Politics & Government

An Update On Disappeared Journalist Jamal Khashoggi

WAMU 88.5

Published October 15, 2018 at 9:38 AM CDT

A man waits in front of the Saudi Arabia's consulate on October 12 in Istanbul, Turkey. Fears are growing over the fate of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi after Turkish officials said they believe he was murdered inside the Saudi consulate. Saudi consulate officials have said that missing writer and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi went missing after leaving the consulate, however the statement directly contradicts other sources including Turkish officials. Jamal Khashoggi a Saudi writer critical of the Kingdom and a contributor to the Washington Post was living in self-imposed exile in the U.S.

President Donald Trump weighed in on Monday morning about the case of disappeared journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Just spoke to the King of Saudi Arabia who denies any knowledge of whatever may have happened “to our Saudi Arabian citizen.” He said that they are working closely with Turkey to find answer. I am immediately sending our Secretary of State to meet with King!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 15, 2018

Jamal Khashoggi’s case also has implications for the relationship between the senior adviser to the president, Jared Kushner, and Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.

From The Washington Post:

The president’s son-in-law has carefully cultivated a close partnership with the heir to the Saudi throne, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whom Kushner has championed as a reformer poised to usher the ultraconservative, oil-rich monarchy into modernity.

But the U.S.-Saudi alliance — and the relationship between Kushner, 37, and Mohammed, 33 — is now imperiled by the unexplained disappearance and alleged gruesome murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist who had been living in the United States and wrote columns for The Washington Post. The suspected killing has sparked international outcry and calls for tough punishment of Riyadh.

Mohammed bin Salman has tried to position himself as a reformer. (Under his rule, women are now allowed to drive.)

Now several companies, including Uber and investment bank J.P Morgan Chase, have pulled out of an investment conference known as “Davos in the desert,” which is supposed to inspire investment in Saudi Arabia.

But the president said he won’t cancel any weapons deals with Saudi Arabia because he doesn’t want to risk American jobs.

How will Khashoggi’s case affect the U.S.-Saudi relationship?

Produced by Denise Couture. Text by Gabrielle Healy.

GUESTS

Sarah Leah Whitson, Executive director, Human Rights Watch – Middle East and North Africa Division; @sarahleah1

Karen Elliott House, Senior fellow, Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; former publisher of The Wall Street Journal; author of “On Saudi Arabia: Its People, Past, Religion, Fault Lines — and Future”; @khouse200

For more, visit https://the1a.org.