This was a carefully planned killing with a team sent from Saudi Arabia, including the double and a close security aide to the Crown Prince. Moreover, there is a recording referencing the Crown Prince by the murderers as well as an intercept of a team member calling an aide to Prince Mohammed and saying “tell your boss” that the mission was accomplished. Intercepts also show that Prince Mohammed was trying to find ways to lure Mr. Khashoggi back to Saudi Arabia. The tape of the Crown Prince would seem to seal the matter, but it clearly has not moved Trump.
In the meantime, the Saudis have said that they will not allow criticism of the Crown Prince, which is described as a “red line” issue. It seems to suggest that the Crown Prince is simply off the table in any investigation regardless if he ordered the killing.
Trump said Thursday that “maybe the world should be held accountable because the world is a vicious place. The world is a very, very vicious place”.
All the more vicious when overwhelming evidence of the flagrant murder of journalists are dismissed while thanking the Saudis for lower gas prices.