Istanbul : After 18 days in which Saudi Arabia adamantly denied that any harm had come to Jamal Khashoggi at its consulate in Istanbul, it committed a startling about-face. Not only did Riyadh admit that Jamal Khashoggi came to a violent end, it pinned the blame on some of the closest aides to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler.
Ahmad al-Assiri and Saud al-Qahtani, both widely known figures who shot to fame during the crown prince's rapid rise to power, were among five high-ranking officials who were dismissed over Jamal Khashoggi's death. Eighteen others were detained. Assiri is a former two-star general who is considered the chief architect of Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen. Qahtani is Prince Mohammad bin Salman's communications chief and an outspoken supporter of his controversial policies over the years.
In a flurry of coordinated statements, issued in the dead of night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia claimed Jamal Khashoggi's death was accidental. According to the Saudi Press Agency, preliminary investigations revealed that "discussions" between Jamal Khashoggi and suspects currently detained by Saudi Arabia developed into a physical altercation that resulted in Khashoggi's death. Those responsible then tried to cover up the death, U.S. TV said.
What will happen to those dismissed and detained is not clear. What is clear, though, is that Saudi Arabia's intelligence agencies appeared to bear the brunt of the fallout.
Along with Assiri and Qahtani, three other high-ranking intelligence officials were fired: Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Ramih, Abdullah bin Khalifa Al-Shayee and Rashad bin Hamed Al-Mohammadi. King Salman Bin Abdulaziz has ordered Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to lead the charge of revamping the country's intelligence services.
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