After months of extended investigation, Sabah, a newspaper close to Erdogan’s regime in Turkey, published additional details concerning the death of Khashoggi. It seems that accounts of an accidental death were confirmed by the transcript of a conversation between members of the Saudi squad sent to return the journalist to Riyhadh.
An Associated Press article reports, “Maher Mutreb, a member of the Saudi hit squad, tells Khashoggi that he has to be taken back to Riyadh because of an Interpol order against him. The journalist objects, saying there is no legal case against him and that his fiancée is waiting for him outside….[Mutreb reiterated] “Help us, so that we can help you. Because in the end, we will take you to Saudi Arabia. And if you don't help us, you know what will happen in the end."
According to a taped record from the embassy, Khashoggi’s final words to the men charged with returning him to Saudi Arabia were, “Don’t cover my mouth. I have asthma. You will suffocate me.” The journalist was never seen again, and his body has never been found.
The just-released report from Turkey confirms The Jerusalem Post article which I wrote just a day after meeting with the crown prince.
The article encompasses information gleaned from several sources—a former high-level Mossad member in Israel and several Egyptian intelligence officials along with UAE intelligence. As relayed, Khashoggi entered the embassy where he was detained. According to sources, Khashoggi was not choked, but stopped breathing after he was drugged in order to get him from Turkey back to his home country. It was reported that Khashoggi had apparently been in a long-term relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood, a radical organization firmly aligned with Turkey and Qatar.
In the November article, I wrote that “I was part of the delegation that met with the crown prince. I told him the story of 'Operation Eichmann.' I knew it well because Isser Harel, who planned the operation, shared it with me at his home one evening over dinner. I told the Crown Prince that I believe he did the same thing and drugged Khashoggi to bring him back to charge him for incitement, but the drug killed him. The Prince never denied it; but simply talked about how unfortunate the whole event was. He said, “Even a prince can make a mistake.'"
The Saudis were well aware that cameras were trained on embassy corridors. According to an unidentified source, “No one was authorized to kill Khashoggi. We knew we had every right to smuggle him out and arrest him, as he is a Saudi citizen.”
Unfortunately, the persons charged with secretly arresting the journalist and flying him back to stand trial for incitement apparently accidentally killed him and then panicked. It was at that time that the cover-up ensued.
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Mike Evans is a #1 New York Times bestselling author with 89 published books. He is the founder of Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem of which the late President Shimon Peres, Israel’s ninth president, was the chair. He also serves on the Trump Evangelical Faith Initiative.