Saudi Media Start Blame Game over Khashoggi Disappearance
Tehran (Basirat) :Saudi media have launched a blame game in order to exonerate the Saudi government from accusations of involvement in the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Arab kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.
According to a report by the London-based pan-Arab newspaper Al Quds Al Arabi,
international reactions to the kidnapping of Khashoggi has made Saudi media
panicky, prompting them to publish unfounded allegations and accusations. These
concerns grew further after Western media’s strong reaction as Khashoggi used to
write columns for Washington Post.
The baseless accusations by Saudi media target international media outlets or
specific individuals, adds Al Quds Al Arabi.
For example, adds the report, the highly circulated Al-Riyadh newspaper
published a report claiming news released about Khashoggi was directly targeting
the Saudi government.
The Saudi newspaper claimed that the New York Times had, by releasing a report
whose authenticity cannot be confirmed, adopted a hostile policy vis-à-vis Saudi
Arabia.
Meanwhile, the Saudi newspaper Al Jazeera claimed, in an article, that comments
on social media networks with regards to the Khashoggi issue are made via fake
accounts with the support of Iran, Qatar and Turkey. The writer of that report
expressed dismay over the performance of pro-Saudi media such as Reuters as well
as the American newspapers Washington Post and New York Times that those media
had reiterated Qatari media’s account of the incident.
Also, a Saudi newspaper ran an article accusing Washington Post of submitting to
Qatari money.
Al Quds Al Arabi further added that the finger has been pointed not only at
media, but at certain individuals as well.
According to the report, Saudi media, including Al-Arabiya, has launched
groundless accusations against Khashoggi, the director of the Association of
Turk-Arab Media, without turning the key issue of his disappearance. Accusations
have also been leveled against Khashoggi’s fiancée Hatice Cengiz.
According to IRNA, Khashoggi has been missing since returning to the Saudi
Consulate building in the Turkish city of Istanbul. Some unofficial news sources
announced that Khashoggi was tortured and killed at the consulate by agents of
the Saudi security apparatus.
According to filed evidence and remarks by Saudi Consul General in Istanbul
Mohammad al-Otaibi, all evidence and documents showing the presence of Khashoggi
at the Saudi consulate, including images of CCTVs at the diplomatic building,
have been destroyed by security agents of the Al Saud regime.
Following Khashoggi’s disappearance, the Saudi consul general opened the
consulate’s doors to Reuters journalists and announced that images of
Khashoggi’s entrance into and leaving the building had not been recorded as the
CCTVs were not working.
59-year-old Khashoggi left Saudi Arabia for the United States after bin Salman
was picked as the Saudi crown prince. In his articles in Washington Post, the
dissident Saudi journalist had taken a swipe at Riyadh’s war on Yemen, the
economic crisis with Canada and the apprehension of supporters of women’s rights
in Saudi Arabia.
Source:IFP