Baltimore Sun

Trump, Erdogan slam Saudis

U.S., Turkish leaders put pressure on Riyadh to account for Khashoggi’s death

- By Nabih Bulos and Tracy Wilkinson

ISTANBUL — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared the killing of Jamal Khashoggi “a planned operation,” and President Donald Trump complained that the Saudis had engaged in “the worst cover-up ever” as both countries increased pressure Tuesday on Riyadh to more completely account for the death of the dissident Saudi journalist.

“They had a very bad original concept, it was carried out poorly, and the cover-up was the worst in the history of cover- ups,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “They had the worst cover-up ever.”

After Trump spoke, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the U.S. would revoke the visas of the men involved in killing Khashoggi — the first concrete U.S. steps to punish the Saudis for the slaying.

“These penalties will not be the last word on this matter from the United States,” Pompeo said.

Together, the statements showed that the Saudi effort to blame the killing entirely on security officials had failed to resolve the threeweek-old crisis. It began on Oct. 2 when Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi government, disappeare­d after visiting the country’s consulate in Istanbul.

But both presidents also carefully limited their statements, avoiding anything that might lead to a clear break in relations with the Saudis.

Erdogan had vowed Sunday that hewouldrev­ealthe details behind the killing of Khashoggi. “The truth,” he said, would be “revealed in full nakedness.”

Speaking to parliament, Erdogan declared that Khashoggi’s slaying had been a “planned operation” — belying the Saudi claim that he died accidental­ly in a struggle with security officials. Mohammed bin Salman Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared the killing of Jamal Khashoggi “a planned operation,”

But the Turkish leader carefully praised Saudi Arabia’s aged King Salman and stopped short of implicatin­g Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, whomanybel­ieve ordered the hit on the journalist. He did not mention the crown prince’s name and said the Saudi acknowledg­ment that its agents had killed Khashoggi was a “significan­t step.”

“The human conscience will only be satisfied when the person who gave the order is punished,” Erdogan said, adding that he “had no doubt about the sincerity of King Salman” and that the investigat­ion should be carried out “without bias.” President Donald Trump: “The cover-up was the worst in the history of cover-ups. They had the worst cover-up ever.”

“Leaving some security personnel to hold the bag will not satisfy us nor the internatio­nal community,” he said, referring to the death as a “murder,” according to a translatio­n providedby­Turkish broadcaste­r TRT World.

He did not produce a much-anticipate­d audio recording that Turkish media reports have said captured Khashoggi’s final moments as he was tortured in the office of the Saudi consul general.

Trump also criticized the Saudis, but appeared to partially absolve them from responsibi­lity, saying that the Middle East is a “nasty part of the world” and that the Saudis had been a “good ally.”

As he has repeatedly over the last two weeks, however, Trump said he opposed cutting off arms sales to Saudi Arabia, using heavily exaggerate­d figures about the number of jobs involved to defend the importance of the deals.

“We do that, we’re just hurting ourselves,” he said of an arms cutoff. “It is a terrible thing, but it would really be hurting ourselves.” He said he would leave to Congress the decision on how to retaliate for Khashoggi’s killing.

Pompeo, speaking at the State Department, said the revoking of visas was aimed at “making very clear that the United States does not tolerate this kind of ruthless action to silence Mr. Khashoggi, a journalist, with violence.”

Asked if he still trusted the crown prince or would call for him to step aside, Pompeo said, “We’re learning the facts,” and said he would reserve judgment until all “facts unfold” on who ordered, executed and led the operation. “Whoever is found responsibl­e will be punished.”

He, too, added, however, that “we continue to maintain a strong partnershi­p with the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

Erdogan’s speech came hours after CIA Director Gina Haspel flew to Ankara as U.S., Saudi and Turkish officials continue to seek a way out of a crisis that threatens to damage their long-standing relationsh­ips. Haspel was expected to review the evidence that Turkish investigat­ors have compiled about the slaying.

The Saudis initially denied that Khashoggi had been killed, insisting that he left the consulate shortly after arriving. Late last week, they changed their story and said he had died after a brief fight with a team of security officials at the diplomatic office.

Meanwhile, in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, officials kicked off their Future Investment Initiative conference, ashowcase for the crown prince’s economic policies that has been marred by the controvers­y over Khashoggi’s death.

The three- day event, billed as “Davos in the Desert,” aims to draw foreign investment to the country and display Saudi Arabia’s potential for industries beyond oil. The crown prince received a standing ovation when he appeared at the conference.

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