Donald Trump To Review Audio & Video Recording Of Jamal Khashoggi’s Alleged Murder ‘Soon,’ Per ‘USA Today’
Tensions are rising between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, as Donald Trump threatened the latter with “severe punishment” should the allegations about Jamal Khashoggi’s murder turns out to be true. The reports are based on surveillance footage that was somehow recorded and obtained of the incident, and Trump is reportedly going to review the information “soon,” detailed USA Today.
There has been some confusion over where the recordings came from. Turkish outlets reported that the audio recordings were made by Jamal himself, using an Apple Watch. However, since those reports came out, many have pointed out flaws in the story, as detailed by the Inquisitr. Rather, some wonder if Turkey is making these false claims in order to avert attention away from the possibility that the surveillance footage was obtained through secret, planted devices at the Saudi Arabian consulate. Considering that the alleged murder took place at the Saudi consulate in Turkey, this scenario is possible.
What will happen after Trump reviews any audio and video remains to be seen. The Saudi Arabian government is still denying any involvement in Jamal’s disappearance. However, they will not release surveillance footage that proves he left the consulate. Meanwhile, it looks like the Kingdom is not taking kindly to Trump’s threats.
In Opinion
Hatice Cengiz, fiancée of missing Saudi journalist Jamal Kashoggi, writes, "His loss is not just mine but that of every person with a conscience and moral compass." Kashoggi's 60th birthday is today. https://t.co/zw5T5vifU0
— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 13, 2018
An official statement by the Kingdom stated the following.
“The kingdom affirms its total rejection of any threats and attempts to undermine it, whether by threatening to impose economic sanctions, using political pressures, or repeating false accusations. The Kingdom also affirms that if it receives any action, it will respond with greater action.”
And if anyone was wondering what “greater action” could mean, Saudi journalist of Al Arabiya Television News Network offered some potential outcomes.
“If the price of oil reaching $80 angered President Trump, no one should rule out the price jumping to $100, or $200, or even double that figure.”
So potentially, the U.S. could be looking at skyrocketing oil prices. However, U.S. lawmakers are not accepting this horrific action by Saudi Arabia.
Any US sanctions over missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi would "stab its own economy to death," says Turki Aldakhil, general manager of the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya news channel https://t.co/yFcelZ0JiX pic.twitter.com/nT3JbXJrCr
— CNN (@CNN) October 14, 2018
Even before the journalist was feared dead, Republican Senator Rand Paul called for blocking all “funding, training, advising and any other coordination” until Jamal was returned safely, detailed the Globe Post. Paul also added the following.
“The Saudis will keep killing civilians and journalists as long as we keep arming and assisting them. The President should immediately halt arms sales and military support to Saudi Arabia.”
Later on, Senator Lindsey Graham declared that the Kingdom needs to tell the world what happened to Jamal.
“They need to account, Saudi Arabia does, for what happened in the consulate.”
