The Mysterious Case of Khashoggi

The media is focused 24/7 on the mysterious disappearance of Khashoggi – and his death, a death without a corps.    The world is demanding action. The intense focus on the Saudi journalist has obfuscated a stream of facts that need to be brought to the forefront and determine cui bono?

This is in no way a defense of the Saudi Kingdom, its immoral policies or its radical ideology.  It’s an attempt to understand all other factors that may or may not have a direct bearing on the events.

The media cycle and US officials reaction to Khashoggi’s fate is ironic given its track record.   Putting aside the fact that the arrest of Mathew Hedges, a British citizen five months ago, charged for spying has had no media traction.  Nor has there been an outcry from the British and American officials.  The UAE enjoys immunity from criticism.

But the feigned importance given to journalists is laughable given America’s record.  Regrettably, journalism has always been a hazardous profession, not least because for decades the United States (and no doubt other countries) used, and continue to use journalists as spies.  This places a target on every journalist, and it is a travesty.  

America has been complicit in killing journalists.  Following the Iraq invasion, on October 30, 2003, al-Jazeera accused US-led forces in Iraq of harassment, after one of its journalists was detained.  Their cameraman, Samer Hamza was freed after two days in custody.   American soldiers fired at the Palestine hotel, the base for almost all the foreign media crews in Baghdad.  Their fire killed a Spanish TV network crew member and a Ukrainian camera man working for Reuters.  In June 2005, American troops opened fire on and killed an Iraqi television journalist - Ahmed Wael Bakri. American soldiers also shot and wounded Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena as she was headed for Baghdad airport in April 2005.  There was a great deal of controversy surrounding this shooting – still unresolved, I believe.

The Obama Justice Department’s secret directive targeting journalists received little condemnation in spite of its grave consequences. In  2017 journalist filed lawsuits against Trump over Obama’s “Kills List”! "Former Al Jazeera Islamabad bureau chief Ahmad Zaidan and freelance journalist Bilal Kareem filed a lawsuit Thursday in U.S. District Court in Washington, contending that they were erroneously placed on the "kill list" during the Obama administration and that Trump has illegally maintained that designation https://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2017/03/journalists-sue-trump-kill-list-236738

The suit also alleged that Trump has loosened some of the safeguards the previous administration placed on the program.”    

But what of the Washington Post journalist, Khashoggi?

I was immediately reminded of another Washington Post journalist – Jason Rezaian, who had been arrested in Iran and freed by the Rohani government.  Rezaian  was complicit in the allegations for fraud in the 2009 Iran elections.  Rezaian was to have reported the results of the Iran elections from Iran to Tehran Bureau, while the IP address of Tehran Bureau was registered to Jason Rezaian.  It was Tehran Bureau that first came out with the false case of a fatwa alleging that elections had to be rigged. The lies took off from there.   This narrative became the headlines 24/7 and the lie lives on to this day. This comprehensive investigative article by Jeremy Hammond is a MUST READ for anyone seeking the truth: https://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2009/07/21/the-case-of-the-fatwa-to-rig-irans-election/view-all/

But who would benefit from Khashoggi’s disappearance?  Already American senators are calling for a ‘change of heads” in Saudi Arabia, in other words, replace MbS (Muhammad bin Salman) (https://www.axios.com/lindsey-graham-says-toxic-mohammed-bin-salman-has-to-go-f06be364-b6fc-4e8d-8f0d-681469990c1f.html

But what else has happened concurrently?

All the reporting thus far has come from Turkey.  After the foiled/failed “coup” Erdogan played footsies with Putin and got his green light to invade Syria under various guises.  America could not be happier.

At the same time that Turkey returned the jailed pastor, Andrew Brunson to the United States, it gave the middle finger to Russia (to the delight of America and the West) when the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Istanbul revoked a part of its Synodical Issue Letter of 1686, in which the Patriarchate of Moscow was granted the right to appoint the bishop of Kiev. A slap in the face of Russians as Kiev was recognized as a new Patriarchate in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

How will Trump fare?

Trump publicly humiliated the Saudis and announced they would be gone in two weeks without  US protection.

Trump also demanded that Saudi Arabia  assist him in blocking Iran’s oil on November 4^th by increasing production and making up for the loss of Iran’s oil in the international market.  Saudi Arabia complied, but was told by the US that it needed more!  

One can be forgiven for thinking that Trump may have been in on some dark plan and has made the Saudis reliant on his decision to make the Khashoggi case go away in exchange for more oil production.   But what seems to be obvious often deceives.

Trump will not come out of this a winner.  If he works with the Saudis, he is damned by the public outcry , and if he doesn’t, oil prices will skyrocket and Republicans will lose mid-term and Trump 2020.

But how can the United States and its allies walk back the insults and anger directed at Saudi Arabia?  Exile Saudi prince, Prince Khaled bin Farhan who resides in Germany has been calling for regime change, stating that the US and Europe would have to ‘foot the bill” https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/transcript-interview-Prince-Khaled-bin-Farhan-Saudi-Arabia-726162742

Regime change may do the trick.  Which again, would not fare well for Trump or his son-in-Law, MbS buddy Jared Kushner.    And perhaps Trump understands this.

America has always regarded Saudi Arabia as being dispensable.  In 2012, US military officers were being taught to starve Saudis, bomb Mecca and Medina.  For the Saudis to think that they could secure themselves by acting as America’s gas station as well as its gladiators, was, and continues to be, foolish.

Moreover, it has been calculated that Saudi Arabia could become a net importer of oil by 2030 https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Saudi-Arabia-Could-Become-a-Net-Oil-Importer-by-2030.html so their utility is fast running out.

Are we witnessing a confluence of interests/plans? 

Who stands to gain and who loses?