Hariri backs Saudi in Khashoggi case
beirut — Lebanon’s premier-designate Saad Hariri threw his support behind Saudi Arabia on Tuesday as it faces criticism over the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at its Istanbul consulate.
“The measures taken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding the case of journalist Jamal Khashoggi... come within the framework that serves the path of justice and the disclosure of the whole truth,” a statement from his office quoted him as saying.
On Tuesday, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir pledged a “thorough and complete” investigation into Khashoggi’s murder. Hariri said the directives of “King Salman bin Abdulaziz would put things in the right direction and contribute to respond to the malicious campaigns targeting the kingdom”, the statement said.
Hariri was named premier for a third term in May after Lebanon’s first parliamentary elections in nine years, but has since struggled to form a cabinet. Saudi Arabia’s cabinet on Tuesday said it would hold accountable all those behind the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi “no matter who they may be”.
The cabinet will “hold accountable all those who have failed in their duties no matter who they may be”, read a statement published by the state-run SPA news agency. Khashoggi was killed after entering the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul on October 2 to pick up papers for his upcoming wedding to Hatice Cengiz, a Turkish citizen. US President Donald Trump dispatched the director of the CIA to Turkey in a quest to get more information about the death of Khashoggi and weigh a possible US response.
Trump said Monday he’s not satisfied with the explanations he’s heard about the columnist Trump told reporters at the White House: “We’re going to get to the bottom of it. We have people over in Saudi Arabia now. We have top intelligence people in Turkey.”—
The measures taken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding the case of journalist Jamal Khashoggi... come within the framework that serves the path of justice and the disclosure of the whole truth Statement from Hariri office