Shifting Saudi Response To Khashoggi Killing Invites Closer Scrutiny Of Yemen War - Report

Shifting Saudi Response to Khashoggi Killing Invites Closer Scrutiny of Yemen War - Report

Changing Saudi explanations for the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi raise the prospect of increased opposition of the Saudi-led air campaign against rebel forces in neighboring Yemen, the Soufan Center said in a new report on Monday.

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd October, 2018) Changing Saudi explanations for the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi raise the prospect of increased opposition of the Saudi-led air campaign against rebel forces in neighboring Yemen, the Soufan Center said in a new report on Monday.

"This story has achieved a unique staying power in the news media, remaining in the headlines and on the front pages in a way few other issues have," the report said. "The bungled response from Riyadh has helped draw focus focus to other Saudi missteps, including further scrutiny of the Kingdom's disastrous war in Yemen."

A recent UN report said Saudi-led coalition airstrikes - which have hit open-air markets, health clinics, schools, funerals and weddings, according to published reports - have been blamed for most of more than 16,000 civilians killed or injured in the Yemen conflict over the past three years.

Information from Turkey, based on purported recordings of Khashoggi's killing from inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, have undercut shifting explanations from the Saudi government claiming the journalists' death was accidental, with evidence that the killing was pre-planned.

Germany on Monday announced it was suspending arms sales to Saudi Arabia - weapons needed for the Saudi-led air campaign against Yemeni rebels.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has continued to push back against congressional calls to also ban US weapons sales to the Saudis, which appear to be growing as a result of the Khashoggi killing, according to published reports.