Saudis start killing off witnesses

[Thumpalumpacus]

Skilled assassins don't turn on some music and torture a guy to death. That's what happens when you underbudget your killings and hand off the contract to the lowest bidder.

When I heard the details, my first thought was, "Good lord, someone's watched Reservoir Dogs once too often."

Probably the prince. This sounds more like a specific request rather than what a team of assassins would choose to do on their own.

It’s executive interference messing things up and getting in the way of letting professionals do the job they’re hired for, the same way that WB did for all the Superman films.

Perhaps. Or the music may have been to obscure the sounds of the murder to any eavesdropping devices?

At any rate, radio here is reporting that Khashoggi has been declared dead by the Saudis, MbS has had 16 operatives arrested, and he has dismissed at least one high-level intelligence official -- which is hilarious when you think about it: if those reports are accurate, MbS has all but admitted Saudi intel complicity.

And that dovetails perfectly with your point about executive interference (in this case after the fact).

 

[Tom Sawyer]

It really is a “I’m shocked to discover there’s gambling going on in here” moment.

That’s not to say, however, that it won’t work. Everyone wants the Saudis to help keep oil prices down, so it’s very plausible that they’ll accept this bullshit explanation so that they can all move on past it.

 

[BH]

Surely Mr Marmalade can send them the Very Best People if they are needed to train the newbies, or to intercede themselves if indicated. Hands-on training by those Very Fine People can turn even a lowly butcher into a skilled operator in a few days.

Skilled assassins don't turn on some music and torture a guy to death. That's what happens when you underbudget your killings and hand off the contract to the lowest bidder.

If you want to murder dissidents in foreign countries, you fucking well pay the additional premiums and have the people vanished quickly with no fuss or screwing around. MbS saved a few thousand dollars by sending amateurs after this guy and now he's probably out billions due to the bad PR they generated by doing this half-assed job.

As an example, name the people killed off by Canadian Intelligence Services. You can't, can you? That's not because our government is made up of decent, moral people who avoid murdering those who get in the way of their interests or any bullshit like that, but because it's staffed by competent professionals who know how to pay for quality performance.

We all know Smoky the Bear really works for Canadian Intelligence. That crap about fighting forest fires was always a ruse. And Sasquatch. He works for you too. He runs across a road in the middle of the night, kills someone, then runs back across the road in front of a car but never gets run over.

 

[barbos]

So the guy started a conflict with 15 tourists with a bone saw. Makes total sense.