

Turkey President Erdogan and US President spoke on the phone on Sunday over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The Turkish president's office said both leaders agreed that Khashoggi's killing needed to be clarified "in all aspects".

Turkey President Erdogan and US President spoke on the phone on Sunday over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The Turkish president's office said both leaders agreed that Khashoggi's killing needed to be clarified "in all aspects". Earlier, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir had said that Khashoggi's death occurred as a result of a "rogue operation" where individuals ended up "exceeding their authorities and responsibilities". Saudi Arabia had earlier denied any involvement in the disappearance of Khashoggi who was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2nd. Jubeir said Saudi Arabia did not know where Khashoggi's body was while admitting that his killing was a "tremendous mistake". Meanwhile, President Trump said that US-Saudi relationship will "whether this" while asserting that "when the investigation is over and the facts are revealed, people know who is responsible." The US president added that King Salman is determined to see this "investigation through and determined to ascertain the facts and hold those responsible accountable." King Salman, father of Crown Prince Salman has begun to take a personal interest in the case after the disappearance of Khashoggi hit international headlines as Turkish officials privately blamed the Saudi government for Khashoggi's disappearance. In another related development, Istanbul governor's office has put Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of Khashoggi under 24-hour police protection. Cengiz was outside the Saudi consulate when Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate and never came back. After Saudi Arabia confirmed his death, she wrote on Twitter in Arabic: "They have taken your body from this world, but your beautiful smile will stay in my world forever." Khashoggi wanted to submit divorce papers to the consulate and marry Cengiz, a Turkish citizen, even as her fiancee waited outside for hours but the Washington Post columnist who was a long-time critic of the Saudi government, never came out of the consulate and was widely believed to have been killed inside the consulate premises.

President Erdogan, Trump speak over the phone; Turkey puts Khashoggi's fiancee under police protection

Embattled Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman could prove to be not only a cat with nine lives but also one that makes even stranger jumps.

King Salman’s announcement that Prince Mohammed was put in charge of reorganising Saudi intelligence at the same time that the kingdom for the first time admitted that journalist Jamal Khashoggi had been killed in its Istanbul consulate signalled that the crown prince’s wings were not being clipped, at least not immediately and not publicly.

With little prospect for a palace coup and a frail King Salman unlikely to assume for any lengthy period full control of the levers of power, Prince Mohammed, viewed by many as reckless and impulsive, could emerge from the Khashoggi crisis, that has severely tarnished the kingdom’s image and strained relations with the United States and Western powers, even more defiant rather than chastened by international condemnation of the journalist’s killing.

A pinned tweet by Saud Al-Qahtani, the close associate of Prince Mohammed who this weekend was among several fired senior official reads: “Some brothers blame me for what they view as harshness. But everything has its time, and talk these days requires such language.” That apparently was and could remain Prince Mohammed’s motto.

Said former CIA official, Middle East expert and novelist Graham E. Fuller in a bid to identify the logic of the madness: “As the geopolitics of the world changes—particularly with the emergence of new power centres like China, the return of Russia, the growing independence of Turkey, the resistance of Iran to US domination in the Gulf, the waywardness of Israel, and the greater role of India and many other smaller players—the emergence of a more aggressive and adventuristic Saudi Arabia is not surprising.”

Prince Mohammed’s domestic status and mettle are likely to be put to the test as the crisis unfolds with Turkey leaking further evidence of what happened to Khashoggi or officially publishing whatever proof it has.

Turkish leaks or officially announced evidence would likely cast further doubt on Saudi Arabia’s assertion that Khashoggi died in a brawl in the consulate and fuel US Congressional and European parliamentary calls for sanctions, possibly including an arms embargo, against the kingdom.

In a sharp rebuke, US President Donald J. Trump responded to Saudi Arabia’s widely criticised official version of what happened to Khashoggi by saying that “obviously there's been deception, and there have been lies.”.

A prominent Saudi commentator and close associate of Prince Mohammed, Turki Aldakhil, warned in advance of the Saudi admission that the kingdom would respond to Western sanctions by cosying up to Russia and China. No doubt that could happen if Saudi Arabia is forced to seeks alternative to shield itself against possible sanctions.

That, however, does not mean that Prince Mohammed could not be brazen in his effort to engineer a situation in which the Trump administration would have no choice but to fully re-engage with the kingdom.

Despite pundits’ suggestion that Trump’s Saudi Arabia-anchored Middle East strategy that appears focussed on isolating Iran, crippling it economically with harsh sanctions, and potentially forcing a change of regime is in jeopardy because of the damage Prince Mohammed’s international reputation has suffered, Iran could prove to be the crown prince’s window of opportunity.

“The problem is that under MBS, Saudi Arabia has become an unreliable strategic partner whose every move seems to help rather than hinder Iran. Yemen intervention is both a humanitarian disaster and a low cost/high gain opportunity for Iran,” tweeted former US Middle East negotiator Martin Indyk, referring to Prince Mohammed by his initials.

“Trump needed to make clear he wouldn’t validate or protect him from Congressional reaction unless he took responsibility. It’s too late for that now. Therefore I fear he will neither step up or grow up, the crisis will deepen and Iran will continue to reap the windfall,” Indyk said in another tweet.

If that was likely an unintended consequence of Prince Mohammed’s overly assertive policy and crude and ill-fated attempts to put his stamp on the Middle East prior to the murder of Khashoggi, it may since in a twisted manner serve his purpose.

To the degree that Prince Mohammed has had a thought-out grand strategy since his ascendancy in 2015, it was to ensure US support and Washington’s reengagement in what he saw as a common interest: projection of Saudi power at the expense of Iran.

Speaking to The Economist in 2016, Prince Mohammed spelt out his vision of the global balance of power and where he believed Saudi interests lie. “The United States must realise that they are the number one in the world and they have to act like it,” the prince said.

In an indication that he was determined to ensure US re-engagement in the Middle East, Prince Mohammed added: “We did not put enough efforts in order to get our point across. We believe that this will change in the future.”

Beyond the shared US-Saudi goal of clipping Iran’s wings, Prince Mohammed catered to Trump’s priority of garnering economic advantage for the United States and creating jobs. Trump’s assertion that he wants to safeguard $450 billion in deals with Saudi Arabia as he contemplates possible punishment for the killing of Khashoggi is based on the crown prince’s dangling of opportunity.

“When President Trump became president, we’ve changed our armament strategy again for the next 10 years to put more than 60 percent with the United States of America. That’s why we’ve created the $400 billion in opportunities, armaments and investment opportunities, and other trade opportunities. So this is a good achievement for President Trump, for Saudi Arabia,” Prince Mohammed said days after Khashoggi disappeared.

The crown prince drove the point home by transferring $100 million to the US, making good on a long-standing promise to support efforts to stabilize Syria, at the very moment that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week landed in Riyadh in a bid to defuse the Khashoggi crisis.

A potential effort by Prince Mohammed to engineer a situation in which stepped-up tensions with Iran supersede the fallout of the Khashoggi crisis, particularly in the US, could be fuelled by changing attitudes and tactics in Iran itself.

The shift is being driven by Iran’s need to evade blacklisting by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international anti-money laundering and terrorism finance watchdog. Meeting the group’s demands for enhanced legislation and implementation is a pre-requisite for ensuring continued European support for circumventing crippling US sanctions.

In recognition of that, Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dropped his objection to the adoption of the FATF-conform legislation.

If that were not worrisome enough for Prince Mohammed, potential Iranian efforts to engage if not with the Trump administration with those segments of the US political elite that are opposed to the president could move the crown prince to significantly raise the stakes, try to thwart Iranian efforts, and put the Khashoggi crisis behind him.

Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, head of parliament’s influential national security and foreign policy commission, signalled the potential shift in Iranian policy by suggesting that “there is a new diplomatic atmosphere for de-escalation with America. There is room for adopting the diplomacy of talk and lobbying by Iran with the current which opposes Trump… The diplomatic channel with America should not be closed because America is not just about Trump.”

Should he opt, to escalate Middle Eastern tensions, Prince Mohammed could aggravate the war in Yemen, viewed by Saudi Arabia and the Trump administration as a proxy war with Iran, or seek to provoke Iran by attempting to stir unrest among its multiple ethnic minorities.

To succeed, Prince Mohammed would have to ensure that Iran takes the bait. So far, Iran has sat back, gloating as the crown prince and the kingdom are increasingly cornered by the Khashoggi crisis, not wanting to jeopardize its potential outreach to Trump’s opponents as well as Europe.

That could change if Prince Mohammed decides to act on his vow in 2017 that “we won’t wait for the battle to be in Saudi Arabia Instead, we will work so that the battle is for them in Iran, not in Saudi Arabia.” 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Embattled Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman could prove to be not only a cat with nine lives but also one that makes even stranger jumps. King Salman’s announcement that Prince Mohammed was put in charge of reorganising Saudi intelligence at the same time that the kingdom for the first time admitted that journalist Jamal Khashoggi had been killed in its Istanbul consulate signalled that the crown prince’s wings were not being clipped, at least not immediately and not publicly.

Embattled Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman could prove to be not only a cat with nine lives but also one that makes even stranger jumps. King Salman’s announcement that Prince Mohammed was put in charge of reorganising Saudi intelligence at the same time that the kingdom for the first time admitted that journalist Jamal Khashoggi had been killed in its Istanbul consulate signalled that the crown prince’s wings were not being clipped, at least not immediately and not publicly. With little prospect for a palace coup and a frail King Salman unlikely to assume for any lengthy period full control of the levers of power, Prince Mohammed, viewed by many as reckless and impulsive, could emerge from the Khashoggi crisis, that has severely tarnished the kingdom’s image and strained relations with the United States and Western powers, even more defiant rather than chastened by international condemnation of the journalist’s killing. A pinned tweet by Saud Al-Qahtani, the close associate of Prince Mohammed who this weekend was among several fired senior official reads: “Some brothers blame me for what they view as harshness. But everything has its time, and talk these days requires such language.” That apparently was and could remain Prince Mohammed’s motto. Said former CIA official, Middle East expert and novelist Graham E. Fuller in a bid to identify the logic of the madness: “As the geopolitics of the world changes—particularly with the emergence of new power centres like China, the return of Russia, the growing independence of Turkey, the resistance of Iran to US domination in the Gulf, the waywardness of Israel, and the greater role of India and many other smaller players—the emergence of a more aggressive and adventuristic Saudi Arabia is not surprising.” Prince Mohammed’s domestic status and mettle are likely to be put to the test as the crisis unfolds with Turkey leaking further evidence of what happened to Khashoggi or officially publishing whatever proof it has. Turkish leaks or officially announced evidence would likely cast further doubt on Saudi Arabia’s assertion that Khashoggi died in a brawl in the consulate and fuel US Congressional and European parliamentary calls for sanctions, possibly including an arms embargo, against the kingdom. In a sharp rebuke, US President Donald J. Trump responded to Saudi Arabia’s widely criticised official version of what happened to Khashoggi by saying that “obviously there's been deception, and there have been lies.”. A prominent Saudi commentator and close associate of Prince Mohammed, Turki Aldakhil, warned in advance of the Saudi admission that the kingdom would respond to Western sanctions by cosying up to Russia and China. No doubt that could happen if Saudi Arabia is forced to seeks alternative to shield itself against possible sanctions. That, however, does not mean that Prince Mohammed could not be brazen in his effort to engineer a situation in which the Trump administration would have no choice but to fully re-engage with the kingdom. Despite pundits’ suggestion that Trump’s Saudi Arabia-anchored Middle East strategy that appears focussed on isolating Iran, crippling it economically with harsh sanctions, and potentially forcing a change of regime is in jeopardy because of the damage Prince Mohammed’s international reputation has suffered, Iran could prove to be the crown prince’s window of opportunity. “The problem is that under MBS, Saudi Arabia has become an unreliable strategic partner whose every move seems to help rather than hinder Iran. Yemen intervention is both a humanitarian disaster and a low cost/high gain opportunity for Iran,” tweeted former US Middle East negotiator Martin Indyk, referring to Prince Mohammed by his initials. “Trump needed to make clear he wouldn’t validate or protect him from Congressional reaction unless he took responsibility. It’s too late for that now. Therefore I fear he will neither step up or grow up, the crisis will deepen and Iran will continue to reap the windfall,” Indyk said in another tweet. If that was likely an unintended consequence of Prince Mohammed’s overly assertive policy and crude and ill-fated attempts to put his stamp on the Middle East prior to the murder of Khashoggi, it may since in a twisted manner serve his purpose. To the degree that Prince Mohammed has had a thought-out grand strategy since his ascendancy in 2015, it was to ensure US support and Washington’s reengagement in what he saw as a common interest: projection of Saudi power at the expense of Iran. Speaking to The Economist in 2016, Prince Mohammed spelt out his vision of the global balance of power and where he believed Saudi interests lie. “The United States must realise that they are the number one in the world and they have to act like it,” the prince said. In an indication that he was determined to ensure US re-engagement in the Middle East, Prince Mohammed added: “We did not put enough efforts in order to get our point across. We believe that this will change in the future.” Beyond the shared US-Saudi goal of clipping Iran’s wings, Prince Mohammed catered to Trump’s priority of garnering economic advantage for the United States and creating jobs. Trump’s assertion that he wants to safeguard $450 billion in deals with Saudi Arabia as he contemplates possible punishment for the killing of Khashoggi is based on the crown prince’s dangling of opportunity. “When President Trump became president, we’ve changed our armament strategy again for the next 10 years to put more than 60 percent with the United States of America. That’s why we’ve created the $400 billion in opportunities, armaments and investment opportunities, and other trade opportunities. So this is a good achievement for President Trump, for Saudi Arabia,” Prince Mohammed said days after Khashoggi disappeared. The crown prince drove the point home by transferring $100 million to the US, making good on a long-standing promise to support efforts to stabilize Syria, at the very moment that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week landed in Riyadh in a bid to defuse the Khashoggi crisis. A potential effort by Prince Mohammed to engineer a situation in which stepped-up tensions with Iran supersede the fallout of the Khashoggi crisis, particularly in the US, could be fuelled by changing attitudes and tactics in Iran itself. The shift is being driven by Iran’s need to evade blacklisting by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international anti-money laundering and terrorism finance watchdog. Meeting the group’s demands for enhanced legislation and implementation is a pre-requisite for ensuring continued European support for circumventing crippling US sanctions. In recognition of that, Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dropped his objection to the adoption of the FATF-conform legislation. If that were not worrisome enough for Prince Mohammed, potential Iranian efforts to engage if not with the Trump administration with those segments of the US political elite that are opposed to the president could move the crown prince to significantly raise the stakes, try to thwart Iranian efforts, and put the Khashoggi crisis behind him. Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, head of parliament’s influential national security and foreign policy commission, signalled the potential shift in Iranian policy by suggesting that “there is a new diplomatic atmosphere for de-escalation with America. There is room for adopting the diplomacy of talk and lobbying by Iran with the current which opposes Trump… The diplomatic channel with America should not be closed because America is not just about Trump.” Should he opt, to escalate Middle Eastern tensions, Prince Mohammed could aggravate the war in Yemen, viewed by Saudi Arabia and the Trump administration as a proxy war with Iran, or seek to provoke Iran by attempting to stir unrest among its multiple ethnic minorities. To succeed, Prince Mohammed would have to ensure that Iran takes the bait. So far, Iran has sat back, gloating as the crown prince and the kingdom are increasingly cornered by the Khashoggi crisis, not wanting to jeopardize its potential outreach to Trump’s opponents as well as Europe. That could change if Prince Mohammed decides to act on his vow in 2017 that “we won’t wait for the battle to be in Saudi Arabia Instead, we will work so that the battle is for them in Iran, not in Saudi Arabia.” (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Jamal Khashoggi's killing: What are Trump's options?

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