Mikey Campbell
A report out of Turkey on Friday claims journalist Jamal Khashoggi used an Apple Watch to record and upload audio of his own interrogation, beating and execution to iCloud.
Editor's note: A website posing as AppleInsider published a faux report with a false quote attributed to Apple CEO Tim Cook. Neither Cook nor Apple has officially commented on the Khashoggi incident. The following is AppleInsider's original coverage.
According to a Sabah Gazetesi report, Khashoggi recorded what is believed to be audio evidence of his death inside the Saudi Arabian consulate in Turkey more than a week ago. Sabah Washington correspondent Ragip Soylu posted a screenshot of the story to Twitter on Friday.
In its report, Sarah claims Khashoggi recorded questioning by a "hit squad." A copy of the audio file was synced with Khashoggi's iPhone, which was in the possession of fiancee Hatice Cengiz. Cengiz was waiting outside the consulate during the alleged exchange, assumedly within Bluetooth range of the Apple Watch in question.
The report does not specify what app Khashoggi used, how the audio was transferred to his iPhone or how it made its way to iCloud. Apple Watch does not support cellular functionality in Turkey, meaning the data was uploaded automatically via iPhone or, less likely, through a direct connection with a local Wi-Fi network.
Whether the report is accurate remains to be seen. As it stands, a number of key details of Khashoggi's supposed last minutes are confusing or incongruent with presented evidence.
Following the allegedly fatal encounter, Sarah claims Saudis gained access to the watch using Khashoggi's fingerprints and deleted certain files on the device. This suggests the so-called "hit squad" confiscated the journalist's iPhone from Cengiz, something that has gone unconfirmed. The claims also assume Khashoggi's Apple Watch was set to unlock with iPhone.
While Saudis were able to wipe certain files from Khashoggi's device or devices, they were less successful in deleting data from iCloud, the report says.
Khashoggi, a columnist for the Washington Post and critic of the current regime under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, disappeared on Oct. 2 after entering the Saudi consulate in Turkey to obtain paperwork necessary to marry Cengiz.
CNN in a Friday report citing a Western intelligence source said Turkish authorities have audio and video evidence of an attack and ensuing struggle in the consulate. The evidence, characterized as "shocking and disgusting" by the unnamed source, also proves Khashoggi was killed.
Whether the audio evidence and the supposed Apple Watch recording are one and the same is unknown.
In its own coverage of the incident, The Washington Post claims Mohammed sought to lure Khashoggi back to his homeland, where he would be detained. The theory is based on information from Turkish officials who say two teams of Saudis totaling 15 men entered the country in what appears to be a "rendition" operation.
Previous reports speculated health data from Khashoggi's Apple Watch might be used to assist in the ongoing investigation.
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64 Comments
We invaded the wrong country after 9/11. Bloodthirsty Saudi Arabia had their fingers all over it.
Something about this story does not ring true. It says "... [the] Saudis gained access to the watch using Khashoggi's fingerprints and deleted certain files on the device.."
Huh?! How do I gain access to the Watch using TouchID?
And, is it possible to record on the Watch (even using an app)? Then transfer it to the phone? And upload automatically to iCloud? How would he have known the wifi password for the Saudi consulate? And how would people have access to his iCloud account?
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(Add: I've answered some my own questions. Yes, it is possible, it turns out. One can set the Watch to unlock when the iPhone is unlocked; there are third-party apps such as "Just Press Record" that store locally on the Watch, then transfer to the iOS divide and/or cloud; his friends or associates could have known his iCloud login I suppose; it's possible that he did use wifi with some type of public login. Wow. Just WOW.)
Typical...not to sound too cynical...but as you look around the world, (all hemispheres), there are no real wars left.
Except in the Middle East!
Yes, there are regional problems, as with the Royhinga in Myanmar, whatever is going on in the Philippines and, of course, Crimea/Ukraine.
Only the Middle East continues to be an area of the world that has not obliged itself of the success as have the emerging markets of India, Brazil, China, Africa, Vietnam, etc., etc.
E.g., China, a country of ~1.4 billion people has lifted half their population out of poverty and had ~10% growth in GDP (YOY) for the last 30 years...(Down to ~7% growth, currently, I think?)
Islam needs a Reformation. Similar to what happened to Christendom in the 16th century. (You know, where God told us to burn more Catholics b/c it was 'cold' outside!) s/
Oh well, don't mean to sound like I know everything... Saudi Arabia is not our friend! They're too concerned with fighting a 2,500 year old regional war with 'Persia' (i.e., Iran)
:)
P.S. Why is 'Arabia' at war with 'Persia' you might ask? Yes, Arabia are Sunni Muslims, and Persia are Shia Muslims. But, one sect believes the caliphate should be a direct descendent of the Prophet Muhammad and one sect doesn't. Are you f'ing kidding me! 'Que so what, so what' or better yet, 'Inshallah.'
He didn’t take his iPhone inside with him, he left it outside with his fiancée.
Since cellular Watches aren’t available in Turkey, he must have been connected to WiFi to get the data out, unless they recovered the watch (which would contradict the “his is missing” story)
This story has bigger hole than Titanic.