Saudi military attaché helped Asiri plan, execute Khashoggi murder

A Turkish newspaper has revealed how the military attaché of the Saudi Consulate General in Istanbul, Ahmad Abdullah Muzaini, helped then Saudi Deputy Intelligence Chief Ahmed Al-Asiri plan and murder Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Turkish Sabah newspaper cited a security source as saying that Muzaini, who worked under Al-Asiri’s direct command, was at the Saudi consulate when Khashoggi first visited it on 28 September and he was behind the plan to ask the journalist to return on 2 October to finalise documents for his marriage.

According to the paper, Muzaini left for Riyadh on 29 September travelling through the Sabiha Gokcen Airport where he met with Al-Asiri and received instructions regarding the 15-member hit squad that assassinated Khashoggi.

The newspaper said Muzaini returned to Istanbul on 1 October and briefed the Saudi Consul General Mohammed Al-Otaibi on the plan. On 2 October, when Khashoggi was murdered, Muzaini left Istanbul and headed to Riyadh via Ataturk airport.

Muzaini was appointed military attaché to the Saudi Consulate General in Istanbul in September 2015, however, it is believed that his main role was to act as a spy for Saudi Arabia in Turkey.

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