"We do not know where the body is", says Saudi Minister about Jamal Khashoggi

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Sunday that the kingdom did not know where the body of the murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi was, although he admitted the murder and described it as " terrible mistake ".

In an interview with Fox News, Jubeir said that Saudi leaders initially believed that Khashoggi had left his diplomatic mission in Istanbul, where he was last seen on October 2.

But as a result of "information that we were receiving from Turkey," the Saudi authorities opened an investigation in which it had been discovered "that he had been killed at the consulate."

"We do not know, in terms of details, how. We do not know where the body is, "said Jubeir, adding that the Saudi prosecutor had ordered the detention of 18 people," the first step of a long journey ".

He described the killing as a "serious mistake", but the relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia would eventually defeat. "The people who did this did it outside their authority," Jubeir said.

"This is unacceptable to any government. These things happen unfortunately. We want to make sure that those responsible are punished and we have to make sure that we have procedures in place to prevent this from happening again. "

Jubeir, however, insisted that the operation was not ordered by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, despite reports linking certain suspects to members of the de facto leader's security service.

"This was a questionable transaction; it was an operation in which individuals exceeded their powers and responsibilities; they made a mistake by killing Jamal Khashoggi at the consulate and trying to cover him, "he said.

A growing number of US lawmakers, including several members of President Trump's Republican Party, have criticized Saudi leaders for the affair, but Jubeir was confident that US-Saudi relations would survive the crisis.

"The strategic relationship is important for both countries," he said. "I think when the investigation is over and the facts are revealed, people will know who is responsible and will see these people punished, that their relationship will come out of it."

He added that the Saudi King Salman was "determined to carry out this investigation, determined to establish the facts, determined to hold those responsible accountable and determined to put in place policies and procedures in the security services to prevent that such events do not occur. pbad again. "