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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/18/liam-fox-pulls-out-of-saudi-event-over-alleged-of-jamal-khashoggi
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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Liam Fox pulls out of Saudi event over alleged murder of Jamal Khashoggi | Liam Fox pulls out of Saudi event over alleged murder of Jamal Khashoggi |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Liam Fox has pulled out of an economic forum in Saudi Arabia likely to be boycotted by other international leaders and corporations following the alleged murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi. | Liam Fox has pulled out of an economic forum in Saudi Arabia likely to be boycotted by other international leaders and corporations following the alleged murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi. |
| Britain’s international trade secretary had been due to attend the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference in Riyadh next week, but the gathering, also known as Davos in the Desert, has been the subject of growing controversy as gruesome details emerged of the journalist’s apparent death at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. | Britain’s international trade secretary had been due to attend the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference in Riyadh next week, but the gathering, also known as Davos in the Desert, has been the subject of growing controversy as gruesome details emerged of the journalist’s apparent death at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. |
| Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi regime, was apparently tortured to death and dismembered in the building, having attended to obtain a divorce certificate. | Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi regime, was apparently tortured to death and dismembered in the building, having attended to obtain a divorce certificate. |
| A government spokesman said Fox had decided it was not the right time to attend the conference and explicitly tied the decision to events in Turkey. “The UK remains very concerned about Jamal Khashoggi’s disappearance,” the spokesman said. | |
| “We encourage Turkish-Saudi collaboration and look forward to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia conducting a thorough, credible, transparent and prompt investigation, as announced,” the spokesman said. “Those bearing responsibility for his disappearance must be held to account.” | “We encourage Turkish-Saudi collaboration and look forward to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia conducting a thorough, credible, transparent and prompt investigation, as announced,” the spokesman said. “Those bearing responsibility for his disappearance must be held to account.” |
| The British pull-out was announced soon after the French finance minister Bruno Le Maire, and his Dutch counterpart Wopke Hoekstra also confirmed they were withdrawing from the event starting on October 23. The conference organisers have taken down the list of expected speakers, as they face a mass boycott by media sponsors and some businesses. Frédéric Oudéa, the director general of Société Générale, Jean Lemierre, President BNP Paribas, and Patrice Caine, Chief Executive of Thales have also all puled out. | |
| In the past week the UK has been co-ordinating its position on Saudi Arabia with France, and Germany, but it is unusual for the British to make such a symbolic show of condemnation of Riyadh. . | |
| The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said after consulting with Donald Trump on Thursday that no US action will be taken until a joint Turkish-Saudi investigation is complete. Pompeo added he had told the Saudis he took Khashoggi’s disappearance “very seriously,” but said he would wait for the outcome of the investigation before responding. Pompeo flew to Riyadh and to Turkey to discuss the crisis this week, but has made few comments on the progress of the investigation. He said on Thursday that the Saudis had promised a complete and thorough investigation. | |
| The US is already locked in conflict with Iran, is determined not to open a second front by clashing with America’s greatest ally in the Middle East. The US is due from November 5 to impose sanctions on any country or company importing oil from Iran, and may feel it cannot risk counter-sanctions by the Saudis at a time of such potential oil market uncertainty. | |
| But Trump is under pressure from Republican Senators to take a stand, and there is a risk that the issue could play in next month’s mid term elections. | |
| The Russian President Vladimir Putin put the issue in Trump’s court pointing out that Khashoggi was a US resident. He said Russia had no reason to sanction Saudi at least until clear evidence is produced. | |
| Other senior figures have already dropped out of the event, including the head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, and representatives of major tech and media companies such as Google, Uber, the New York Times and the Financial Times. | Other senior figures have already dropped out of the event, including the head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, and representatives of major tech and media companies such as Google, Uber, the New York Times and the Financial Times. |
| The former international development secretary Andrew Mitchell had been among those calling for Fox to boycott the event. | The former international development secretary Andrew Mitchell had been among those calling for Fox to boycott the event. |
| “As matters stand it would be inconceivable that a British minister could attend this Saudi economic function next week,” he told the Times. | “As matters stand it would be inconceivable that a British minister could attend this Saudi economic function next week,” he told the Times. |
| The foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, signed a statement of G7 foreign ministers on Wednesday demanding answers on Khashoggi’s disappearance. | The foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, signed a statement of G7 foreign ministers on Wednesday demanding answers on Khashoggi’s disappearance. |
| “We remain very troubled by the disappearance of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi,” the statement said, calling for a “thorough, credible, transparent, and prompt investigation, as announced.” | “We remain very troubled by the disappearance of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi,” the statement said, calling for a “thorough, credible, transparent, and prompt investigation, as announced.” |
| Allan Hogarth, Amnesty International UK’s head of policy and government affairs, welcomed the cancellation, calling it “a recognition of the fact that cheerleading for business in Saudi Arabia when the country is accused of murdering a journalist is simply beyond the pale”. | Allan Hogarth, Amnesty International UK’s head of policy and government affairs, welcomed the cancellation, calling it “a recognition of the fact that cheerleading for business in Saudi Arabia when the country is accused of murdering a journalist is simply beyond the pale”. |
| Hogarth said conducting business with Saudi Arabia was “tainted well before the shocking disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi”. | Hogarth said conducting business with Saudi Arabia was “tainted well before the shocking disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi”. |
| “The UK needs to seriously re-appraise its entire relationship with Saudi Arabia, breaking free of overly-cosy relations which have seen ministers unwilling to publicly criticise human rights abuses in the country.” | “The UK needs to seriously re-appraise its entire relationship with Saudi Arabia, breaking free of overly-cosy relations which have seen ministers unwilling to publicly criticise human rights abuses in the country.” |
| Jamal Khashoggi | Jamal Khashoggi |
| Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabia |
| Middle East and North Africa | Middle East and North Africa |
| Foreign policy | Foreign policy |
| Liam Fox | Liam Fox |
| International trade | International trade |
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