US Court Says Saudi Crown Prince 'Immune' from Khashoggi Murder Suit | DW News

Nov 19, 2022 | Jamal Khashoggi was a Saudi dissident who fled to the US. As a Washington Post columnist he harshly criticized the kingdom and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Four years ago Khashoggi was murdered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. US intelligence say the Crown Prince ordered the crime. Khashoggi's fiance sued the crown prince in a US federal court. The prince's attorneys argued a head of government enjoys sovereign immunity, and cannot be sued. Today, the Biden administration agreed. Khashoggi's fiance says the news felt like the man she loved had died yet again, while the man who had him killed escaped justice yet again.

Related links here.

Hatice Cengiz Is Continuing Her Fight for Justice | DW News

Nov 10, 2022 | It's been more than four years since Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered in the Kingdom's consulate in Istanbul, where he went to collect the papers he needed to marry his fiance, Turkish national Hatice Cengiz. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman denied ordering the killing but later admitted it took place "under his watch".

The Ethics and Realpolitik of Assassination
THE ECONOMIST: THE Jerusalem Post reports:

[Israel's] Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman MK Shaul Mofaz (Kadima) on Tuesday said that the killing of Osama bin Laden bears witness to the fact that the US has adopted the Israeli strategy of targeting terrorist leaders. In an interview with Israel Radio, Mofaz said that the strategy was originally employed by Israel following the murder of nine Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Mofaz called on the government to increase targeted killings of Palestinian terrorist leaders. The former defense minister said that targeted killings have been successful in curtailing terrorist activities.

Evidently the killing—some would say assassination or "targeted killing"—of Osama bin Laden is seen as legitimatising other countries' pro-assassination policies.

Moreover, celebrity legal eagle Alan Dershowitz argues that the non-response to Mr bin Laden's assassination from governments with a record of condemning the practice reveals the shady substance of these objections. Noting that "a US national security official has confirmed to Reuters that 'this was a kill operation' and there was no desire to capture Bin Laden alive", Mr Dershowitz correctly infers that "those who have opposed the very concept of targeted killings should be railing against the killing of Osama Bin Laden". But they aren't. » | IOWA CITY | Wednesday, May 04, 2011

Attentat de Lockerbie: Les incohérences de la piste libyenne
LE TEMPS: La «piste libyenne» dans l’attentat contre le vol de la Pan Am en 1988 est minée d’incohérences et la libération récente du «coupable», atteint de cancer, arrange pas mal de monde. Un ingénieur suisse au cœur du procès et un professeur autrichien, parmi d’autres, contestent la version officielle depuis des années.

«Répugnant», «un outrage», «insulte à la vraie pitié». Depuis la libération d’Abdelbaset al-Megrahi le 20 août, la colère ne faiblit pas. Comment ose-t-on relâcher – même pour raisons humanitaires (cancer en phase terminale) – le terroriste qui a tué 270 personnes en glissant une bombe dans la soute du vol Pan Am 103?

Vingt et un ans après l’attentat de Lockerbie, les blessures se rouvrent. L’accueil triomphal d’Al-Megrahi en Libye est un acide versé sur la plaie, de même que les déclarations de Saïf Kadhafi, fils de Mouammar, qui qualifie Lockerbie d’«histoire ancienne. La prochaine étape, c’est un commerce fructueux et productif avec Edimbourg et Londres». Du coup, le pèlerinage des chefs d’Etat à Tripoli pour célébrer les quarante ans de la «grande révolution» devient le théâtre de la honte.

Sans doute entre-t-il beaucoup de realpolitik cynique dans le drôle de dénouement de l’affaire Lockerbie. Reste surtout une question: et si ce n’était pas la Libye qui avait fait le coup? Coups de théâtre >>> Jean-Claude Péclet | Samedi 29 Août 2009