Pence open to sending FBI team to Turkey to investigate missing Washington Post journalist

Vice President Pence indicated Wednesday that he’d be open to sending a team of FBI agents to Turkey to investigate the disappearance of Washington Post journalist and prominent Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi.

Pence offered the comments during an appearance on conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt’s radio show, where he was asked if the U.S. would oblige if the Saudis requested the FBI to send technicians to its consulate to look into the matter.

“I think the United States of America stands ready to assist in any way,” Pence said. “But as I said yesterday, the free world deserves answers. And the reports that a Saudi Arabian journalist may have been tragically murdered in Turkey should be deeply concerning to everyone who cherishes a freedom of the press and human rights across the globe.”

{mosads}Khashoggi was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Turkish officials have concluded that he was murdered there, and his body was dismembered on orders from Saudi leadership, according to The New York Times.

Saudi officials have denied the allegations.

Khashoggi’s fiancée penned an op-ed on Tuesday for The Washington Post, where he wrote columns that were often critical of Saudi leadership. In the op-ed, Hatice Cengiz pleaded with President Trump to help in the search for what happened to Khashoggi.

Pence said reports that Khashoggi was murdered “should be deeply troubling to everyone that cares as a free and open press around the world.”

“Violence against journalists should be condemned, but at this point, we don’t know what happened,” he added. “We’ll continue to call for answers, and we’ll continue to express the genuine concern of the American people for this Saudi Arabian journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, who has disappeared.”