RTMon, 15 Oct 2018 13:30 UTC
© Reuters/Kevin LamarqueSecretary of State Mike Pompeo • President Donald Trump
US President Donald Trump is sending Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to meet with King Salman of Saudi Arabia after the king denied having any knowledge about the disappearance of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
In a Monday morning tweet, Trump said that
King Salman "denies any knowledge of whatever may have happened" to Khashoggi and that Riyadh is "working closely with Turkey" to find answers. Pompeo will "immediately" travel to meet the Saudi king, Trump wrote.
Trump had previously
threatened Saudi Arabia with "severe punishment" if it was found to be involved in the disappearance and potential murder of the journalist - a threat which prompted the
Saudi stock market to plunge.
Khashoggi, who has been a critic of the Saudi regime in his columns for the
Washington Post, was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 to obtain documents for his upcoming marriage.
Turkey believes that he was murdered and dismembered inside the building by a 15-person Saudi team which entered and left the country on the same day. Ankara claims it even has video and audio evidence of the killing, but has not made it public.White House reporter for CBS Kathryn Watson said Trump has told reporters Pompeo will leave "within an hour".
Comment: Khashoggi mystery so far remains unsolved. Here's more on the latest developments:
More from
RT 10/15/2018:
US President Donald Trump said he believes it is possible that "rogue killers" could be responsible for the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Speaking to journalists outside the White House on Monday about Khashoggi's disappearance, Trump said: "It sounded to me like maybe these could have been rogue killers. Who knows?"
Offering the rogue killer theory, Trump cited King Salman of Saudi Arabia's "firm" denial that Riyadh had anything to do with the situation - despite the fact that Turkey claims to possess evidence proving the journalist was murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
"[King Salman's] denial to me could not have been stronger," Trump told reporters. Asked by journalists whether he believes King Salman's denial, Trump said all he could do was "report what [the king] told me - and he told me in a very firm way that they had no knowledge of it. He said it very strongly."
Turkish diplomatic sources said on Monday that a joint Turkish-Saudi team was put together to search for Khashoggi after his disappearance.
Shortly after that, a group of around a dozen people made their way into the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, Al Jazeera reported. The broadcaster said it wasn't immediately clear if those who arrived were Turkish or Saudi representatives.
How would rogue killers have managed to invade the Saudi consulate and accomplish a murder within its confines, unless they were known entities?
More from
Sputnik, 10/15/2018
Earlier, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman declared that Turkish authorities could search the Consulate General building if necessary. Riyadh also affirmed "its total rejection of any threats and attempts to undermine it", and promised to retaliate against any possible sanctions that might be imposed against the country.
According to the Saudi press agency, King Salman also discussed the Khashoggi case with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a telephone call.
The king thanked the Turkish president for welcoming the Saudi government's proposal to form a joint working group to probe the journalist's disappearance, and stressed that no one could undermine the relationship between Riyadh and Ankara.
"It is expected that a search will take place towards the evening," the source said, adding that the search will be conducted jointly with the Saudi authorities.
See also:
Comment: Khashoggi mystery so far remains unsolved. Here's more on the latest developments:
More from RT 10/15/2018: How would rogue killers have managed to invade the Saudi consulate and accomplish a murder within its confines, unless they were known entities?
More from Sputnik, 10/15/2018 See also: