Erdogan's Lack of a Full Reveal is Revealing

The breaking news this morning is the discovery of Khashoggi's body parts.

Erdogan's statement, which promised to reveal all in full nakedness, proved to be more vamp than revelation. None of the audio was introduced. Erdogan instead described Saudi preparations for what could be nothing other than a premeditated murder:

“Why was the 15-man Saudi team in Istanbul on the day of the murder?” he asked. “On whose orders? We are seeking answers. Why was the consulate not opened to investigators immediately? When the murder was so clear, why were there so many different statements given by Saudis? Why has the body of someone, the killing of whom has been officially admitted, not been found? Who is the local collaborator who disposed of Khashoggi’s body? Saudi must answer all these questions.”

One new aspect of the case that the Turkish newspaper Sabah introduced today is the central role played by attaché of the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Ahmad Abdullah al-Muzaini, as the main orchestrator of the murder.

Clearly the wily Erdogan is in no rush to reveal all. The longer the story stays "top of the fold" the more damage to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The discovery of Khashoggi's carcass guarantees headlines at least for a few more days.

Besides recounting the details of the Khashoggi impersonator, which was Monday's new detail, "Jamal Khashoggi Body Double Created False Trail in Turkey, Surveillance Images Suggest," David Kirkpatrick and Ben Hubbard reported the basics of what the Saudis offered Erdogan for his cooperation:

Mr. Erdogan, the person close to him said, recounted that a Saudi envoy, Prince Khaled bin Faisal, had offered a package of inducements for Turkey to drop the case — including financial aid and investments to help Turkey’s struggling economy, and an end to a Saudi embargo on Qatar, a Turkish ally. Mr. Erdogan has told associates that he angrily rejected the offer as “a political bribe,” this person said.

Erdogan's refusal to produce the smoking Saudi gun points us in the direction that the Khashoggi affair is headed. Crown prince Mohammed bin Salman will not be removed from the line of succession. Ben Hubbard and David Halbfinger mention the reason why in "Khashoggi Case Erodes Saudi Reputation, and Allies Worry": 

For Israel, accusations that the crown prince ordered the killing of Jamal Khashoggi have already had an effect, analysts said, effectively freezing the push to build an international coalition against Iran’s regional influence, the top priority for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

This has been the priority for decades, and not just Israel's. Mohammed bin Salman is the Saudi partner who was going to see regime change through in Iran.

The Khashoggi storm will be weathered. It will likely necessitate a delay in the coming war on Iran. But that's still the plan. War on Iran.

Hopefully the delay will be long enough to allow for a real democratic uprising in Europe and the United States.