NZ condemns Khashoggi murder

The Herald reports:

The Government is condemning “in the strongest possible terms” the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi operatives.

“Those responsible for his death must be held accountable,” Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said in a statement. …

An investigation by the Saudi Government’s general prosecutor has now found that Khashoggi was in the consulate when a quarrel broke out, escalating to a fatal fight.

Peters said: “While this is an important admission, the killing by government operatives is deeply disturbing. Many questions remain unanswered.” …

The disappearance created a diplomatic rift between Saudi Arabia and the West, with many international firms pulling out of a high-profile investment summit, the Future Investment Initiative conference, due to take place later this month in Riyadh.

Trade Minister David Parker said that New Zealand officials will not attend the conference.

The official story is an obvious fabrication. What I find amazing is they had almost three weeks to come up with it, and couldn’t do anything better.