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© (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2018.Trump reluctant to abandon Riyadh over missing journalist, wants evidence
By Leah Millis, Tulay Karadeniz and Steve Holland ANKARA/WASHINGTON©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
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Simon Foston
Interrogators don't usually end up killing people by mistake unless the methods are pretty medieval, surely?
TumbleDry
Here is the “why” western countries would give a pass to Saudi Arabia on this one and the long list of other human right violations.
We need their oil.
I hope DT will find something new to distract people before the elections.
Alfie Noakes
Everyone will look the other way as the monsters of Saudi commit genocide in Yemen, sponsor global terrorism and crucify their own people. The vilest of the vile, and simply because their oil money props up the arms business.
SuperLib
The Saudis are too important to Trump Inc to really ruffle any feathers. Trump will stand down as a personal business decision.
Chip Star
You thought incorrectly.
Wallace Fred
The same due process wasn't afforded Russia though. Oh no. They're guilty right off the bat. The only positive outcome of this attrotious debacle is the entire planet can now marvel at the hypocrisy of the western 'democracies' disgusting!
Chip Star
Agreed. That said, it won't be long before a certain poster tells us how important SA is as an ally despite the Saudis being diametrically opposed to our democratic norms.
PTownsend
Add MbS to the list of despots including Xi, Netanyahu, Putin and Erdogan who’ve out-trumped Trump, the US 'leader' who's probably putting his family business interests first.
How soon after he’s out of office will the world see additional Trump properties in China, Israel, Russia and Turkey? A slimy businessman, a slimier politician.
PTownsend
I think it's great that even Russians are starting to see value in due process. Though in the 'west' it's usually a part of formal legal processes.
I think some might see Russia as 'guilty right off the bat' because of pattern based thinking. Russia does have a reported and documented history of eliminating and attempting to eliminate opponents, dissenters and journalists, and the only defense I've hard from their supporters is either 'Can't prove it' or 'The 'west' is worse'.
plasticmonkey
I thought Trump was supposed to be a tough negotiator. Guess not.
Here's what he should do. Tell the Saudis that the arms sale is off until verifiable answers are given.
CrazyJoe
"he was killed in a botched interrogation"
How in the world does “botched interrogation” translate to “killed?” “Oh we were just chatting amiably and suddenly we just happened to kill him.” No matter whether or not they meant to kill him, they evidently did and it’s still murder. Of course they are all lies. Of course the crown prince knew. They brought a bone saw. It’s premeditated murder and Trump is going to let them get away with it.
Simon Foston
plasticmonkeyToday 08:24 am JST
Right, I'm not exactly seeing "the art of the deal" here.
Chip StarToday 07:52 am JST
As you have helpfully anticipated that we can all ignore him when he does. Best thing to do in any case.
Chip Star
Agreed. Think it would make a difference if we all refused to call out that posters falsehoods and logic failures?
mjeiks
Money talks!! Other countries are above the "law."
If the same thing had happened in the Syrian consulate in Turkey. The narrative would have been to remove Assad from his presidency, and possibly to assassinate him while dropping bombs on anyone related to him.
Western democracy is truly bias.
8T
And he should be reluctant until ALL the facts are in.
Simon Foston
Chip StarToday 08:41 am JST
It doesn't make a difference what anyone else writes. It never has before.
8TToday 08:49 am JST
And when they are he'll find excuses to chicken out of doing anything that would jeopardize his ties with his dear Saudi chums.
Chip Star
Every country is biased towards their perceived interests.
Yes, because it's normal for people to disappear after entering consulates and assasination squads with bone saws to be flown in in private jets.
Cricky
A doctor suspected of killing and dismembering dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi trained at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine in Melbourne after being sponsored by the Saudi Government.
Tubaigy was reportedly carrying a bone saw when he flew in and out of Istanbul
ABC confirmed Tubaigy spent several months at Melbourne institute as forensic pathologist
Dr Salah al-Tubaigy was identified by Turkish authorities as one of 15 men present in the Saudi consultant. He currently holds a top position in the Interior Ministry.
Thats a suspicious link. Trump just doesn't want to do anything about it, like Bush after 9-11. After Saudis were behind that.
Goodlucktoyou
Accidentally died during interrogations and dismembered?
Chip Star
Exactly. Think it would make a difference if we all stopped responding?
Completely normal. How else are you supposed to secretly dispose of a body when everyone outside is watching?
Simon Foston
Chip StarToday 09:16 am JST
Yes, we could all be getting on with a million and one more worthwhile things to do. Anyone who's going to post any sort of defense of these Saudi monsters or their paid bootlicker-in-chief Trump deserves to be ignored.
Simon Foston
TumbleDryToday 07:35 am JST
And arms manufacturers just love selling them heaps and heaps of hi-grade killing gear. They're great customers because they get plenty of use out of the stuff.
FizzBit
Why is this even news? So the MSM is pushing this story but can conveniently ignore Yemen? What a disgrace.
SuperLib
Well the facts so far is that they lured him into the consulate, kidnapped him, interrogated him, then lied about him dying in their custody. I guess we're just waiting to see if there's any provable link to MBS, which there won't be, and then Trump can say he can't do anything without direct proof, and that will be that.
Congressional Republicans and Democrats will team up to go after SA on their own, but Trump will run interference like he does for Putin. Not much will change and the story will go away with the midterms coming up.
It's just the world we live in with Trump as President.
bass4funk
Very sad and tragic.
Yes, he probably will, there’s not much he or the Congress can do about it. Most Americans don’t want to pay $7-10 for gas, the markets would be thrown in chaos having $100-$200 barrel prices, they are the only country that can help us counter Iran and help us locate terrorist that need to be captured or killed, better to have them as an ally then having them go over to China or Russia, that would be a very bad scenario for the US overall. So Trump does have to walk a fine line here, I’m sure Pompeo and the crown prince will have a very lengthy conversation and the prince Will no doubt coming to heavy pressure tonight and will engage in such act like that again. You’ll probably make a bunch of donations to charity spend some money and some possible in order to bury the situation and to move past this PR move. The man let’s stay in power and he doesn’t want anybody to challenge the store today, because somebody well family they are not a unified family not by a long shot.
Chip Star
The real reason Trump is soft on one of the world's most prolific state sponsors of radical Islamic terrorism.
Simon Foston
FizzBitToday 10:05 am JST
Do you think everyone should just ignore it when a brutal autocrat with financial ties to the US president has journalists murdered? It's not worth any consideration at all, then?
bass4funk
So what? That doesn’t have anything to with the long and difficult relationship the US had with the Saudis for many, many, many years. As if the Democrats were in power they could completely cut the Saudis off? Yeah, right! As bad as these people are, they’re not that dumb, sneaky, but completely dumb, not buying it. I get it, it’s political partisan bickering, but the know there’s not a lot we can do, unlike Iran with whom we don’t have a diplomatic relationship with, the Saudis, we do and like it or not, both parties will not rock that boat entirely.
FizzBit
Any facts to that rant?
PTownsend
If you're referring to the Trump 'charity', that would mean money paid directly to Trump and of course his family and syndicate members. Trump's getting richer from all the money he's already getting from Riyadh. Trump's a slimy politician looking out for his own interests. 8645
Stop wars for oil and gas. Find alternatives to burning so much oil and gas.
Saudi, the number one backer of terrorism, needs to be countered. Trump followers have swallowed their master's line that Iran's the enemy.
elephant200
What uncle Trump wants to tell you people is: The Saudis Royal were above laws, all your laws, you guys better don't mess, don't ask, don't condemn their wrong doings! They are the core interest of the state!
FizzBit
So how does a Saudi Arabian US expat journalist murdered in Turkey make it into the headlines? Oh..that’s right....throw Trumps name in there for guaranteed clicks..
rainyday
I don't often agree with bass, but this is a pretty reasonable assessment that I agree with.
Regardless of who is in the White House or Congress, Saudi Arabia has the US (and the rest of the global economy) over a barrel. They could easily double or triple global oil prices literally overnight which would devastate the world economy even worse than the 2008 crash.
The rhetoric would probably be different and a bit less clumsy if this had happened with Obama or anybody else in the White House, but the substantive response would have been about the same. There isn't really anything the US can do short of drastically escalating the situation in a way that would severely damage the US economy.
The sooner the world economy moves away from its dependency on oil, the better.
ClippetyClop
That would be good news for American oil production I'd have thought. Just as the world relies on Saudi oil, the Saudis rely on us buying it. This whole situation stems from the fact that the House of Saud is scared of what the future holds as the world looks beyond oil. They'll rest easier though knowing they have Trump in their pocket.
bones
Donny doll hands Russian puppet president aka Saudi loving Kim Jong hugging orange doofus ruining America and making its citizens look like fools.
bass4funk
And every other President thereafter until we become energy dependent and completely weaned is off Mideast oil.
rainyday
Good news for American oil producers perhaps but bad news for literally everybody else in the American economy who does not make their living pumping oil out of the ground.
Pretty much every product bought or sold relies directly or directly on oil, either in its production or transportation to market. Double or triple the cost of that input and you increase the cost of everything without any offsetting benefits (no wage increases, etc) so consumer spending plummets and the economy goes into recession. Not just a regular recession, but a big one in which certain tipping points might be reached and a depression style crash could materialize for reasons we can't easily foresee right now. Its worth remembering that one of the contributing causes to the 2008 crash was the run up in oil prices that year.
The whole situation stems from them having a despicable individual as head of state running an extraction based economy that fuels a society run by extraordinarily oppressive and anachronistic customs and rules.
They don't just rest easier knowing they have Trump in their pocket, but that they basically have any US president in their pocket so long as they can hold a sword over the global economy. Its incredibly dangerous to have basically an insane little kingdom wielding such power and the world economy really needs to end its dependence on oil to change that.
Serrano
Why all the focus on Trump? I want to know what Xi and Putin are going to do about this. Actually I already know what they're going to do. Absolutely nothing.
Kuro
The killing took 7 minutes... the forsenic then put on his hearphones and started dismembering the body...saying he always listen to music when he does that.
they have audio (and possibely video) of the whole thing... they leaked the audio to the press to avoid having to explain how they obtained it. The consul can be heard saying, do this outside, i'll get in trouble.
Soon no denial will be possible anymore.
ClippetyClop
Because of his personal business links to the House of Saud. Very simple.
Trump is a Luddite who doesn't believe in things like climate change, environmental protections, energy conservation, clean air & water, clean energy technologies, evolution, truth etc. So don't expect to be getting weaned off anything for the next couple of years.
Strangerland
What do you expect from Dictators? Of course they're going to do nothing. Just like Trump. Great company he keeps there.
Chip Star
Because we neutered Iraq at the behest of the previous republican president.
You have yet to give a valid reason as to why SA would help us fight the terrorists SA creates.
Chip Star
Then why did you bring her up?
smithinjapan
He's been given evidence. He doesn't want it. He wants more money, which he's getting to ignore the facts.
PTownsend
Do you remember Trump saying this:
But then as Trump supporters say, he's a politician and all politicians lie.
Trump, Xi, Putin, MbS and all other despots continually attacking media that don't report events from the despot's perspectives are creating an atmosphere where journalists are being demonized, assaulted and killed. And the despot's rightwing followers are supportive of that.
Or are you asking what should Putin and Xi tell Trump to do. It could be Trump's waiting for instructions from his superiors.
Jimizo
Xi and Putin have no problem with the idea of having people critical of them permanently silenced. The US supposedly stands for freedom of expression. Previous presidents of the US used to rattle on on stop about this idea as if it was unique to them.
Has anyone else noticed that Trump very rarely talks about this idea? Very unusual.
Serrano
As high as the possibility is that the what Turks are saying is true, at this time we still don't have the audio/video of this alleged atrocity.
Trump: US asked Turkey for Khashoggi tape, 'if it exists'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruGKM1m93O4
Lindsay Graham is pretty sure this happened:
'He Had This Guy Murdered': Graham Says 'Toxic' Saudi Crown Prince 'Has Got to Go'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOoaOFBHRXo
Jimizo
Trump runs with insane conspiracy trash and headlines he reads in the National Enquirer.
When did his need for rigorous fact checking and watertight evidence start? I must have missed it.
Can we look forward to this new Trump from now on?
Toasted Heretic
How about this for timing...
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/10/saudi-arabia-wires-us-dollar100-million-as-trump-proclaims-mbs-innocent
*“The timing of this is no coincidence,” the American official working on Syria policy told the Times on Tuesday. “In all probability, the Saudis want Trump to know that his cooperation in covering for the Khashoggi affair is important to the Saudi monarch,” Joshua Landis, a professor at the University of Oklahoma, surmised to The Washington Post.*
Serrano
"abandon Riyadh"
It's wouldn't be abandoning Riyadh, just the Crown Prince.
FizzBit
Wow. How is it possible for so many to avoid the word petrodollar? It’s like so many were born on January 20, 2017.
FizzBit
This has Deep State written all over it. So the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal all decide on the same day to headline this story?
Simon Foston
FizzBitToday 03:40 pm JST
Sorry, you were saying something about facts?
FizzBit
There’s only one country that is known to send hit squads. My money is on Netenyayoo.
FizzBit
yeah, where’s yours?
ClippetyClop
Cue Fox News scare story with dark, ominous background music. Lots of silhouette usage. Maybe even a logo nicked from a Pink Floyd album cover. (Well, PRISM had one)
sunfunbun
I think this has a lot to do with the subject matter in the film, Active Measures. Trump was bankrupt at one time, due to his failure on his overly huge casino flop in Atlantic City, He needed money, and he got it in the form of allowing any tenant into his Trump Hotels and apt. living. Russian Oligarchs, and foreign money that needed to be laundered into dollars were sold unit upon unit, thereby making Trump rich, and with his bottom line of making money over any moralistic issues, he did his usual thing. This made him vulnerable to foreign money and leaders which controls him, like the oligarchs and Putin, and now, the Saudis. He never thought as a regular citizen it would come back to haunt him, and as president, was too dumb to realize how he endangers America when backing autocrats worldwide, because of his own money interests prioritized over anything and everything. This, and oh, yeah, Saudi arms deal which he wants to go thru, no matter what.
Trump is always the liar and spinning his stories, and his hypocrisy leads to wanting to give the Saudis every last chance to come up with an excuse or somehow wiggle out of this act of violence. A good president would condemn the action and demand answers, immediately. However, I suspect, he already has the answers, either from foreign or domestic investigation, but since this is Donald Trump, he will create a narrative that gives his money buddies leeway to get out. In the end, if they are found guilty, Donny will have saved face with the criminal autocrats, by saying he did his best, but they had no escape. He's such a tool, it's ridiculous the president of the United States falls to a level of this thug.
FizzBit
So so funny. You do realize I hope that CNN sold Bush’s war.
Chip Star
Except the Deep State doesn't exist.
You made the assertion this was from the Deep State, which means the onus is on you to prove up that it exists.
FizzBit
Probably the funniest comment I’ve ever read on JT.
Jimizo
That’s a competitive field. The conspiracy theory crowd have made comments that brought the house down.
ClippetyClop
Yes, I heard that. I'm sure they packaged it nicely for the whooping masses. Not sure of the relevance though.
And Russia. And America. China too. Saudi Arabia almost certainly. North Korea have done it. I'm sure Iran has dabbled too, possibly even the UK, France, Turkey, Egypt. But yeah, just one country.
FizzBit
Yeah well said
FizzBit
but I was speaking of the hit team that assasinated the Iranian nuclear scientist.
Chip Star
This is not evidence of the Deep State.
Funny that the Deep State nonsense popped up after Trump was elected and started bungling everything. Where was the Deep State during Bush's presidency?
Chip Star
Then why did you post:
?
Words are difficult to use correctly.
Raw Beer
Hmmmm, I guess that explains why policies never seem to change, regardless of who the president is or which party is in power.
Kuro
True, can't speak for other countries, but France has shot down the plane from Rwanda president in 1994. More recently, could be behind the killing of Gaddafi after he was already arrested. Sarko didn't want him to talk afterall...
Chip Star
Policies never seem to change because the basic goal of both parties are similar: pander to business.. Do some research before you run to a conspiracy theory for an explanation.
bass4funk
And carried over to Afghanistan by the previous President.
I did, multiple times.
bass4funk
Ok, and then what?
Haaa Nemui
I know right. As if Republicans could ever grow a spine.
Laguna
Of course they'll do absolutely nothing - they do the same. I taught a student today about the usage of "disappear" as a transitive verb. It is frightening.
Once was a time a time when one country could be relied on to counter this type of behavior. Too bad that country is gone.
minello7
Quite simple America, get tough with sanctions, and if the Saudis stop the oil to the US, easy, lift sanctions on Iran , and they'll supply all the oil needed. But we know that will never happen, a pipe dream. First pressure from Israel won't let the US lift sanctions, and secondly the Saudis won't cut the oil because other countries will step in andbecause OPEC won't let the Saudis tarnish their image siding with the Saudis.
SuperLib
A fine line? Not really. He just needs to downplay any evidence of Saudi involvement, even if the evidence becomes overwhelming. Maybe he can even discredit our intelligence agencies in the process. We see him do it with Russia without batting an eye, shouldn’t be hard for him at all.
And it’s not like his fans will call him out for it. He knows you guys don’t have a spine. It was the price of admission to Trumpville.
Silvafan
Trump Inflates Saudi Arms Deal But Stays Silent On Saudi Cash In His Own Pocket
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-inflates-saudi-arms-deal-222323183.html
According to Fox News: Trump & Saudi Business: •1991: Sold yacht to Saudi Prince •2001: Sold 45th floor of Trump World Tower to Saudis •Jun 2015: I love the Saudis...many in Trump Tower •Aug 2015: "They buy apartments from me...Spend $40M-$50M" •2017: Saudi lobbyists spent $270K at Trump DC hotel 10:10 AM - Oct 16, 2018 Last year, Prince MBS said that Jared Kushner was "in his pocket". So don't expect Donnie Darko to do anything but act as a PR rep for Prince MBS, who I believe will throw several Saudi agents under the bus and have them executed before they can defend themselves and tell us the truth.
Chip Star
If it's from Fox, it's true.
Mlodinow
Trump would probably believe even such an excuse as "he accidentally stabbed himself in the stomach while shaving" as long as there was a dollar in it for him...
bass4funk
No, because he was a private citizen and there was nothing illegal about it. nor can they really make a case, not if they don't want to get laughed out in court....again.
You guys never called your president out on anything either, and?
mukashiyokatta
Money trumps morals.
bass4funk
I think the lies are whatever the left want them to be, but as in true liberal fashion it's nothing new.
Texas A&M Aggie
A Saudi citizen who is/was a critic of the Saudi government allegedly killed by said government in a Saudi consulate (under diplomatic law, Saudi soil). President Trump will tread carefully on this issue. Do not expect him to do what the Left and the WaPo want.
SuperLib
Good start, but once again we will have to ignore the Congressional Republicans leading the charge on this issue. Shouldn't be a problem for Trump fans here. The GOP could demand nuking SA and the first words out of your mouth would be, "Democrats and the liberal media..."
Think of some other good talking points to defend SA. You have plenty of time, and Trump will have a list for you soon. Just do what he says and this will go away eventually. At no time should you express a personal opinion that is different from Trump.
Chip Star
Trump suddenly slowing down and thinking about something should raise alarms for even his most ardent self-deceiving supporters.
Chip Star
This:
is a completely irrelevant response to this:
. . .
This is patently false.
Chip Star
Trump's self-deceiving supporters always trot out the tried and trusted "I know you are but what am I" defense. Very sophisticated.
Chip Star
Abandoning a tortured and dismembered Saudi journalist, with permanent US residence may be the line Trump cannot cross.
jerry
anyway, with all due respect to the slained journalist, why is the rest of the world meddling into saudi arabia's and turkey's affairs? there are so many violations of human rights in the world. think north korea, syria, congo, myanmar etc....
commanteer
Sad to see so many people here who have no understanding of history or politics outside of "Trump is evil." Such people are easy to manipulate. The US has always accommodated the Saudis, regardless of who was president, regardless of their poor human rights record. Blaming it all on Trump demonstrates a complete ignorance of world affairs. Sad to know such uninformed people actually can cast a vote.