Saudis Consider Blaming Khashoggi Death on Botched Interrogation
- Narrative could avoid U.S., Turkish faceoff with kingdom
- Saudis have launched an internal investigation into his fate
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Saudi Arabia is considering saying that missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi died in a botched interrogation, according to media reports, an explanation that could deflect suspicions the royal court ordered him killed and give the U.S. and Turkey a way out of confronting a regional powerhouse.
The possible narrative of an operation gone wrong, reported by CNN, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, was being floated as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Riyadh to discuss the disappearance of Khashoggi, a Saudi government critic last seen entering the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2. President Donald Trump said he couldn’t confirm that account, but has suggested a “rogue killer” might be to blame.