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By Aziz El Yaakoubi
DUBAI (Reuters) – – Saudi Arabia on Saturday announced the death of journalist Saudi Arabian Jamal Khashoggi Officials responsible for the incident provoked an international outcry and severely strained relations between Riyadh and the West.
According to a statement by the Saudi prosecutor, a fight broke out between Khashoggi and people who met him at the consulate and who led to his death.
"Investigations are still ongoing and 18 Saudi nationals have been arrested," the statement said in the media, adding that royal court adviser Saud al-Qahtani and intelligence chief Ahmed Asiri , were fired from their duties.
Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was reported missing after entering the consulate on October 2 for documents attesting to his upcoming marriage.
Since Khashoggi was gone, the Saudis had recognized his death
according to Turkish officials, who thought he had been killed in the building. Saudi Arabia had previously denied the allegations and said that Khashoggi had left the building shortly thereafter.
King Salman also ordered the creation of a ministerial committee headed by the Crown Prince, tasked with restructuring the general intelligence agency, according to official media reports.
The death of Khashoggi, an American resident and Washington Post columnist, has severely strained relations between Saudi Arabia and its Western allies. Arab allies have rallied to support Riyadh, but Western pressure has intensified for Saudi Arabia to provide convincing answers.
Before the Saudi ads, US President Donald Trump said that he could consider sanctions against Saudi Arabia for the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. while highlighting the importance of the US-Saudi relationship.
In Istanbul, Turkish prosecutors investigating the disappearance of Khashoggi on Friday interrogated Turkish employees of the Saudi consulate, thus expanding the hunt for clues in a case involving the alliance between Riyadh and the Western powers.
Turkish police raided a forest in the suburbs of Istanbul and a town near the Sea of Marmara in search of Khashoggi's remains, two Turkish officials told Reuters after the journey of the cars that had left the consulate and the consul's home on the day of his disappearance.
Investigators retrieved samples from the excavations of both buildings to search for traces of Khashoggi. The DNA of.
Addressing reporters in Scottsdale, Arizona, Trump said that it was too early to say what the consequences of the incident might be, but that the US Congress would participate in the determination of the American response.
If Saudi sanctions were one of the measures that he envisioned, he said, he said, "could be, could be," although it does not. provided no details.
"We're going to find out who knows what, when and where, and we'll understand that," Trump added.
The US Congress is controlled by Trump's Republican compatriots, some of whom have called for harsh action against Saudi Arabia.
"I will listen a lot to what Congress has said, they are very attached to that," Trump said.
Trump, who said Thursday that he thought Khashoggi was probably dead and warned of a possible "very severe" reaction, did not seem to want to distance himself too much from the Saudis. , citing Riyad's role in the fight against Iran's influence in the Middle East and against potentially interesting contracts.
"Saudi Arabia is an excellent ally, it has been a great investor in the United States," said Trump. why is it so sad. "
" They agreed to spend $ 450 billion to buy and invest in the United States. I therefore hope we can keep this open. … There are many other things we can do, "he said, adding," I 'll probably know a lot about Monday. I already know a lot. "
According to the Anadolu News Agency, the Turkish prosecutor's office had taken evidence from 20 consulate employees and interviewed 25 other people, including foreign nationals.
Consulate interviewed included accountants, the investigation is being conducted by the prosecutor's office for terrorism and organized crime, the newspaper added.
Turkey said it has not communicated to any country audio recordings intended to document Khashoggi's murder in the consulate "We are going to share the results that are emerging in a transparent way with the whole world," said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu
Turkish pro-government newspaper Yeni Safak published detailed information of audio including that his torturers have cut off Khashoggi's fingers during an interrogation and then beheaded and dismembered
The disappearance of Khashoggi has tarnished the reputation of the Crown Prince and deepened questions about his authority, which led the Saudi King Salman to intervene, told Reuters five sources close to the Saudi royal family .
kingdom, diversifying its economy away from oil and introducing social changes. Other movements have been the subject of criticism, including participation in the war in Yemen, the arrest of women activists and a diplomatic dispute with Canada.
US. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and the French, British and Dutch ministers have abandoned plans to attend an investor conference in Riyadh from 23 to 25 October.
On Friday, the CEOs of Deutsche Bank and ABB, as well as the Airbus Defense Chief and Energy Historian Daniel Yergin joined the a list of western business leaders who have withdrawn.
The Pakistani prime minister and a delegation led by Kirill Dmitriev, chairman of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, intend to participate. BAE Systems (Great Britain) sends high level representatives.
A spokesman for the conference confirmed that the conference would be held with an updated agenda including heads of state from the Arab world, Africa and Asia.
O & # 39; Brien and Mohammed Zargham in Washington, Andrea Shalal and Maria Sheahan in Berlin, Aziz El Yaakoubi in Dubai, John Revill in Zurich, Katie Paul in Dubai, written by Yara Bayoumy and edited by William Maclean, Alistair Bell and Will Dunham) [19659035] This story was not changed by Firstpost staff and is generated by automatic feeding.
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