About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 20, 2018)
8A Tuesday, November 20, 2018 The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com NATION/WORLD Saudi king’s speech doesn’t mention dead Man who murdered family sentenced to life in prison journalist Khashoggi BY ABDULLAH AL-SHIHRI AND AYA BATRAWY Associated Press RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Ara bia’s King Salman on Monday gave his first major speech since the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents, express ing support for his son, the crown prince, and making no mention of allegations that the young royal ordered the killing. The annual policy speech by the king instead highlighted Saudi Arabia’s priori ties for the coming year, focusing on issues such as the war in Yemen, security for Pal estinians, stability in the oil market, coun tering rival Iran and job creation for Saudis. The king voiced support for his favored son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, saying that the 32-year-old heir to the throne is focused on developing the capa bilities of Saudi youth. The prince oversees all major levers of power in the kingdom, ranging from security to the economy. “The country is working tirelessly to cre ate more jobs and training for Saudi youth,” Salman said. “The crown prince, chairman of the Council of Economic Affairs and Development, has focused on developing human capabilities and preparing the new generation for future jobs.” Saudi media reported Monday that the crown prince will attend the Group of 20 summit in Buenos Aires later this month. It would be the first trip abroad for the crown prince after the Oct. 2 slaying of Khashoggi, and would bring him face to face with world leaders from the U.S., Turkey, Canada and European countries that have strongly criti cized the kingdom for the brutal killing. King Salman delivered his remarks in the ornate hall of the consultative Shura Council before the country’s ministers, senior officials, military officers and cler ics. Prince Mohammed was in attendance and seated next to the country’s top cleric. In the wake of Khashoggi’s killing inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, the 82-year- old monarch put Prince Mohammed in charge of overseeing the reorganization of intelligence services. The king’s speech made no reference to that, but he did com mend Saudi Arabia’s judiciary and public prosecution for their work in seeking jus tice in accordance with Islamic law. He said the kingdom “takes pride in the blessed efforts” of the judiciary and pub lic prosecution, adding that Saudi Arabia affirms its commitment to the application of Islamic law. On Thursday, Saudi prosecutors said they are seeking the death penalty against five men suspected of killing Khashoggi, who had written critically of the crown prince in columns for The Washington Post. The prosecutor’s announcement sought to quiet the global outcry over Khashoggi’s death and distance the killers and their operation SAUDI PRESS AGENCY I Associated Press Saudi King Salman, right, with dignitaries before he gives his annual policy speech at the consultative Shura Council, Monday, Nov. 19, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. from the crown prince. U.S. intelligence officials, however, have concluded that the crown prince ordered the killing, according to a U.S. official famil iar with the assessment. Others familiar with the case caution that while it’s likely that the crown prince was involved in the death, there continue to be questions about what role he played. Saudi investigators say a high-ranking adviser to the crown prince, Saud al- Qahtani, and a senior intelligence offi cial, Ahmed al-Assiri, concocted a plan to force Khashoggi to return to Saudi Arabia, deeming his presence abroad as a threat to national security. Saudi prosecutors say the 15-man team sent to Istanbul exceeded their author ity when the lead negotiator in the team decided to kill Khashoggi for refusing orders to return. The Saudis say the agents killed Khashoggi with tranquilizers and then dismembered his body, which has not been found. Those findings came after Saudi authori ties spent weeks denying Khashoggi had been killed in the embassy. This past week, U.S. intelligence offi cials briefed members of the Senate and House intelligence committees on their conclusions, and the Treasury Department announced economic sanctions on 17 Saudi officials suspected of being responsible for or complicit in the killing. Among those sanctioned was al-Qahtani, who was fired from his post as the crown prince’s adviser after details of the killing emerged. President Donald Trump has said his administration will get “a very full report,” including who was responsible for Khashoggi’s death, on Monday or Tuesday. Trump has criticized the Saudi response to the killing, but has been reluctant to say definitively if he thinks the crown prince ordered it. UK leader has eye on rebellion as EU braces for Brexit push BY JILL LAWLESS AND RAF CASERT Associated Press LONDON — The U.K. and the European Union plowed ahead Monday with plans to have their divorce deal signed, sealed and delivered within days as British Prime Minister Theresa May waited to see whether rebel lawmakers opposed to the agreement had the numbers to chal lenge her leadership. The draft agreement reached last week triggered an avalanche of criticism in Britain and left May fight ing to keep her job even as British and EU negotiators raced to firm up a final deal before a weekend summit where EU leaders hope to rubber-stamp it. The 585-page, legally binding withdrawal agree ment is as good as com plete, but Britain and the EU still need to flesh out a far less detailed seven-page declaration on their future relations. May said “an intense week of negotiations” lay ahead to finalize the framework. The deal has infuriated pro-Brexit lawmakers in May’s Conservative Party. The Brexiteers want a clean break with the bloc and argue that the close trade ties called for in the agreement May’s govern ment agreed would leave Britain a vassal state, bound to EU rules it has no say in making. Two Cabinet ministers, including Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab, resigned in protest, and rebels are try ing to gather the signatures of 48 lawmakers needed to trigger a no-confidence vote. One pro-Brexit Conser vative lawmaker, Simon Clarke, urged wavering col leagues Monday to join the rebellion, saying “it is quite clear to me that the captain is driving the ship at the rocks.” Even if May sees off such a challenge, she still has to get the deal approved by Parliament. Her Conservatives don’t have a parliamen tary majority, and whether she can persuade enough lawmakers to back the agreement is uncertain. It is also unclear what would hap pen if Parliament rejected the deal when it is put to a vote, likely next month. May’s government relies for survival on the votes of Northern Ireland’s Demo cratic Unionist Party, which struck a deal last year to back the Conserva tives on major legislation, including finance bills. But the DUP opposes the Brexit deal’s plans for keeping the border between the U.K.’s Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland open after Britain leaves the bloc. In a warning to May, DUP lawmakers abstained Monday during several votes on the government’s finance bill. May argues that aban doning the plan, with Brit ain’s March 29 departure date just over four months away, could lead to Brexit being delayed or aban doned, or to a disorderly and economically damag ing “no deal” Brexit. But opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Cor- byn said his lawmakers would vote against May’s agreement and also try to block a “no-deal” exit. The agreement also must be approved by the Euro pean Parliament. Manfred Weber, who leads the EU legislature’s largest group, said the initial assessment of the center-right Euro pean People’s Party was “very encouraging, very positive.” But, he added, “it must be clear to our British partners that there will be no renegotiation of this text that is now on the table.” Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said the deal “is the best one possible.” “There is no better one for this crazy Brexit,” Asselborn said as EU for eign ministers met in Brus sels before the Sunday summit of member country leaders at which the bloc intends to sign off on the deal. Most contentious nego tiating issues have been resolved, but Spain insisted at the Brussels meeting that it needed more clarity on how Gibraltar, the British territory at the southern tip of the Iberian peninsula, would be dealt with. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said the EU foreign ministers “have agreed to the principle” of a one-off extension of the post-Brexit transition period if the two sides need more time to finalize a trade deal. Under the divorce agree ment, Britain would be bound by EU rules during the transition. It is due to end in December 2020 but can be extended by mutual agreement if more time is needed. Barnier wouldn’t give a specific end-date for the extension. It’s a delicate issue for May, because some in her party worry the extension could be used to trap Britain in the EU’s rules indefinitely. RJ SANGOSTII Associated Press Christopher Watts sits in court for his sentencing hearing at the Weld County Courthouse on Monday, Nov. 19, in Greeley, Colo. Watts received three consecutive life sentences without a chance at parole on Monday, nearly two weeks after pleading guilty to avoid the death penalty. BY KATHLEEN FOODY Associated Press GREELEY, Colo. — A man who strangled his preg nant wife and suffocated their two young daughters wanted to escape his mar riage and growing family, prosecutors said Monday as a judge imposed a sentence of life without parole after a plea deal kept the killer from facing the death penalty. Christopher Watts, who pleaded guilty two weeks ago, did not speak during the hearing. One of his attorneys said Watts was “sincerely sorry.” As Watts listened with his head down, Shanann Watts’ parents detailed their ongo ing struggle to understand how he could murder the three people who consid ered him a hero — Shanann, 34, Bella, 4, and Celeste, 3. Frank Rzucek said he was disgusted by the way his son-in-law took his wife and two daughters “out like the trash” and dubbed him an “evil monster.” “Prison is too good for you,” Rzucek said. “This is hard to say, but may God have mercy on your soul. ” Prosecutors have said Shanann Watts’ relatives, who live in North Carolina, asked them not to seek the death penalty when defense attorneys made the proposal. Watts, 33, was formally sentenced to consecutive life sentences for the murders. He also received a 48-year sentence for unlawful termi nation of a pregnancy and 12 years each for tamper ing with a corpse, totaling 84 years. The girls’ bodies were found submerged in sepa rate oil tank on property owned by the company Watts worked for. His wife’s body was found in a shallow grave nearby. As a prosecutor detailed the injuries found on the bod ies, Rzucek leaned forward, gasping. Michael Rourke said Shanann Watts was strangled, but her lack of significant injuries suggested that her death came slowly. The girls were smothered, and Rourke said there were signs Bella “fought for her life.” Celeste had no visible injuries, he said. Christopher Watts’ par ents, Cindy and Ronnie Watts, were permitted to speak as the girls’ grandparents. “We love you,” Cindy Watts said into a micro phone before turning to look directly at her son. “And we forgive you, son.” Watts wiped away a tear with his shirt after his par ents left the podium. He kept his head down for much of the hearing, speaking only once to confirm that he did not want to make a statement before Judge Marcelo Kop- cow imposed his sentence. Friends of Shanann Watts lined up inside the court house Monday morning. More people filed into an overflow room to watch a video stream. The killings captured national media attention and became the focus of true crime blogs and online video channels, which showed dozens of family photos and videos that Shanann Watts shared on social media show ing the smiling family. Prosecutors said the images belied a hidden truth, that Christopher Watts was having an affair. A friend asked police to check on Shanann Watts on Aug. 13 after not being able to reach her and growing concerned that the expectant mother had missed a doctor’s appointment. Rourke said police later found that Watts spoke to a real estate agent about selling the family’s home and called the girls’ school to report that they could not be present when fall classes began. Investigators quickly became suspicious of him after he was unable to square his claims that his family had disappeared from a tightly secured home in a busy subdivision. Meanwhile, Watts spoke to local television reporters from the front porch of the family’s home in Frederick, a small town on the plains north of Denver where drill ing rigs and oil wells sur round booming subdivisions. He pleaded for his family’s safe return, telling reporters their house felt empty with out Bella and Celeste watch ing cartoons or running to greet him at the door. Within days he was in cus tody, charged with killing his family. Rourke said Watts has never discussed a motive for the killings with police, but investigators could find no explanation other than his ongoing affair with a co-worker. FOR YOUR FAVORITES 10.29.18 - 11.30.18 BestOfHallCounty.c
