Independent article: Bin Salman tries to close Khashoggi file before US elections

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman plans to make the world forget the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi before the US presidential election, writes Patrick Coburn.

However, in an article published in The Independent, the writer says Mohammed bin Salman faces other difficulties before trying to re-polish his image.

He says the Khashoggi murder sparked a wave of criticism from former friends, including Republican Sen. Marco Rubio.

The writer refers to parts of the dialogue between members of the Saudi death squad at their country's consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, on October 2, 2018, on how to deal with Khashoggi's body when he was killed after his arrival.

Responsibility and guides
He adds that UN investigator Agnes Kalamard confirmed in her report that Saudi Arabia was responsible for the "deliberate execution" of Khashoggi.

Coburn says Kalamard found "sufficient credible evidence" that the crown prince and his property would be subjected to "targeted penalties," so that "evidence is provided and he asserts no responsibility for this crime."

As the first anniversary of Khashoggi's death approaches in a few days, Saudi Arabia is desperate to see the effects of the crime fade, and the country get rid of the pariah status it has gained for many around the world.

The Saudi crown prince is keen to make sure that Khashoggi's death is not a problem when the US presidential campaign begins.

Relationship and attacks
President Donald Trump's close relationship with the Saudi crown prince will make Trump vulnerable to attacks by the Democratic candidate during the election.

Trump has repeatedly tried to do everything possible to protect his Saudi ally from any partisan congressional criticism over Khashoggi, about US arms supplies and the war in Yemen.

Bin Salman's strategy in this regard requires the speedy judicial action in Riyadh to close the case and convict officials before the start of the US presidential elections, and then by persuading members of the Khashoggi family to accept "blood money" and waive the right of retribution under Islamic law.

According to US press reports, members of the Khashoggi family in Saudi Arabia have already been given $ 10,000 a month and homes worth millions of dollars in compensation.

Plan and obstacles
However, the bin Salman plan may face a number of obstacles, as any trial in Saudi Arabia will have little credibility because of its court record, relying solely on evidence based on false confessions extracted under torture and death threats.

Saudi shelling of Yemen has become another difficulty for bin Salman in this context.The war on Yemen has become a political issue in a way never before, although Saudi airstrikes have continued since 2015.

A group of Republican and Democratic senators this week sent a letter to the crown prince demanding that Saudi Arabia pledge $ 750 million to the United Nations in Yemen to provide food, fuel and medicine.