CIA says Saudi crown prince ordered Khashoggi murder
Washington Post : US officials concluded MBS ordered killing
Washington Post : US officials high confidence in CIA assessment
CIA : MBS ordered assassination
contradicts Saudi assertions MBS not involved
CIA assessment most definitive linking MBS to killing
complicates Trump's efforts to preserve ties with Saudi
Saudi admitted its agents carried out killing
Turkey said killing intentional
pressuring Saudi to extradite accused to stand trial
Thurs - adviser to Erdogan accused Saudi of cover up
remarks came after Saudi said seeking death penalty for 5 suspects
CIA examined multiple sources of intelligence
phone call from MBS brother, Khalid bin Salman (KBS) to Khashoggi
KBS is Saudi ambassador to US
Khalid told Khashoggi go to Saudi consulate in Istanbul
gave him assurances it would be safe, Post said
KBS made phone call to Khashoggi at brother MBS' direction
Thurs US senators introduced legislation seeking to punish Saudi over killing
consequences of CIA assessment adding pressure on Trump to take action
CIA briefing people, possibly against Trump's wishes
case has escalated dramatically now
CIA assessment is thunderbolt
confirming suspicions of so many people
CIA assessment "highly credible"
plot goes to top of Saudi regime and MBS
My comments :
The US has the following options :
1. Trump needs to repackage new weapons deals elsewhere to replace that US100 billion worth of orders from Saudi. This is not possible because few countries in the world have US100 billion spare cash. Few countries will pay FIVE times market price for a tank or an aluminium toilet seat.
2. Trump can effect regime change in Saudi and still keep the US100b weapons deal. But a new regime will stop the attack on Yemen and may cancel part of the US100b weapons deal. Trump can insist that the new regime still buy the tanks and park them in the driveway.
The bad boy holding the trump card is Erdogan. He has the evidence, including the raw audio recordings of the Saudis chopping up Khashoggi. The Turks have most likely bugged the Saudi embassy. And that Apple watch was also hooked up to I-Cloud (?)
Erdogan has given copies of the audio recordings to US, Saudi, Germany, UK and maybe France. Possibly edited versions with the most incriminating parts missing - Erdogan's trump card against Trump.
This will likely end with the end of MBS and possibly King Salman.
The Saudis will likely prevail - for now.
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