White House attacked over inadequate Khashoggi report

WASHINGTON, D.C.: The top Republican lawmaker on the House foreign affairs committee has slammed the administration of President Donald Trump, saying it has failed to provide a proper update on the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The White House was mandated under a congressional deadline to provide a report by Saturday on the killing of Khashoggi at Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul in October.

Lawmakers are seeking to determine whether Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was behind the murder.

The administration did not meet the deadline.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo did, however, provide an update to Congress yesterday, a State Department spokesman said.

Citing a letter received from the Trump Administration, House Foreign Affairs Lead Republican Michael McCaul said he was ‘‘deeply troubled’’.

‘‘Everyone involved in this gruesome crime must be identified and held accountable,’’ he said yesterday.

‘‘I call on the administration to immediately comply with the requirements of the law, and to provide Congress with the information required.’’

Spokesmen for the State Department and National Security Council declined to provide details of the letter McCaul received. A spokeswoman for McCaul did not immediately return a request for comment.

The brutal killing of Khashoggi earned rare bipartisan condemnation from US lawmakers, both sides calling on the White House to take a more aggressive stance towards Riyadh.

The US has placed sanctions on 17 Saudi nationals allegedly involved in the murder.

More than four months after his killing, Khashoggi’s remains have not been located. — DPA