The gory killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi threemonths ago in the country’s consulate in Turkey has been getting murkier andmurkier. Now, a Turkish television channel has carried CCTV footage showing mencarrying cases and bags which it says contained Khashoggi’s body parts in theaftermath of the sordid murder. The channel said the five suitcases and twolarge black bags were being carried to the home of the Saudi consul general inIstanbul, a short distance away from the consulate where the killing tookplace. Reports had said earlier that Khashoggi was strangled before he was cutinto pieces by a team of 15 Saudis sent to Istanbul for the killing. It isevidently a part of the cover-up that his body has not been found to this day.
A crime of this magnitude should have been thoroughlyinvestigated and those involved in it brought to book but speculation thatSaudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the hit could be behind the hushhush manner in which the crime has been dealt with. While Riyadh has absolvedthe de facto leader the controversy of who killed Khashoggi and at whose behestis still strong. Saudi Arabia has also repeatedly rejected Turkish demands toextradite suspects. The crime has caused such an outrage all over the worldthat getting to the root of it would establish the credibility of the Saudigovernment if it is right in claiming that the Crown Prince is innocent. Itwould also reassure journalists that those who seek to muzzle their voice wouldnot go unpunished. While Turkey has been leaking information on the Khashoggiaffair, the US has been enigmatically tight-lipped. Considering that he was aUS citizen and had gone to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul with the fullknowledge of the US authorities, the US has a duty to get to the truth.
