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WASHINGTON (AP) – US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday that he had told President Donald Trump that he needed to give Saudi Arabia a few more days to complete his investigating the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi before the United States decides on "how or if" to respond.
Pompeo, who spoke with reporters on the White House alley after briefing Trump on his talks with Saudi and Turkish leaders, said Turkey had also promised to share the results of its talks. own investigation with the Saudis.
Pompeo said he thought these combined efforts would produce "a complete picture" of what happened to Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist living in the United States who had criticized the kingdom. Khashoggi has not been seen since entering the Saudi consultation in Istanbul more than two weeks ago and he is feared dead.
Turkish authorities say that Khashoggi was killed. The Saudis have denied any involvement.
At the same time, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin announced Thursday that he would not attend a conference on investments in Saudi Arabia. Many business leaders withdrew from the conference, which Saudi Arabia hoped to use to strengthen its global image.
Mnuchin said the decision was made after the meeting at the White House with Trump and Pompeo.
Pompeo told reporters that he had insisted to the Saudis that the United States was "taking seriously" the disappearance of Khashoggi. He added that they also made him understand that they understood the "gravity" of the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the author.
He added that the Saudis had assured him that they would conduct a "thorough and thorough investigation of all the facts".
Speaking of his talks in Riyadh with Saudi King Salman and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Mr. Pompeo said: "I told President Trump this morning that we should give them a few more days to complete their understanding of the facts surrounding this, how much we can decide how, or if, the United States should react to the incident surrounding Mr. Khashoggi. "
Pompeo also discussed the case with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a stopover in Istanbul.
In his brief comments to reporters, Pompeo also highlighted the "long-standing strategic relationship" between the United States and Saudi Arabia.
