TEHRAN – Professor Hossein Askari, an expert on Saudi Arabia who also teaches international business at the George Washington University, believes that Saudi Arabia likely murdered “Jamal Ahmad Khashoggi”.

 “If this is what happened, then it had to be ordered and sanctioned by MBS. No one in Saudi Arabia beside him would dare to authorize such an assassination,” Hossein Askari, who served as special advisor to Saudi finance minister, tells the Tehran Times
Following is the text of the interview:

Q: Jamal Ahmad Khashoggi, Saudi journalist that fled Saudi Arabia on 18 September 2017 killed in Turkey. Turkish sources say they believe that Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on 2 October, by a 15-member "murder" team from Saudi Arabia. What do you think?

A: Sure, it is possible. But I have no idea if this is what happened. Why do you need 15 people to kill one man in a consulate? 

Q: Before this event we have saw the behavior of Mohammad Bin Salman with his critics and this lead some convinced that MBS is behind the killing of Jamal Ahmad Khashoggi. What is your opinion?

A: If this is what happened, then it had to be ordered and sanctioned by MBS. No one in Saudi Arabia beside him would dare to authorize such an assassination.

Q: What will be the reaction of U.S. and Turkey to this event?

A: Again, if this is what happened the U.S. will do nothing. The Trump Administration is all in with MBS. Turkey may make a little noise behind the scenes to get some financial support from Saudi Arabia but it will do nothing either.