>>> WELCOME BACK TO "VELSHI & RUHLE."
RUHLE." SAUDI DIPLOMATS ARE RETREATING,
RETREATING BACK TO THE KINGDOM’S
BORDERS AS THE FALLOUT OF "THE
WASHINGTON POST" COLUMNIST
DISAPPEARANCE AND SUSPECTED
MURDER GROWS.
MURDER GROWS. >> SECRETARY OF STATE POMPEO WAS
GREETED BY PRINCE BIN SALMAN,
THE YOUNGER BROTHER OF CROWN
PINS
PINS PRINCE MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN AND
THIS MAN WHO WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
LAST WEEK RETURNED TO SAUDI
ARABIA.
ARABIA. U.S. OFFICIALS TELL "THE NEW
YORK TIMES" IT IS UNLIKELY HE
WILL RETURN TO THE UNITED
STATES.
STATES. >> AND AS TURKISH INVESTIGATORS
WITH FORENSIC SPECIALISTS AMONG
THEM ARRIVED AT THE SAUDI
CONSUL’S REZ SENSESIDENCE SAID T
DENY ANY INVOLVEMENT IN THE
DISAPPEARANCE.
DISAPPEARANCE. THIS THING --
>> THIS IS -- YEAH.
THIS IS UNUSUAL.
LET’S -- TURKISH INVESTIGATORS
ARE GOING THROUGH THE SAUDI
CONSUL’S RESIDENCE AND LEARNING
MORE ABOUT THE SUSPECTS IN THIS
ALLEGED MURDER.
ALLEGED MURDER. "WALL STREET JOURNAL" CITES
PEOPLE FAMILIAR WITH THE MATTER
REPORTING THAT 15 SAUDIS ON 2
JETS BELONGING TO SKY PRIME
AVIATION SERVICES SEIZED LAST
YEAR IN THE ANTI-CORRUPTION
EFFORTS, WHAT THEY CALL IT.
WE HAVE SCANS OF THE PASSPORTS
OF OFFICIALS AND NBC NEWS NOT
VERIFIED INDEPENDENTLY THE
IDENTITIES OF THE MEN IN THE
DOCUMENTS.
DOCUMENTS. ONE MAN MAHER MUTREB IS ASSIGNED
TO THE EMBASSY IN LONDON IN 2007
ACCORDING TO "THE TIMES" SINCE
THEN THEY REPORT THAT HE’S SEEN
WITH THE CROWN PRINCE ALL OVER
THE WORLD, POTENTIALLY AS A
BODYGUARD.
BODYGUARD. A FRENCH PROFESSIONAL IDENTIFIED
THE NEXT MAN, AB DULLAZIS AL
HAWSAWI WHO TYPICALLY TRAVELS
WITH THE PRINCE.
ANOTHER MAN, THAAR AL HARBI
REPORTED IN AN OUTLET AS A
LIEUTENANT IN THE SAUDI ROYAL
GUARD AND "THE TIMES" SAID HE
WAS PROMOTED FOR DEFENDING THE
ROYAL PALACE LAST YEAR DURING AN
ATTACK.
ATTACK. ANOTHER SUSPECT TRAVELED WITH A
PASSPORT NAMED HIM MUHAMMAD
ALZAHRANI.
ALZAHRANI. HE’S IDENTIFIED ADDS A MEMBER OF
THE SAUDI ROYAL GUARD.
"THE TIMES" CITES A 2017 VIDEO
SHOWING A MAN WEARING A NAME TAG
BEARING HIS NAME WITH THE CROWN
PRINCE.
PRINCE. AND ADDING TO THE SUSPICIONS OF
KHASHOGGI’S MURDER AND THEN DR.
SALAH AL TUBAIGY ALSO WITH THE
GROUP.
GROUP. "THE TIMES" FOUND THE DOCTOR
LISTED HIMSELF AS THE HEAD OF
THE SAUDI SCIENTIFIC COUNSEL ON
--
-- >> SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME.
SAY IT ONE MORE TIME.
AN AUTOPSY SPECIALIST.
AN AUTOPSY EXPERT.
>> WHO -- WHY DO YOU NEED TO
TRAVEL WITH AN AUTOPSY EXPERT?
THIS IS DEFINITELY ONE OF THE
WEIRDER PARTS OF THE STORY AND A
BONE SAW TAKEN IN TO THE SAUDI
CONSULATE IN ISTANBUL.
YOU CAN HARDLY TAKE A SHARP PEN
INTO MOST.
INTO MOST. A BONE SAW.
>> AND AN AUTOPSY EXPERT.
>> IDENTIFIES AS A FORENSIC
SPECIALIST ON THE TWITTER
ACCOUNT AND HELD POSITIONS IN
THE TOP MEDICAL SCHOOL IN SAUDI
ARABIA AND THE INTERIOR MINISTRY
AND THAT’S NOT IT.
"WALL STREET JOURNAL" ADDS
WALEED ALSHERHRI TO THE LIST, AN
AIR FORCE MAJOR, CHARACTERIZED
BY TURK IRK AUTHORITIES AS --
LISTEN TO THIS.
A FORENSIC EXPERTS.
ACCORDING TO THE JOURNAL ALL OF
THIS IS STILL UNDER
INVESTIGATION AS THE SAUDI
GOVERNMENT DENIES ANY KNOWLEDGE
OR INVOLVEMENT IN THE
DISAPPEARANCE.
DISAPPEARANCE. BOY, THAT’S QUITE A CROWD, 15
PEOPLE ON 2 JETS SEIZED BY THE
SAUDI GOVERNMENT MAKING WAY INTO
THE SAUDI CONSULATE IN ISTANBUL.
>>> JOINING US FROM ISTANBUL IS
BILL NEELY.
BILL NEELY. BILL, WHAT ARE YOU HEARING THUS
FAR FROM TURKISH OFFICIALS?
>> Reporter: WELL, STEPHANIE,
JUST ON THE POINT FIRST OF ALL
YOU BROUGHT UP ABOUT THAT
FORENSIC SPECIALIST, YOU KNOW,
HIS PRESENCE THERE WOULD SUGGEST
THAT THIS WAS A DEADLY OPERATION
RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING.
THAT THIS WASN’T, IN FACT, AN
INTERROGATION THAT WENT WRONG
AND, INDEED, IF WHAT WE’RE
HEARING ABOUT THE AUDIO
RECORDING IS CORRECT THEN
KHASHOGGI WAS KILLED WITHIN
MINUTES OF HIS ARRIVAL AT THAT
CONSULATE.
CONSULATE. THERE’S NOT MUCH TIME FOR AN
INTERROGATION THAT WENT WRONG.
SO WHEN EVENTUALLY THERE’S AN
EXPLANATION FROM THE SAUDIS
ABOUT THIS, I THINK WE SHOULD
BEAR THAT IN MIND.
IF THIS WAS AN INTERROGATION TO
BEGIN WITH WHY ON EARTH WAS
THERE A FORENSIC SPECIALIST
THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE?
NOW TO YOUR QUESTION, FOR ABOUT
THREE HOURS NOW A TURKISH TEAM
OF FORENSIC SPECIALISTS, ABOUT A
DOZEN OF THEM, HAVE BEEN AT THE
RESIDENCE OF THE MOST SENIOR
DIPLOMAT FOR SAUDI ARABIA HERE
IN ISTANBUL AT THE COUNSEL
GENERAL’S HOUSE.
GENERAL’S HOUSE. THERE WAS A DELAY IN LETTING THE
TEAM IN THERE.
WE’RE NOT SURE WHAT THE DELAY
WAS BUT SAUDI OFFICIALS INSIDE
THE HOUSE.
THE HOUSE. MAYBE SECURING SAUDI SECRETS IN
THERE.
THERE. MAYBE COVERING UP.
BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT THE TURKISH
PRESIDENT ALLEGED THAT THEY DID
IN THE NEXT DOOR CONSULATE AND
THEY REPAINTED THE WALLS THERE.
ANYWAY, THE TURKISH TEAM ARE IN
THERE AT THE MINUTE.
THEY’RE USING, WE HAVE SEEN THEM
USING ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT.
WITHOUT GETTING INTO TOO MUCH
DETAIL, ONE THING IT’S USED FOR
IS DETECTING BLOOD SPATTERS ON
THE WALL.
THE WALL. LOOKING FOR DNA SAMPLES,
ANYTHING TO CONNECT THE BODY OF
JAMAL KHASHOGGI WE BELIEVE WAS
IN THE CONSULATE AND MAY HAVE
BEEN BROUGHT TO THE COUNSEL
GENERAL’S HOUSE AND ONE OTHER
SMALL DETAIL IS THAT THE COUNSEL
GENERAL LEFT, GONE BACK TORY YAD
AND YESTERDAY HIS WIFE, HIS
THREE CHIN AND THE TWO MAIDS IN
THAT HOUSE WERE ALSO SENT BACK
TO RIYADH AND THERE ARE NO
WITNESSES LEFT IN THAT HOUSE WHO
COULD TELL TURKISH POLICE OF
WHAT HAPPENED AND THE SAUDIS
PREVENTING THE TURKS FROM
INTERVIEWING ANY SAUDI OFFICIAL
OR DIPLOMAT.
OR DIPLOMAT. >> THAT’S REMARKABLE.
BILL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR
COVERAGE.
COVERAGE. BILL NEELY FOR US IN ISTANBUL.
>> ULTRAVIOLET WORKS, IS A FULL
CLEANING CREW AND THEY REPAINTED
THE WALLS.
THE WALLS. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. I WANT TO BRING IN FORMER U.S.
AMBASSADOR TO SAUDI ARABIA,
ROBERT JORDAN.
ROBERT JORDAN. AMBASSADOR, GOOD DO SEE YOU.
LOOK.
LOOK. THIS IS TRICKY.
THE PRESIDENT KEEPS ON FRAMING
THINGS WHEN ASKED ABOUT WHETHER
HE’LL TAKE ACTION AGAINST SAUDI
ARABIA IF IT IS DETERMINED THAT
IT DID SOMETHING TO CONTRIBUTE
TO THE DISAPPEARANCE, POSSIBLY
THE MURDER, OF JAMAL KHASHOGGI
AND TALKING ABOUT $110 MILLION
ARMS DEAL.
ARMS DEAL. FIRST OF ALL, WE ONLY KNOW THAT
THE SAUDIS COMMITTED TO $14.5
MILLION AND ACCEPT THE FACT
THEY’RE AMONG THE BIGGEST BUYERS
OF AMERICAN MILITARY STUFF.
AND THE UNITED STATES IMPORTS A
LOT OF OIL FROM SAUDI ARABIA.
THIS IS A COMPLICATED
RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE ALWAYS
HAD WITH SAUDI ARABIA.
HOW DO WE START TO EXTRICATE
OURSELVES FROM IT?
>> WELL, I THINK WE SHOULD
ALREADY BE ABLE TO BE CRITICAL
OF THOSE ABUSES.
WHEN I ARRIVED IN RIYADH
AFTER 9/11 WE HAD SIMILAR
PROBLEMS.
PROBLEMS. WE NEEDED THE SAUDIS TO HELP US
FIGHT
FIGHT FIGHTAL
FIGHTAL FIGHT AND WE WERE CRITICAL OF
THE SLOWNESS OF GOING AFTER THE
TERRORISTS.
TERRORISTS. YOU CAN DO BOTH.
I THINK WE HAVE GOT TO BE
CAREFUL ABOUT EXERCISING WHAT’S
CALLED DOLLAR DIPLOMACY MEANING
THE DOLLAR DICTATES WHAT OUR
POLICY IS.
POLICY IS. THAT’S REALLY NEVER BEEN WHAT
AMERICA STANDS FOR AND SHOULDN’T
BE WHAT WE STAND FOR HERE.
>> EVEN IF IT IS DOLLAR
DIPLOMACY, THAT THE DEAL ISN’T A
CORRECT DOLLAR, THAT’S NOT WHAT
ANY SIDE AGREED TO.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> IS THERE AN ARGUMENT TO BE
MADE THAT WHAT THE PRESIDENT IS
TRYING TO ENGAGE IN HERE IS
GOODYGOOD
GOODYGOOD DIPLOMACY WITH AN ALLY BEFORE HE
HAS HARD EVIDENCE TO THE
CONTRARY?
CONTRARY? >> WELL, MY GUESS IS THAT OUR
INTELLIGENCE PEOPLE ARE IN TOUCH
WITH THE TURKISH OFFICIALS AND
ARE RECEIVING VERY SIMILAR
INFORMATION FROM WHAT -- TO
WHAT’S BEEN LEAKED BY THE
GOVERNMENT ON PRESS.
IF NOT, WE SHOULD BE DEMANDING
IT AND RELYING ON OUR OWN
INTELLIGENCE COLLECTION CAPACITY
AND REVIEWING WHAT WE HAVE
COLLECTED IN THE PAST AND
MATCHES UP WITH WHAT WE THINK WE
KNOW FROM THE TURKS AND COUNT ON
I THINK IS THAT THE SAUDIS ARE
NOT EFFECTIVE IN INVESTIGATING
THEMSELVES SO WE HAVE GOT TO
DEMAND MORE FROM THE TURKS AND
WE HAVE GOT TO GET THE FULL
PICTURE OF IT FROM THEM AND THE
COLLECTION CAPABILITIES.