Trump: Crown prince ‘denied any knowledge’ of journalist’s fate
President Trump on Tuesday said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman “denied any knowledge” of the fate of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but promised to “expand” an investigation into his disappearance.
“Answers will be forthcoming shortly,” the president tweeted.
Trump wrote that he spoke to Crown Prince Mohammad during a phone call that also included Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, whom the president dispatched to Riyadh to meet with top Saudi officials.
{mosads}”Just spoke with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia who totally denied any knowledge of what took place in their Turkish Consulate,” Trump wrote.
Trump said the crown prince reassured U.S. leaders the Saudi government “has already started, and will rapidly expand, a full and complete investigation into this matter.”
Just spoke with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia who totally denied any knowledge of what took place in their Turkish Consulate. He was with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 16, 2018
…during the call, and told me that he has already started, and will rapidly expand, a full and complete investigation into this matter. Answers will be forthcoming shortly.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 16, 2018
The comments mark the second time in two days Trump has vouched for Saudi Arabia’s denials of knowledge about the fate of Khashoggi, who has not been seen since entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2.
But in an interview set to air Tuesday night on Fox Business, Trump said it would not bode well Saudi leadership if it is found they were involved.
“It depends on if the king or the crown prince knew about it in my opinion,” he said. “If they knew about it, that would be bad.”
Turkish officials have said Khashoggi, a U.S.-based writer who has been critical of the Saudi government, was killed and dismembered inside the consulate. Saudi officials initially denied that claim but are now reportedly weighing whether to say Khashoggi was killed during a botched interrogation.
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