Jamal Khashoggi's apparent murder would be truly unbelievable if it wasn't 2018

Updated

The story of the gruesome murder of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi is horrifying to say the least.

But what will be even worse is the perpetrators getting away with it. Right now, that looks more likely than not.

"Here we go again, guilty until proven innocent," Donald Trump said.

And with that statement, the US President planted a strategic seed of doubt about the guilt of his allies in the Saudi Government and royal family and their apparent involvement (per Turkish and notably US intelligence) in what appears to be a cold-blooded murder.

Did the Saudis do it? It remains an allegation, but if the truth is to come out it needs a full, independent investigation. Right now, that's not happening.

"They've been a great ally to me," the President told Fox News.

What's happening would be truly unbelievable, except that it's 2018 and we've all been living in a spy thriller, cum-reality show, cum-series of The Americans for several years already. Things that were once too bizarre to even contemplate are now normal.

To be clear; it appears that a man was brutally killed and dismembered inside a consulate on foreign soil, allegedly by agents of his own government because he was a critic, his body parts were then disposed of, the site was cleaned and repainted and, although Turkey says the Saudis did it, they're obfuscating, and America is doing little to extract answers.

(There's more horrific detail about what allegedly happened here if you can bear it.)

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo popped over to Riyadh and had a cheerful meeting with the royals.

When he emerged, a reporter asked, "Did they say that Khashoggi was alive or dead?"

He replied, "I don't want to talk about any of the facts. They didn't want to either in that they want to have the opportunity to conduct this investigation in a thorough way."

(As Mr Pompeo landed, $US100 million that the Saudis had promised the US to help stabilise Syria also landed in US accounts, by the way.)

"The specific transfer of funds has been long in process and has nothing to do with other events or the Secretary's visit," US envoy to the coalition fighting Islamic State Brett McGurk said.

Timing, huh?

So, what's going on here?

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, or MBS, is a key ally of the Trump administration.

He took power from his cousin in June 2017 and has since been courted by key members of the US administration, including the President's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who has conducted some unconventional Middle East diplomacy at the behest of his father-in-law over the last couple of years.

MBS has described Kushner as "in his pocket" according to this piece from The Intercept published in March.

MBS is seen as the architect of the war in Yemen and the blockade of Qatar (backed by the Trump administration). He held several Saudi princes under house arrest for several months while he consolidated power, detained the Lebanese Prime Minister, and recalled thousands of students from Canada after the Canadian Government criticised Saudi human rights on Twitter.

Are you following?

The Trumps have characterised the Saudi leadership as urbane and reformist. When Mr Trump visited Riyadh, the red carpet was well and truly rolled out and giant banners trumpeted his arrival.

But there was more. He took the trip accompanied by several leaders of big business and big numbers were thrown up, including $US100+ billion in arms deals and more involving energy and infrastructure projects. The trip burnished Mr Trump's preferred image — as a dealmaker.

When the Crown Prince visited earlier this year, was there any mention of the war in Yemen (using US bombs, no less)?

No. In fact, senators getting cool on selling weapons to the Saudis to kill Yemeni civilians were shouted down with talk of benefits to the US economy from arm sales, and how many jobs would be created.

MBS and the President chatted in the Oval Office and Mr Trump said the relationship between the two countries is "probably the strongest it's ever been" and will probably get better.

That's no accident.

The Saudis spent $US27 million on dozens of lobbying firms in DC last year, triple what they'd spent the year before.

The question now is, what does all of that buy?

Donald Trump says he's not "giving cover" to the Saudis. So who's responsible for the apparent murder of Jamal Khashoggi?

What else happened this week then?

Donald Trump labelled Stormy Daniels "horseface" after a federal judge threw out her defamation lawsuit against him.

The porn star responded in kind with this tweet, adding "game on Tiny":

Remember that in her book she said he has genitals resembling a mushroom? Oh, brother.

Moving on to another of the President's long-running female stoushes; remember the heady days of the 'Pocahontas' insults that he used to throw at Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren?

She released DNA results showing that she did have a distant Native American relative.

Ms Warren may be a challenger to Trump in 2020. However, her strategy backfired in that many Native Americans have taken exception.

Finally, this week, there was global disappointment when a cat pyjama party invite sent out by the State Department was withdrawn by the US Embassy in Canberra because it was a "training error".

US Mission to Australia public affairs counsellor Gavin Sundwall said:

"Sorry to disappoint those of you who were hoping to attend this 'cat pyjama- jam' party, but such an event falls well outside our area of expertise."

Which reminds me, when is Australia getting an Ambassador President Trump?

Now that would be cause for a party.

Topics: donald-trump, world-politics, murder-and-manslaughter, united-states, turkey, saudi-arabia

First posted