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WWE STATEMENT ON RECENT TURN OF EVENTS REGARDING SAUDI ARABIA

By Mike Johnson on 2018-10-11 19:44:00

As Dave Scherer and I discussed on this week's edition of The We Don't Need No Name Show, the timing of the WWE event on 11/2 in Saudi Arabia has come under additional scrutiny following the disappearance of Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi Arabian national who had been critical of aspects of the country in his writing and reporting.  

Khashoggi, who was a resident of the United States but was in Turkey at the time, entered a Saudi Arabian consulate to pick up paperwork that would allow him to re-marry and hasn't been seen since.  While the consulate has claimed Khashoggi left their property, his fiancee was waiting outside and he never returned to her.  The Washington Post has reported that Turkish officials believe that Khashoggi was murdered, possibly during an attempt to kidnap and spirit him back to Saudi Arabia that went wrong.  The investigation is ongoing and has become a major hot button issue internationally.  

Several other American companies who have events with ties to Saudi Arabia have canceled or postponed events, including Viacom and The New York Times, who have pulled out of a business conference in the country hosted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 initiative - the same Prince who was responsible for bringing WWE to Saudi Arabia.   With WWE receiving a huge payday from the Kingdom in exchange for running events there (which have including promotional videos touting how progressive the regime has become, including allowing women to drive), there is a spotlght on WWE to see how they will handle the 11/2 event, their second live event in the country as part of a ten year agreement.

WWE issued the following response to queries about the event and the situation: “We are currently monitoring the situation."

Update 10:26 PM - Since we initially posted this story, The Washington Post has reported that Turkish authorities have informed United States officials they have audio and visual proof that concludes Khasoggi was indeed murdered.

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