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How the Saudi government's story on slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi has shifted over time
How the Saudi government's story on slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi has shifted over time
John HaltiwangerOct 27, 2018, 17:56 IST
A composite image of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.Associated Press/Virginia Mayo; Nicolas Asfouri - Pool/Getty
Khashoggi, who wrote for The Washington Post and was often critical of the Saudi government, went to the consulate to obtain documents to marry his Turkish fiancée. But he never came out.
The Saudi government's narrative on what happened to Khashoggi has taken many twists and turns since he went missing in early October.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is widely suspected of orchestrating the killing, but the Saudis have moved to distance him from the incident.
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Here's how the Saudi's story on Khashoggi's fate has shifted over time:
The Saudis initially claimed that Khashoggi safely departed the consulate and vehemently denied allegations of harming or killing him.
The Saudis provided no proof that Khashoggi departed the consulate as they continued to issue denials for nearly three weeks.
"Mr. Khashoggi visited the consulate to request paperwork related to his marital status and exited shortly thereafter," an unnamed Saudi official told The New York Times earlier this month.
The Saudi government had denied allegations that Khashoggi was killed, describing them as "baseless."
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, earlier this month told Bloomberg News that Turkish authorities were welcome to search the consulate. "We have nothing to hide," he said.
"He's a Saudi citizen, and we are very keen to know what happened to him," he added. "And we will continue our dialogue with the Turkish government to see what happened to Jamal there."
The Saudi ambassador to the US told The Post on October 8 that it would be "impossible" for consulate employees to kill Khashoggi and cover up his death "and we wouldn't know about it."
The Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV network on October 11 aired a report claiming that 15 men said to be involved in Khashoggi's disappearance weren't sent to Istanbul for the purpose of capturing or killing him but were just tourists.
On October 19, Saudi Arabia acknowledged Khashoggi died in the consulate, claiming he was killed in a fistfight.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir on October 21 told Fox News that Khashoggi was killed as a result of a "rogue operation," claiming that Prince Mohammed had no prior knowledge of the incident. He described Khashoggi's death as a "murder."
Saudi Arabia's official press agency on October 25 quoted a prosecutor with knowledge of Turkey's investigation into Khashoggi's fate as saying evidence indicated that his killing was premeditated.
"Information from the Turkish authorities indicates that the act of the suspects in the Khashoggi case was premeditated," Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor said in a statement.
On October 22, CNN reported that surveillance footage suggested the Saudis' involved in the operation had a man wear Khashoggi's clothing, a fake beard, and glasses around Istanbul in an attempt to act as a body double.
Saudi officials who spoke with the AP subsequently acknowledged that a body double was used but said it was part of a plan to kidnap rather than kill Khashoggi.
Saudi Arabia still hasn't said where Khashoggi's body is.
