News / Saudi Arabia / Foreign Policy

Trump says US to report who killed Khashoggi 'within next two days'

Saturday, 17 November 2018 10:03 PM [ Last Update: Sunday, 18 November 2018 9:02 PM ]

Demonstrators dressed as Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and US President Donald Trump protest outside the White House in Washington, DC, on October 19, 2018, demanding justice for missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (AFP photo)

US President Donald Trump says his administration will report who killed dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey "within the next two days."

A "full report" on "who did it" would be completed by Monday or Tuesday, Trump told reporters in Malibu, California, on Saturday after surveying damage from wildfires.

The gruesome murder in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last month has strained relations between Washington and Riyadh, which has sought to end discussion on the assassination.

The CIA has concluded with high confidence that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing, while there are still questions about what role he played.

Trump has already been shown evidence of the prince’s involvement in the killing, and privately he remains skeptical, an unnamed Trump aide told The Washington Post.

The US president has reportedly been trying to avoid blaming bin Salman for the embarrassing plot and cover-up, which have created a diplomatic dilemma for Washington: how to punish Riyadh yet maintain strong ties with a close ally in the Middle East.

Gina Haspel (L) is sworn in as the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency alongside US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (R) during a ceremony at CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia, May 21, 2018.

Trump spoke with CIA Director Gina Haspel about the role of the crown prince during his flight to California. He also talked with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

The US president told reporters that the CIA assessment that bin Salman was responsible for the killing was “possible.”

US lawmakers and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan maintain that the crown prince and other top Saudi leaders should be held accountable for Khashoggi's assassination.

Saudi Arabia has acknowledged the murder, yet left many questions unanswered.

In this AFP file photo taken on November 30, 2017, US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert speaks during a briefing in Washington, DC.

US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert issued a statement Saturday, asserting that Washington has not yet made any “final conclusion.”

“Recent reports indicating that the US government has made a final conclusion are inaccurate,” Nauert said. “There remain numerous unanswered questions with respect to the murder of Mr. Khashoggi. The State Department will continue to seek all relevant facts. In the meantime, we will continue to consult Congress, and work with other nations to hold accountable those involved in the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.”

Turkish intelligence intercepts reportedly show that Khashoggi, who was last seen entering the Saudi mission in Istanbul on October 2, was murdered on a direct order from bin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia.

Khashoggi had been there to obtain a document certifying he divorced his ex-wife.

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Jamal Khashoggi