The Murder Of Jamal Khashoggi Remains In The Dark

Almost a month ago, on October 2nd, Washington Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. And he disappeared, never to be seen again.

We know by now that he was killed inside the Consulate and that the murder happened in a very brutal manner. Many details of Khashoggi’s killing and dismemberment have since been leaked to the international press—predominantly by Turkish authorities. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has confirmed some of the horrifying details of the murder himself. 

Khashoggi's murder has sparked an international crisis for the Saudi Kingdom and its de-facto ruler, the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

So far, Turkey has been very careful with its tone towards Saudi Arabia and chosen to be subtle in negotiating behind the scenes with both the Saudi Kingdom and the United States. Nevertheless, it was also Ankara that kept the focus on the murder with the continuous leaks of details.

But still, we do not know where Khashoggi's body is, and what happened to him after the murder.

This murder that seems to have come straight out of gruesome torture scenes of medieval times will be staying in the dark for the foreseeable future. 

Khashoggi was a man who had many friends in both the United States' and Turkey's power circles; but Realpolitik has seemingly triumphed over principle.

The Atlantic’s Editor in Chief Jeffrey Goldberg has conducted a talk with Fred Hiatt, the Washington Post’s editorial page editor and Jamal Khashoggi’s former boss. 

In this podcast they discuss who Khashoggi was as a person, as a journalist/commentator, and also debate whether justice will be done regarding the murderers and perpetrators. They also share their thoughts about the future of the Saudi Kingdom and possible scenarios for the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Of course, the role of the United States in all this tragic and brutal saga also features as a key debate topic in this podcast.