Justice for Jamal By Congressman Gerry Connolly

[rogue emissary]

Jamal Khashoggi is a renowned Washington Post contributor, Virginia resident, and my constituent. Like many people who visit a diplomatic consulate, he expected his trip to be a fairly swift and routine piece of business. He was getting documents so he could marry his fiancée. Instead, he has been missing since Oct. 2 and may not have left the consulate in Istanbul alive.

Khashoggi is a thought leader and a voice for democracy who has challenged authoritarian abuses of power. He is not a radical or a threat to the Saudi kingdom.

His disappearance is deeply troubling and we – the United States government - and the Turkish government must demand a robust and transparent investigation into what happened. The idea that he left and “we don’t know what happened,” which is the Saudi story, is full of holes and implausible. The Saudis’ denial is even more suspect given recent revelations that U.S. intelligence sources intercepted Saudi officials discussing a plan ordered by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to trick Khashoggi into returning to his homeland in order to detain him.

In the days since his disappearance, there have been leaked details from Turkish government sources that suggest a much grizzlier account. According to these reports, a hit team of fifteen Saudis flew into Istanbul, went to that consulate, murdered Khashoggi, and then dismembered his body. Such a series of events would amount to a crime of unspeakable depravity by a sovereign state in another sovereign state with a resident of a third sovereign state. A diplomatic consulate is a place of business, not an abattoir. . . . .

https://connolly.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1486

[FSogol]

1. K&R. n/t