Trump reports that the Saudis will not be sentenced to severe punishment for the murder of Khashoggi

President TrumpDonald John TrumpPaul Ryan defends the admiral of the navy after Trump's critics. Trump discusses his visit abroad as a result of criticism. The United States said on Tuesday that the United States would maintain a "firm" alliance with Saudi Arabia in a provocative statement claiming that Trump did not want the assassination of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi to disrupt relations between the United States and the United States. the two countries.

Trump refused to blame Khashoggi's murder by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, although the CIA found that the Crown Prince had ordered his assassination. The CIA was due to release Tuesday its full report on the murder committed with Trump.

"Our intelligence agencies continue to evaluate all the information, but it could very well be that the Crown Prince has learned about this tragic event – maybe he did it and maybe that 39 he did not do it! " the president said, adding that "we will never know" who was responsible.

Trump said he believes relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia should defeat any concerns over the alleged involvement of Crown Prince Mohammed in the plot, a position that is likely to provoke anger among Congress members. and other American allies who pressured him to hold him accountable.

"The United States intends to remain an unwavering partner of Saudi Arabia to secure the interests of our country, Israel and all other partners in the region." Our overarching goal is to totally eliminate the threat of terrorism in the world! " the president said, citing Saudi efforts to counter Iran.

The president said he understands that many lawmakers would like to see a tougher stance against Riyadh "for political or other reasons", but said he would only accept the suggested sanctions "only if they are compatible with the absolute safety and security of America, "sign that he will not approve of severe punishments on the kingdom.

The Trump announcement came in a 638-word statement issued by the White House press office. It contained eight exclamation points and started with the phrases "America First!" and "the world is a very dangerous place!"

He also reiterated the Saudi government's assertion that Khashoggi was an "enemy of the state" and a "member of the Muslim Brotherhood". But the president said his decision to stay with Saudi Arabia was "in no way based on that" and said that he believed "that it was safe". is an unacceptable and horrible crime ".

Saudi Arabia had previously denied a report by the Washington Post that officials denounced Khashoggi in private conversations with Trump.

Khashoggi was killed after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2nd. The Saudi government acknowledged that he had been murdered by a team that had met him upon his arrival at the building. The team then dismembered his body, which has still not been found.

The Saudi government insisted that the Crown Prince was unaware of the operation, but many reports have questioned the possibility that Crown Prince Mohammed is not in the same position. current.

The Trump administration announced last week that it had imposed sanctions on 17 Saudis accused of coordinating and executing the plot to kill Khashoggi, a group comprising a former assistant to the Crown Prince and Saudi Consul General in Istanbul.

Trump repeatedly condemned the killing but also expressed the wish to go beyond the controversy, raising questions about his close relationship with the Saudis.

"Well, no one knows it yet, but we'll probably know it," Trump told Lesley Stahl of CBS News last month in an interview for "60 Minutes" if Crown Prince Mohammed had ordered the assassination of Khashoggi. "We would be very angry and upset if that was the case, and from that moment they deny it, and they vehemently deny it."

Critics have compared Trump's decision not to publicly endorse the CIA's findings on Khashoggi's refusal to unequivocally support the intelligence community's conclusion that Russia has been ingested in the country. 39, election of 2016 on his behalf.

Former director of the CIA John BrennanJohn Owen Brennan Paul Ryan defends the admiral of the Navy after Trump's critics. The former CIA chief rips Trump: you need an "extremely high scale" to achieve the intelligence and integrity of McRaven. Retired lieutenant-general tears Trump after attacks on the navy. MORE summoned to the congress "to obtain and declassify" the conclusions of his former agency on the death of Khashoggi.

"No one in Saudi Arabia – and especially the Crown Prince – should escape responsibility for this heinous act," wrote Brennan, who had seen his safety dismissed by Trump because of his earlier criticism of the President.

secretary of state Mike PompeoMichael (Mike) Richard PompeoOfficial: The United Arab Emirates is complying with Iran's sanctions, according to Turkey's US publication: US support for YPG is considered a "big mistake" by Trump to speak at the CIA of Khashoggi's murder supported Trump's statement Tuesday in his own remarks later in the day, describing the preservation of US-Saudi relations as vital to the protection of national security in the United States.

"It's a nasty and unpleasant world, the Middle East in particular," said Pompeo. It is a long and historic commitment, absolutely essential to US national security. "

Pompeo also declined to say that he had viewed a comprehensive assessment of Khashoggi's death information, but suggested that the facts could continue "to be revealed" even after the report was submitted to Trump.

Updated at 2:25 pm