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FILE PHOTO: Retired U.S. Army Gen. John Abizaid testifies during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearings on what military leaders knew about the fight in Afghanistan U.S. Army Ranger and former football star Pat Tillman, Washington, August 1, 2007. REUTERS / Jonathan Ernst (UNITED STATES)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday nominated retired army general to be the country's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, as Washington faces pressure to respond to the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
The White House said Trump has chosen John Abizaid, who has a four-star Army general led the U.S. Central Command during the Washington war, to be Washington's ambassador in Riyadh. Abizaid must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
In addition to the scandal over Khashoggi's death, Washington is also grappling with criticism from U.S. lawmakers over its support for Saudi Arabia's military intervention in Yemen's Civil War.
The United States has not had an ambassador to Saudi Arabia since Trump took office in January 2017.
Khashoggi, Washington Post columnist of Saudi leaders, was killed on Oct. 2.
Saudi Arabia is not responsible for any of these crimes, but it has been planned in Saudi Arabia.
Trump has expressed its reluctance to punish Saudi Arabia economically, citing its multibillion dollar sales of military equipment and investments in U.S. firms.
White House national security adviser John Bolton said on Tuesday he did not think about Khashoggi's killing, which were shared by Turkey, implied Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman Crown.
Abizaid is currently a visiting fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution and works as a private consultant at JPA Associates, the White House said.
Reporting by Eric Beech, editing by G Crosse
