Global Geopolitical Series: Tensions continue to simmer over missing Saudi journalist

The geopolitical tensions surrounding the missing Saudi Journalist, a writer for the Washington Post continue to simmer as Saudi Arabia is being widely accused of assassinating the journalist at its consulate in Turkey, over his negative views and writings with regard to the Saudi Royal family, especially the new crown prince Mohammad bin Salman. He was a renowned Middle East journalists with an expertise on dreaded terrorist Osama bin Laden. He vanished on October 2nd, and currently feared to be murdered.

Last week, Saudi Journalist Jamal Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to finalize his divorce, so he can be married to his fiancée who was waiting outside the consulate. According to her account and released CCTV footage by Turkey shows that Khashoggi entered the consulate but never came out. However, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince called the accusation a conspiracy theory and added that the journalist left the consulate shortly after entering.

Latest happenings:

• On Tuesday, Turkey confirmed that it has received the green light to search the Istanbul consulate for the missing journalist but as of today, no search has taken place.
• On Wednesday, Turkish television Wednesday released CCTV footage showing the moment missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi entered the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul and the movements of a team suspected of involvement in his disappearance.
• One of the first images from the CCTV footage shared on Wednesday showed a man believed to be Khashoggi entering the consulate at 1.14pm (10:14 GMT). Footage also showed some of the Saudis arriving in Istanbul after the first plane landed before 00:30 GMT on October 2 and the men later checking into a hotel. After which, some of the men went into the Saudi consulate before Khashoggi. The images also showed that a vehicle going inside the consulate then going to the consul general's residence nearby after 12: 00 GMT, almost two hours after Khashoggi had entered the mission.
• Turkish police were looking into two private aircraft that landed at Istanbul's Ataturk airport on October 2 at different times carrying the individuals of interest in the case. Both planes later returned to Riyadh with one stopping in Dubai and the other in Egypt.
• Officers have been examining 150 cameras one by one to find any details about the disappearance.
• On Thursday, reports started coming out that Tukey has an audio recording that suggests that the journalist was murdered inside the consulate. The Turkish authorities have reportedly informed the United States of an audio recording documenting the murder. The Washington Post also reported that the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has intercepted calls between Saudi officials discussing a designated attempt to lure the Saudi oppositionist into the consulate, before his disappearance.
• When asked by a reporter at the White House over the missing journalist, President Trump had this to say, “We’re looking at it very strongly. We’ll be having a report out soon. We’re working with Turkey, we’re working with Saudi Arabia. What happened is a terrible thing, assuming that happened. I mean, maybe we’ll be pleasantly surprised, but somehow I tend to doubt it. And we take it very seriously.”
• When asked about U.S. responsibility, the President had this to say, “Well, it’s not our country. It’s in Turkey, and it’s not a citizen, as I understand it. But a thing like that shouldn’t happen. It is a reporter with the Washington Post, and it’s — something like that should not be allowed to happen. Something like that should not happen. And we intend to get to the bottom of it.”
• When asked whether the Saudi involvement in the disappearance of the missing journalist affect his dealings with Saudi officials, he had this to say, “We’ll have to see what happens. A lot of work is being done on that, and we’re going to have to see what happens. I don’t like stopping massive amounts of money that’s being poured into our country on — I know they’re talking about different kinds of sanctions, but they’re spending $110 billion on military equipment and on things that create jobs, like jobs and others, for this country. I don’t like the concept of stopping an investment of $110 billion into the United States. Because you know what they’re going to do? They’re going to take that money and spend it in Russia or China, or someplace else. So I think there are other ways. If it turns out to be as bad as it might be, there are certainly other ways of handling the situation. But I will tell you, upfront, right now, and I’ll say it in front of senators: They’re spending $110 billion purchasing military equipment and other things. If we don’t sell it to them, they’ll say, “Well, thank you very much. We’ll buy it from Russia.” Or “Thank you very much. We’ll buy it from China.” That doesn’t help us — not when it comes to jobs and not when it comes to our companies losing out on that work. But there are other things we can do. Let’s find out what the problem is first. Okay?”
• On possible sanctions on Saudi Arabia, the President said, “I oppose — I would not be in favor of stopping a country from spending $110 billion — which is an all-time record — and letting Russia have that money and letting China have that money. Because all they’re going to do is say, “That’s okay. We don’t have to buy it from Boeing. We don’t have to buy it from Lockheed. We don’t have to buy it from Raytheon and all these great companies. We’ll buy it from Russia. We’ll but it from China.” So what good does that do us? There are other things we can do.
• When asked if the Saudis should pay a price if proven guilty, the President added, “Yeah. There’ll be something that has to take place. First, I want to find out what happened. And we’re looking. Again, this took place in Turkey. And to the best of our knowledge, Khashoggi is not a United States citizen. He’s a permanent resident. Okay. We don’t like it, Jon. We don’t like. And we don’t like even a little bit. But as to whether or not we should stop $110 billion from being spent in this country, knowing they have four or five alternatives, two very good alternatives — that would not be acceptable to me. Okay. But we’re looking for the answer. And I think probably you’ll have an answer sooner than people think.”
• The United Kingdom has warned of severe consequences if Saudi Arabia is proven guilty. 

The U.S. president seems to be taking a much softer stance towards U.S. ally, Saudi Arabia and it is not clear what he means by other things.