Start with the Saudis themselves. Their first version of reality was that Mr Khashoggi went into their embassy and came out perfectly safely and they knew nothing further of his whereabouts. There were just one or two small difficulties with this. Firstly his fiancé was waiting to meet him and knew that he never came out. Then it emerged that there was a sound recording of events inside the embassy and it involved a lot of screaming as fingers were removed one by one before they proceeded to cut the poor man apart whilst he was still alive.
According to Turkish sources this evidence came about as a result of a live stream from his Apple watch or his mobile phone. Then journalists started to interview experts on this technology and they were quickly told that this was deeply implausible. There was a very clear recording. It just wasn’t made the way the Turkish authorities told us. The repressive Turkish government was bugging the embassy of the even more repressive Saudi government but was lying through its teeth about where it got its information from.
In an effort to outdo these two nations leaders in their campaign of lies and distortions the President of the United States announced that he was going to make sure that events were properly investigated by sending out his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Not to Turkey where the evidence lay but to Saudi Arabia. What could he possibly learn there? So that must also have been a lie. The logical explanation of why he wanted to send this man to Saudi Arabia is that Donald Trump wanted the Saudis to agree to issue a version of events that Trump might be able to claim he believed. The trip to the wrong country wasn’t to conduct a thorough and honest investigation. It was to concoct a better story.
That new and improved lie was duly released. Apparently, we are now meant to believe that the death was a result of a fist fight that got a bit out of control. “Discussions took a negative turn”.
We are also meant to seriously believe that Donald Trump finds this version of reality plausible. Presumably he also believes in the tooth fairy and in Santa Claus. He probably sees flying pigs and has shares in the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot franchises. Because, he must know that the Turkish video evidence has shown a hit squad arriving in Istanbul carrying bone saws. He must have access to the soundtrack those Turkish spies recorded of the poor man screaming as his fingers were removed. He must know that the average fist fight doesn’t result in one of the participants being strapped to a chair and sawn into pieces.
Which leaves us with the UK’s government’s lies. These are a fraction more subtle and evasive. Our great nation is waiting for proof and our leaders want to ensure that they make measured and responsible decisions. Or more likely they are busy trying to work out how they can possibly square insisting on entirely justifiable sanctions being imposed on Russia for sending agents to murder people in Salisbury whilst doing absolutely nothing of significance to punish Saudi Arabia for sending its agents to murder people in Turkey. The two crimes are virtually identical. If it is wrong for one country to send agents to commit murder on foreign soil then it is also wrong for another. And the punishments should be the same as both are serial offenders.
We’ve been told that in due course, when they’ve checked all the evidence that firm and decisive action will come from the British government. Don’t hold your breath. The only firm decision we can rely on is that the UK government will continue to sell arms to the Saudi regime.
It doesn’t matter to the UK government that the Saudis have funded Islamic extremism across the globe and put our communities at risk.
It doesn’t matter to the UK government that the Saudis have bombed Yemen into famine.
It doesn’t matter to the UK government that the Saudis have jailed women who campaigned politely for the right to drive a car.
It doesn’t matter to the UK government that in Saudi Arabia political prisoners are beheaded for writing blogs
The regime has the equivalent of a very big American express card. That will do nicely Sir! It is the only truth the current government of our country appears to respect.