Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi is dead and half the world believes he knows who’s behind it. Many expected changes after the scandal, now some government posts have been filled.
Almost three months after the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi Arabian King Salman reshuffles important government posts and also exchanges his foreign minister. The new chief diplomat will be former Finance Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf. He succeeds Adel al-Dschubair, who has been in office since 2015 and has been demoted to minister of state. That announced the country’s leadership on Thursday in a series of royal decrees.
The power of the international pressure Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman seems initially untouched by the changes. He remains Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense and continues to preside over two powerful councils on political-economic development and security. The councils should, however, be reassembled.
New Foreign Minister Al-Assaf was reportedly among those arrested last year, but was released. According to Saudi sources, the allegations of corruption against him have not been confirmed. Officially, Riad had never confirmed that Al-Assaf was among the arrested.
Leadership of the country internationally come under fire
King Salman also appointed new National Guard ministers and ministries of information and education on Thursday. In addition, several provincial governors were exchanged.
The leadership of Saudi Arabia had come in recent months because of the murder of the anti-government journalist Jamal Khashoggi internationally criticized. The Washington Post columnist was killed by a special team of Saudi agents at the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul in early October.
A series of clues moved heir to the throne Mohammed bin Salman – son of the king – in the vicinity of the deed. According to media reports, the US secret service CIA also assumes that the crown prince is the mastermind behind the killing.
