On November 11, over 60 world leaders gathered in Paris to commemorate Armistice Day for the hundredth time. President Trump tweeted about NATO. President Macron warned his comrades about the dangers of nationalism. Prime Minister Trudeau confirmed that the Canadian government has heard audio of journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder.
Let's rewind: Macron's speech was little more than a glorified subtweet, and Trump's addition was characteristic. But who is Khashoggi?
On October 2, Jamal Khashoggi was seen for the last time walking into the Saudi embassy in Istanbul. The Saudi-born journalist, once close with the Crown, had been living in the United States for the past year after falling out of favor with the royal family. At his post inside the States, Khashoggi became a monthly contributor to the Washington Post, where he spoke openly about his distaste for the policies of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Indeed, his move to the United States coincided with a consolidation of power on the part of the Prince, and a subsequent purge of the journalistic sphere.
Khashoggi's reasons for visiting Istanbul were unrelated to his work; he was engaged at the time to a Turkish woman, and traveled to the consulate to obtain certification of a past divorce. He arrived at the consulate at 1:14 PM local time; when he hadn't returned home the next morning, his fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, returned to the consulate in inquiry.
Initially, Saudi authorities maintained that Khashoggi had left the facility on October 2. In a statement to Bloomberg News, Prince Salman stated that he had only stayed "a few minutes or one hour." The royal family characterized that rumors of a disappearance were "baseless." The state switched narratives almost three weeks later, when it was confirmed via state television that Khashoggi had been killed in a "rogue operation." Two senior officials were dismissed and 18 citizens were arrested in connection to the case. Shortly after, a joint Saudi-Turkish task force was formed, prompting Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor to describe the killing as premeditated— a radical departure from prior statements.
Since then, Turkish President Erdogan has claimed to have provided auto recordings of the killing to Saudi, American, British, German, and French authorities; however, receipt of such has not been confirmed by any of the named beneficiaries. Trudeau, although Canada was not named in Erdogan's initial statement, changed that on Sunday. In a press conference given during his trip to Paris, he stated that Canadian authorities had listened to the tape, though he himself had not done so. Possession of the tape was not specified. However, Trudeau "thanked [Erdogan] for his strength in responding to the… situation."
An analysis of the recording would be incomplete without noting how it may play into the bigger picture of Saudi responsibility. As of now, Saudi authorities have confirmed that Khashoggi's death was, in fact, murder, and have prosecuted individuals deemed responsible. Whether or not that responsibility will extend to the Crown may be determined by the contents of the recording. Rumors have circulated regarding possible involvement of Crown Prince Salman; the Prince has already come under fire for a wave of imprisonment of political rivals that began last year, and it has been speculated that Khashoggi's death may have been an extension of such.
Trudeau's cordial response stands in stark contrast to many others. French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian denies that French officials were in possession of the tape, although France was explicity named by Erdogan in his elucidation of the situation. However, the word "possession" here is key; Trudeau did not state that Canada had possession of the tape, but merely that they had heard it. Here, diction is important; where national security is in concern, every word matters to ensure that the right loopholes are maintained and accountability for oneself is minimized.
A major question formed from this discussion, particularly where specifics of diction are involved, is that of Erdogan's credibility. In the face of conflicting statements by Canadian and French authorities, who can say whether audio was actually provided to the states that Erdogan named? Whether or not he told the truth is one aspect; whether he did or didn't provide the audio is another. If he did, it will show a compliance on his part that will bolster his favorability in Western Europe. If he didn't record the audio— and furthermore, lied about it— he will be suspect, and framed as complicit in the ordeal. Image is key; as other nations respond to Trudeau's statement, Erdogan's will shift.
11.13.18
