INTERNATIONAL
The Jamal Khashoggi disappearance
Published
5 years agoon

US President Donald Trump has spoken to Saudi King Salman over the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and has ordered Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to “immediately get on a plane” to Saudi Arabia to discuss the situation with the monarch.
After tweeting the development Monday, Trump told White House reporters that the King had “firmly denied any knowledge” of the journalist’s whereabouts. Jamal Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post and a Saudi royal insider-turned-critic, entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, on October 2 and has not been seen since.
“It wasn’t like there was a question in his mind. The denial was very strong,” Trump said of King Salman.
“It sounded to me like maybe these could have been rogue killers, who knows. We are going to try to get to the bottom of it very soon,” Trump said. “But his was a flat denial.”
Turkish authorities believe 15 Saudi men who arrived in Istanbul on October 2 were connected to Khashoggi’s disappearance and possible murder. At least some of them appear to have high-level connections in the Saudi government.
Saudi authorities maintain Jamal Khashoggi left the consulate the same afternoon of his visit, but have provided no evidence of that. Khashoggi’s fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, who was waiting outside the consulate, says she did not see him re-emerge.
International pressure is mounting on Riyadh to explain the journalist’s disappearance, in a case that has created a diplomatic rift between Saudi and the West.
The UK, France and Germany have demanded a “credible investigation” into the events and Trump on Sunday warned of serious retribution if the Saudis were found to be behind his possible death.
“There’s something really terrible and disgusting about that if that were the case. So we’re going to have to see,” Trump said in a “60 Minutes” interview broadcast Sunday. “We’re going to get to the bottom of it and there will be severe punishment.”
Saudi officials threatened to retaliate if the US imposed sanctions, but Riyadh later softened its tone.
The case has also caused friction between Saudi Arabia and Turkey, which has repeatedly accused the Saudis of failing to cooperate with their investigation.
A source familiar with the ongoing investigation told CNN on Friday that Turkish authorities have audio and visual evidence that shows journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside the consulate.
Saudi officials have granted permission for its consulate to be searched Monday afternoon, a Turkish diplomatic source told CNN. They first granted permission last week but asked for a delay. Turkish officials also want to search the nearby consul general’s residence.
Turkish investigators are pushing for complete access for forensic teams to enter both premises, according to Turkish media reports. It was unclear whether the Saudis would allow the comprehensive search at both locations.
The search developments come a day after King Salman called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss the case. The two leaders agreed on a joint working group to look into the journalist’s disappearance.
The Saudi official said that a royal decree was issued Friday directing the public prosecutor to conduct an internal investigation into the Khashoggi case, based on intelligence shared by Turkey with Saudi Arabia.
The official said that although a joint investigation team was cooperating on the ground, the Saudi “leadership had felt that an internal investigation was needed to make sure no stone is left unturned to unfold the truth.”
After tweeting the development Monday, Trump told White House reporters that the King had “firmly denied any knowledge” of the journalist’s whereabouts. Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post and a Saudi royal insider-turned-critic, entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, on October 2 and has not been seen since.
“It wasn’t like there was a question in his mind. The denial was very strong,” Trump said of King Salman.
A source familiar with the ongoing investigation told CNN on Friday that Turkish authorities have audio and visual evidence that shows journalist Khashoggi was killed inside the consulate.
Saudi Arabia begins to cooperate
Saudi officials have granted permission for its consulate to be searched Monday afternoon, a Turkish diplomatic source told CNN. They first granted permission last week but asked for a delay. Turkish officials also want to search the nearby consul general’s residence.
Turkish investigators are pushing for complete access for forensic teams to enter both premises, according to Turkish media reports. It was unclear whether the Saudis would allow the comprehensive search at both locations.
The search developments come a day after King Salman called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss the case. The two leaders agreed on a joint working group to look into the journalist’s disappearance.
The Saudi official said that a royal decree was issued Friday directing the public prosecutor to conduct an internal investigation into the Khashoggi case, based on intelligence shared by Turkey with Saudi Arabia.
The official said that although a joint investigation team was cooperating on the ground, the Saudi “leadership had felt that an internal investigation was needed to make sure no stone is left unturned to unfold the truth.”
International companies pull out
Saudi Arabia’s stock market fell as much as 7% on Sunday amid fears of sanctions. The index recovered some ground later to close 3.5% down.
The market’s drop of as much as 9% since Jamal Khashoggi vanished has wiped out all the market’s gains in 2018, although it is still up 8% from a year ago.
Amid the diplomatic fallout over Khashoggi’s disappearance, international firms are pulling out of a high-profile investment summit, the Future Investment Initiative conference, dubbed “Davos in the Desert,” due to take place later this month in Riyadh and to be hosted by Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The latest high-profile invitee to say they would not attend the conference was the CEO of JP Morgan Chase, Jamie Dimon, a spokesperson confirmed Sunday.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday declined to confirm whether US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin would still be attending the conference in Riyadh, saying the US would “continue to evaluate the facts” t make a decision.
British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt on Sunday urged Saudi Arabia to explain what happened to Jamal Khashoggi, saying: “if they have got nothing to hide, then they will and should cooperate.”
“If, as they say, this terrible murder didn’t happen, then where is Jamal Khashoggi? That’s what the world wants to know,” said Hunt.
Doubts are growing over whether British Trade Secretary Liam Fox will attend the Riyadh conference, the BBC reported Sunday citing diplomatic sources.
But Saudi Arabia has found support in a number of Arab allies, including Oman, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, which all put out statements Sunday saying they expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia.
The Palestinian Authority also put out a statement of support.
In a strongly worded op-ed published later on Sunday, Turki Aldakhil, general manager of the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya news channel, warned that if the US imposed sanctions on Riyadh “it will stab its own economy to death,” cause oil prices to reach as high as $200 a barrel, lead Riyadh to permit a Russian military base in the city of Tabuk and drive the Middle East into the arms of Iran.
Faisal bin Farhan, a senior adviser at the Saudi Embassy in Washington, DC, said on his official Twitter account Sunday that the op-ed “did not reflect the thinking of the Saudi leadership.”
Riyadh later tried to soften its confrontational tone.
The Saudi Embassy in Washington said in a tweet Sunday: “To help clarify recently issued Saudi statement, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia extends its appreciation to all, including the US administration, for refraining from jumping to conclusions on the ongoing investigation,” the statement said.
A delegation from Saudi Arabia arrived in Turkey for the investigation into Jamal Khashoggi’s disappearance, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency reported Friday.
But last week a senior Turkish official speaking on the condition of anonymity told CNN that the Saudis were not cooperating with the investigation: “They are not open to cooperating.”
‘Working assumption’ is murder
A US official familiar with the intelligence told CNN that the US had intercepts of Saudi officials discussing a plan to lure Jamal Khashoggi back to Saudi Arabia and detain him.
Washington’s “working assumption” is that Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside the consulate in Istanbul, according to a US official familiar with the latest intelligence. “We are pretty clear-eyed it is likely to have happened and it didn’t end well,” the official said.
The source did caution that this was the latest assessment and no conclusions had been made.
However, last week Trump said he was reluctant to take action, particularly on the issue of arms sales. “There are other things we can do,” he told reporters at the White House.
The US signed a nearly $110 billion defence deal with Saudi Arabia in May 2017, when Trump made Saudi Arabia a stop on his first foreign trip as president.
The stop was seen, in part, as an endorsement of the strong relationship between Trump, Jared Kushner — his son-in-law and senior adviser — and bin Salman.
Over the weekend a US senior administration official said that the US hasn’t really dealt much with the Turks on the Jamal Khashoggi investigation yet because US officials, including the embassy staff, mostly focused last week on repatriating American pastor Andrew Brunson, who was accused of plotting a coup attempt against Erdogan.
Now that Brunson is back in the US, the official said Washington is expecting some information from the Turks. The US also still hasn’t heard anything from the Saudis, and are waiting for some information about what happened, the official said.
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Chris Cash: The UK Parliamentary Researcher Accused of Spying for Beijing Authorities
Published
3 months agoon
11/09/2023
In March of this year, a British parliamentary researcher was arrested on suspicion of being a Chinese spy. The researcher, Chris Cash, was revealed to be a 28-year-old history graduate with links to many Tory MPs. He had been seen associating with senior Tories such as security minister Tom Tugendhat and Foreign Affairs Committee chair Alicia Kearns. Cash was believed to have been recruited as a sleeper agent while living and working in China and sent back to the UK to infiltrate political networks critical of the Beijing regime.
Cash was the leader of the China Research Group, a body advocating for a more hawkish British policy towards China. Co-founded by Tory ministers Tom Tugendhat and Neil O’Brien in April 2020, the group focused on industrial, technological, and foreign policy issues. The group’s website claimed that it aimed to provide informed knowledge on China and promote debate and fresh thinking about how Britain should respond to the rise of China.
Chris Cash was arrested in Edinburgh and released on bail until early October, along with another suspect. It is unclear how much access Cash had to foreign affairs intelligence or what kind of influence he may have held in Westminster. While he held a parliamentary pass, he did not have security clearance.
China has denied all accusations of involvement in an espionage scheme involving Cash, calling them malicious slander.
INTERNATIONAL
Pope Sends Prayers to Comfort Morocco Earthquake Victims as Death Toll Surpasses 2,000
Published
3 months agoon
11/09/2023
On Sunday, Pope Francis expressed his prayers and support for the victims of the powerful earthquake that hit Morocco, resulting in the highest number of fatalities in over 60 years. During his Angelus message, he prayed for those injured and those who lost their lives, along with their families.
The Pope also expressed his gratitude towards the rescue workers who are working tirelessly to help the victims. He concluded by saying that they stand in solidarity with the people of Morocco during this difficult time.
INTERNATIONAL
African Union’s Inclusion in G20: A Significant Acknowledgment of a Continent with 1 Billion Inhabitants
Published
3 months agoon
11/09/2023
The world’s most powerful economies, the G20, have welcomed the African Union (AU) as a permanent member, recognising Africa’s more than 50 countries as important players on the global stage. US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi both expressed support for the AU’s permanent membership.
The AU has advocated for full membership for seven years and, until now, South Africa was the only African country in the G20. The AU represents a continent with a young population of 1.3 billion, which is set to double by 2050 and make up a quarter of the world’s population.
Africa’s 55 member states have long pushed for meaningful roles in global bodies, including the United Nations Security Council, and want reforms to the global financial system. The continent is increasingly attracting investment and political interest from global powers like China, Russia, Gulf nations, Turkey, Israel, and Iran. African leaders are challenging the framing of the continent as passive victim and want to be brokers instead.
They seek fairer treatment by financial institutions, delivery of rich countries’ long-promised $100 billion a year in climate financing for developing nations, and a global tax on fossil fuels. The AU’s full G20 membership will enable it to represent a continent that’s home to the world’s largest free trade area and abundant resources needed to combat climate change. The African continent has 60% of the world’s renewable energy assets and over 30% of the minerals key to renewable and low-carbon technologies.
African leaders want more industrial development closer to home to benefit their economies. Finding a common position among the AU’s member states, from economic powers to some of the world’s poorest nations, can be challenging, but Africa will need to speak with one voice to influence G20 decision-making. African leaders have shown their willingness to take collective action, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a high-profile G20 member, Africa’s demands will be harder to ignore.

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