'Khashoggi murder happened on my watch' Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince in shock confession

Jamal Ahmad Khashoggi was assassinated at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last October. His death sparked international outrage and agents of the Saudi government have been blamed ever since. Now, speaking about the incident for the first time, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince has conceded “it happened under my watch”. He features in an interview with PBS’ Martin Smith as part of the documentary ‘The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia’ set to air next month. In it, he says: “It happened under my watch. I get all the responsibility, because it happened under my watch.” The Crown Prince previously denied the Saudi royal family’s involvement in the aftermath of the incident, but a CIA investigation concluded that the Washington Post journalist had been murdered in a struggle before his killers began dismembering his body.

Crucially, the investigation concluded that the order to kill Khashoggi had come directly from Saudi Crown Prince.

The most chilling evidence from the assassination is a transcript from a recording obtained by Turkish investigators that outlines how the Saudi agents and doctor prepared the murder just minutes before Khashoggi entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.

The recording, obtained through Turkish surveillance microphones in the consulate, captured the struggle in which agents placed a plastic bag over the Khashoggi’s head.

Khashoggi’s last words were exclaimed at this point. He said: “I have asthma. Do not do it, you will suffocate me.”

The first part of the recording details a conversation involving Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, the deputy commander of the hit squad.

The tape is time-stamped 1.02pm, just 12 minutes before Khashoggi arrived at the consulate.

It reveals chilling dialogue between the two agent and doctor while planning the assassination.

Mutreb can be heard referring to the body as “the animal to be dismembered” before asking: “Is it possible to put the body in a bag?”

READ MORE: Jamal Khashoggi: How Saudi Arabia ‘make other dissidents disappear’

Eleven Saudi suspects have been put on trial in secretive proceedings but only a few hearings have been held. A UN report has called for Prince Mohammed and other senior Saudi officials to be investigated.

The killing of Khashoggi proved to be deeply damaging to the Saudi royal family’s image, with an organised photo-op between Khashoggi’s brother and son and the Crown Prince attracting further criticism in the aftermath.

source: express.co.uk