Billionaire Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal – who was reportedly strung up and beaten by US mercenaries during the Saudi Arabian “purge” exactly one year ago Sunday – said on Sunday that an official investigation into the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi will exonerate the Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman (MbS).
Speaking with Fox News‘s Maria Bartiromo, Alwaleed said “I ask Saudi Arabia now publicly, through your program, to have the investigation made public as soon as possible,” adding “I believe the Saudi crown prince will be 100 percent vindicated and exonerated.”
Regarding last year’s purge during which dozens of princes and senior Saudi figures were rounded up and detained at the Ritz Carlton in Riyadh in an “anti-corruption” crackdown – only to be freed after giving up a majority of their wealth, Alwaleed chalked his imprisonment up to a “misunderstanding,” which has been “forgiven and forgotten.” before touting MbS as “for real,” and that the Crown Prince is “changing Saudi Arabia in a very revolutionary manner.”
Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal: @Alwaleed_Talal Saudi Arabia right now is witnessing a huge development and changes. #SundayFutures @MariaBartiromo @KSAmofaEN pic.twitter.com/KbBU9iGmaH @BinSalman2030
— Bali Promotion Center💅 (@translatorbali) November 4, 2018
Of note, Khashoggi has been described as having been “close” to Prince Alwaleed.
In 2010, Alwaleed tapped Khashoggi to head up his now-defunct Al-Arab news channel – only to be removed months later after the network ran an article criticizing Salafism – Saudi Arabia’s official state religion. Prior to that, “Khashoggi was editor-in-chief of Alwatan Newspaper, media adviser to Prince Turki Al Faisal at both embassies in London and Washington DC, and has been known as a correspondent and writer since his graduation from the University of the State of Indiana in 1982,” according to Gulf News.
Another misunderstanding?
48 hours before Alwaleed’s glowing defense of MbS, his brother, Saudi Prince Khaled bin Talal – believed to be in detention since January, was reportedly released according to CNN.
On Friday his sons and niece posted photos of the prince with family, congratulating him on his “safe return.”
The prince is the brother of Prince Alwaleed bin Talal — one of a group of royal family members and businessmen who were held in the lavish Ritz Carlton in Riyadh last year as part of an anti-corruption purge. –CNN
After his release, Alwaleed’s daughter, Reem bing Alwaleed, tweeted “Thank God for your safety.”
الحمدلله على سلامتك❤️ pic.twitter.com/drFWupyKQy
— ريم بنت الوليد (@Reem_Alwaleed) November 2, 2018
Is Talal breathing through a tube?
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