Trump: “Certainly looks” as if Khashoggi is dead

ISTANBUL» President Donald Trump said Thursday it appears that Jamal Khashoggi is dead and warned that his administration could consider “very severe” measures against Saudi Arabia, sharply raising pressure on the kingdom as it prepares its own accounting of the journal ist’s disappearance.

Trump’s remarks reflect apparent shifting strategies and views in the White House over its response and possible punishments toward one of its key Middle East allies.

Trump has said any U.S. actions over Khashoggi’s disappearance must take into account the security and defense ties the United States has with the kingdom. But Trump also must contend with the international furor at Saudi Arabia, and calls within Republican ranks to take a harder line.

As he boarded a flight to Montana for a political rally, Trump was asked by a journalist whether he believed Khashoggi was dead.

“It certainly looks that way to me,” he said. “It’s very sad.”

He added that Saudi Arabia could face a “very severe” U.S. response de pending on the results of the selfrun investigation by the kingdom into the disappearance of Khashoggi, a Saudi citizen and Washington Post contributing columnist, who was last seen in public entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.

“I mean, it’s bad, bad stuff. But we’ll see what happens,” Trump said.

The United States is caught squarely between two longstanding partners.

Turkish officials say evidence indicates Khashoggi was killed by Saudi agents. Saudi leaders deny having any knowledge of Khashoggi’s fate but promised to conduct their own inquiries into the case.

It is uncertain, however, if a selfrun inquest or conclusions by the Saudis could quell international anger over the disappearance of Khashoggi.

In the administration’s first formal rebuke of Saudi Arabia over the Khashoggi case, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Thursday that he would join many other political leaders and business executives canceling their participation in a major investment forum in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, next week.

Mnuchin made the announcement after consulting with Trump.