US President Donald Trump on Saturday said his administration will get a full report in the next two days about the death of a Saudi journalist, which has created a diplomatic conundrum for the president: How to admonish Riyadh for the killing yet maintain strong ties with a close ally in the Middle East.
“We’ll be having a very full report over the next two days, probably Monday or Tuesday,” Trump said.
That will include “who did it,” he said.
Reporters asked Trump about the death of Jamal Khashoggi, a columnist for the Washington Post who was slain Oct. 2 inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.
Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat has said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had “absolutely” nothing to do with it.
US intelligence agencies have concluded that the crown prince ordered the killing in the consulate, according to a US official familiar with the assessment. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Others familiar with the case caution that while it was likely that the crown prince was involved in the death, there continue to be questions about what role he played.
“The United States government is determined to hold all those responsible for the killing of Jamal Khashoggi accountable,” the US Department of State said in a statement. “Recent reports indicating that the US government has made a final conclusion are inaccurate. There remain numerous unanswered questions with respect to the murder of Mr Khashoggi.”
“The US government has taken decisive measures against the individuals responsible, including visa and sanctions actions. We will continue to explore additional measures to hold those accountable who planned, led and were connected to the murder. And, we will do that while maintaining the important strategic relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia,” the department added.
Intelligence officials have been providing information to Trump about the death for weeks and he was briefed again by telephone Saturday by CIA Director Gina Haspel and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as he flew to California.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders provided no details of his call, but said Trump has confidence in the CIA.
Before his call on Air Force One, Trump told reporters that when it came to the crown prince, “as of this moment we were told that he did not play a role. We’re going to have to find out what they have to say.”
Members of the US Congress are pushing Trump for a tougher response to the killing. The administration has penalized 17 Saudi officials for their alleged role in the killing, but lawmakers have called on the administration to curtail arms sales to Saudi Arabia or take other harsher punitive measures.
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