From No proof Saudi prince ordered Khashoggi killing, US secretary of state says
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleUS Secretary of State Mike Pompeo defends Washington’s continued strong ties with Riyadh despite the recent killing of a journalist inside a Saudi consulate building, and denied reports linking the Saudi crown prince to the killing.
“I do believe I’ve read every piece of intelligence unless it’s come in in the last few hours … There is no direct reporting connecting the crown prince to the order to murder Jamal Khashoggi,” Pompeo tells reporters after a closed-door Senate briefing.
Senators have grown increasingly uneasy with the US response to Saudi Arabia after the killing of Khashoggi. The briefing with Pompeo and Defense Secretary James Mattis could determine how far Congress goes in trying to punish the longtime Middle East ally.
The White House issued a veto threat of a possible Senate resolution as Pompeo and Mattis briefed the senators. A vote could happen later Wednesday but was not certain.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said “some kind of response” was needed from the United States for the Saudis’ role in the gruesome death of Khashoggi. While US intelligence officials have concluded the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, must have at least known of the plot, the CIA’s findings have not been made public and US President Donald Trump has equivocated over who is to blame.
— With AP
The Times of Israel Community.