Trump says Khashoggi likely dead
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump acknowledged on Thursday that it “certainly looks” as though missing Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi is dead, and he threatened “very severe” consequences if the Saudis are found to have murdered him. His warning came as Washington toughened its response to a disappearance that has sparked global outrage.
Before Trump spoke, the US government announced that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had pulled out of a major upcoming Saudi investment conference.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had said the Saudis should be given a few more days to finish and make public a credible investigation before the US decides “how or if” to respond. Trump’s comments, however, signaled an urgency in completing the probe into the disappearance of the journalist, last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct 2.
The messaging underscored Washington’s concern about the effect the case could have on relations with a close and valuable strategic partner. Increasingly upset US lawmakers are condemning the Saudis and questioning the seriousness with which Trump and his top aides are taking the matter, while Trump has emphasized the billions of dollars in weapons the Saudis purchase from the United States.
Turkish reports said that Khashoggi, who had written columns critical of Riyadh while he lived in the US, was killed and dismembered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul by members of an assassination squad from Riyadh. The Saudis have dismissed those reports as baseless but have yet to explain what happened to the writer.
Trump, who has insisted that more facts must be known before making assumptions, did not say on what he based his latest statement about the writer’s likely demise.
Asked if Khashoggi was dead, he said, “It certainly looks that way . ... Very sad.”
Asked what consequence Saudi leaders would face if they are found to be responsible, he replied: “It will have to be very severe. It’s bad, bad stuff. But we’ll see what happens.”
US Vice-President Mike Pence said earlier that “the world deserves answers” about what happened to Khashoggi, “and those who are responsible need to be held to account”.
‘Time is short’
In Washington, Pompeo, who was just back from talks with Saudi and Turkish leaders, said of the investigations in Istanbul: “I told President Trump this morning that we ought to give them a few more days to complete that so that we, too, have a complete understanding of the facts surrounding that, at which point we can make decisions about how, or if, the United States should respond to the incident surrounding Mr Khashoggi.”
Although Pompeo suggested the US could wait longer for results, an official familiar with his meetings in Riyadh and Ankara said the secretary had been blunt about the need to wrap the probe up quickly.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Pompeo told the Riyadh that “time is short”.
Shortly after Trump and Pompeo met at the White House, Mnuchin announced that after consulting the president and Pompeo: “I will not be participating in the Future Investment Initiative summit in Saudi Arabia.”
The Saudis had hoped to use the forum, billed as “Davos in the Desert”, to boost their global image. But a number of European finance ministers and many top business executives have pulled out as international pressure on Riyadh has intensified over Khashoggi.
Pompeo said that whatever response the administration might decide on would take into account the importance of the long-standing US-Saudi partnership. He said: “They’re an important strategic ally of the United States, and we need to be mindful of that.”
The world deserves answers, ... those who are responsible need to be held to account.”
Mike Pence, US vice-president