Saudi Arabia acknowledged late Friday that journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, and claimed that he died in a fist fight.
In a statement on Saudi state television, the government said 18 Saudi citizens have been detained pending the outcome of an investigation into the death of Mr. Khashoggi, a prominent government critic and legal U.S. resident.
“Discussions between citizen Jamal Khashoggi and those who met him while he was in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul led to a brawl and a fist fight, which led to his death,” the statement said. “The investigations are still under way and 18 Saudi nationals have been arrested.”
The government also said two government officials who are close aides of the Saudi crown prince have been fired.
The White House said the U.S. “acknowledges” the announcement about the action against those suspects who have been identified “thus far.”
“We will continue to closely follow the international investigations into this tragic incident and advocate for justice that is timely, transparent, and in accordance with all due process,” said White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. “We are saddened to hear confirmation of Mr. Khashoggi’s death, and we offer our deepest condolences to his family, fiancée, and friends.”
Rep. Adam Schiff of California, ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said the Saudi government’s version of events isn’t believable.
“The announcement that Jamal Khashoggi was killed while brawling with a team of more than a dozen dispatched from Saudi Arabia is not credible,” Mr. Schiff said in a statement. “If Khashoggi was fighting inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, he was fighting for his life with people sent to capture or kill him. The kingdom and all involved in this brutal murder must be held accountable, and if the Trump administration will not take the lead, Congress must.”
Rep. Eliot L. Engel of New York, top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Saudi Arabia’s story has shifted in recent days.
“The U.S.-Saudi relationship simply cannot thrive with this issue unresolved,” he said. “The administration needs to push for a thorough and transparent investigation into Mr. Khashoggi’s death without delay.”
Mr. Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post, was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2. Turkish officials say they have audio recordings that suggest he was tortured, killed and possibly dismembered.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, an important ally of the White House, seems unlikely to face consequences in the near term over the episode. The Saudi government said King Salman has ordered the creation of a committee to overhaul the country’s intelligence agency, a process to be led by the crown prince.
The king also announced that Maj. Gen. Ahmed al-Assiri, the deputy chief of Saudi Arabia’s intelligence, and Saud al-Qahtani, who ran media affairs at the royal court, have been relieved of their duties. They were aides of the crown prince.
Before the announcement, President Trump said he was eager for various investigations to “get to the bottom of it.” The president said he will defer to Congress on any penalties for Saudi Arabia, but he wants lawmakers to avoid damaging the kingdom’s important economic ties to the U.S.
“They’ve been a tremendous investor in the United States,” Mr. Trump said. “We have $450 billion worth of things ordered from a very rich country. We have to take all of these things into account.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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