One month after Jamal Khashoggi's killing, these key questions remain unanswered

On Oct. 2, Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi walked into his country's consulate in Istanbul for what he hoped would be a routine visit to get some documents. Instead, he was slain during that visit, and his killing sparked a global backlash against Saudi Arabia and its powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.

Some of the details of what happened in the consulate have been confirmed, but a number of key questions in the case are still unanswered:

1. What happened to Khashoggi's body?

On Wednesday, Turkish investigators, Khashoggi, a columnist for the Washington Post and prominent critic of Saudi leaders, was killed. They said the journalist was strangled as soon as he entered the consulate, in line with a premeditated plan.

But Khashoggi's body still has not been found. Previous and next news: "Local collaborator" for disposal, but Turkish investigators have suggested that person may not exist. Instead, they are in favor of Khashoggi's dismembered body, or in the consulate or the nearby residence of the Saudi consul general.

"Khashoggi's body was not in need of burying," a senior Turkish official told The Washington Post.

Kehoggi's friends and family. "He did not have a funeral yet. This is not acceptable in Islamic rules, "said his fiancee," Hatice Cengiz, to ABC News, referring to the Islamic practice of burying the dead soon after they expire.

2. How high up did the plot go?

It took place when Khashoggi had been killed and when it was deliberate. It has been decided that this is the case, but it has not been possible to do so. "We did not get the impression that they were genuinely cooperating with the investigation," one official told The Post.

Since the early days of Khashoggi's disappearance, there has been a deep suspicion that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was involved in the plot. In particular, the high-ranking nature of some of the suspects identified by Turkey made it hard to imagine the plot was independent of Saudi leadership.

"It's inconceivable that," Bruce Riedel, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said to The Post.

U.S. Intelligence Intercepts suggests that the crown prince ordered an operation in Khashoggi back to Saudi Arabia from his home in Virginia. He also described Khashoggi as a dangerous Islamist in phone calls with President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and national security adviser John Bolton.

But the kingdom has repeatedly denied that Mohammed had any involvement. Indeed, his father, King Salman, appointed him to head of Saudi intelligence services that was ordered in response to Khashoggi's killing.

3. What will the repercussions be?

Saudi Arabia has been a key ally of the United States and other Western countries for decades. As the second-most-senior royal in his country, Mohammed bin Salman has been involved in economic and social reforms, especially Trump. His campaign of arrests and crackdowns on political rivals and activists was less commented upon, and the brutal Saudi war effort in Yemen caused little trouble for Riyadh.

But the killing of Khashoggi has changed that. Even if the crown prince was not involved, the cruel nature of the crime – and the incompetent attempts to cover it up – suggest deep dysfunction.

Saudi Arabia's reputation in the United States has been clearly damaged. Numerous American companies and government officials pulled out of a recent investment conference in Riyadh. U.S. lawmakers have suggested some form of targeted sanctions against the United States, and there is growing opposition in the United States.

So far, though, there has been little practical change. Trump has been reticent to criticize the Saudis and suggested that it would not There is barely any more action in other Western capitals. Germany is one of the only countries to make a major move so far, suspending arms sales to Saudi Arabia until further notice.

It's also unclear that there will be major changes in Saudi Arabia itself. Though Riyadh is pledging its own investigation into the killing of Khashoggi, that is unlikely to satisfy the country's critics. Few Saudi royals have the ability to push against Muhammad bin Salman, and he appears to be of considerable support from his father and from the Saudi public.

"Rashid al-Awadin, a retired soldier in the farm town of Al Dilam, said to a Post reporter," Life is good here! "I support him, and nothing is going to change that, no matter what. I will follow his lead as long as he is alive. "

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