It fairly obvious why the Deep State 'ould be trying to wedge-block the emergent alliance between (new)USA and (new)SA. This might be a false-flag operation coupled with a wrap-up smear strategy, as you point out—but it also might be a bit more direct and straight forward than that. Keep in mind that Q predicted they'd go back to the Russia, Russia, Russia Narrative—so why do we suppose they're going so hard on SA, instead? Is this just a convenient opportunity the Deep State has decided to run with and try to leverage to their advantage?  I'm rather inclined to expect that this is another intentional rope-a-dope jebait by Q&Co—essentially an entrapment strategy similar to those they've employed in handling the Mueller-Probe, the Lefties-support-]Sessions[-setup, and the recent Kavanaugh Confirmation Circus. In this case, Q and MBS are on the same page, and are encouraging their adversaries to bunch their panties and whip up public outcry from the npc mobs demanding muh explanation. Basically, they're baiting their opposition into demanding disclosure of information that will ultimately be damning to them (i.e. the opposition).  My guess is that this slimy Saudi cunt "journalist" was secretly tried in absentia and found guilty of several very serious domestic and international crimes.  MBS ordered his execution after this secret trial and verdict, but he did so from his seat on a mountain of evidence and intelligence information (from at least Saudi & US sources), and is now simply awaiting the Deep State to demand its release in the form of an explanation of the disappearance, thereby effectively damning themselves in the eye of the public.  And all this, right in time for Mid-Terms...? BOOM?