Trump says Saudi prince vows ‘full’ probe into missing journalist

WASHINGTON, United States — US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he had spoken with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and been assured that a “full” probe into the disappearance of a critical journalist was underway.

“Just spoke with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia who totally denied any knowledge of what took place in their Turkish Consulate,” Trump tweeted.

He “told me that he has already started, and will rapidly expand, a full and complete investigation into this matter. Answers will be forthcoming shortly.”

The disappearance and suspected murder of Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul has embarrassed Mohammed and strained relations with Washington.

Trump sent Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Riyadh to talk directly with Saudi Arabia’s royals amid strong pressure in Congress and the US media to prevent the vanishing of Khashoggi from being swept under the carpet.

Following talks, Pompeo also said Saudi Arabia has made a “serious commitment” to hold senior leaders and officials accountable in the case of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Pompeo was in Saudi Arabia for meetings with  bin Salman. He offered his assessment after talks with the Saudi leadership and said the crown prince again denied any knowledge of what happened to Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Turkish sources allege that Khashoggi was lured into the consulate and murdered, then dismembered. Saudi officials say he left the building, but have provided no evidence to support this.

For Trump, the issue is extremely delicate. At the prompting of his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner, his administration has made good relations with Mohammed — portrayed as a Saudi modernizer — a priority.

Saudi Arabia is one of the closest US partners in a bid to undermine Iran and also a massive client of the US weapons industry.

Trump earlier threatened “severe punishment” if it is proven that Khashoggi was killed in the consulate. But he also mused aloud that “rogue” elements carried out the operation and has ruled out cutting sales of US weapons, of which Saudi Arabia is the largest foreign buyer.

Trump’s remarks contradict reports by CNN and The Wall Street Journal that Saudi Arabia was weighing admitting the killing but characterizing the death as an unintended mistake.

Meeting King Salman, Pompeo “thanked the king for his commitment to supporting a thorough, transparent and timely investigation of Jamal Khashoggi’s disappearance,” Nauert said.

Saudi Arabia has been closely linked to the United States for more than a half century as a critical oil supplier, with relations warming under Trump as the US administration aggressively confronts the kingdom’s regional rival Iran.

Just as Pompeo was visiting Riyadh, the US Treasury Department slapped fresh sanctions on Iran, punishing a paramilitary group and a network of businesses accused of financing it.

But the Saudis have faced intense criticism over the Khashoggi incident, which comes just after US senators nearly succeeded in cutting off support for Riyadh’s air campaign against rebels in Yemen, which a UN report says has killed thousands of civilians.

There have also been sharp words targeting Mohammed bin Salman, known by his initials MbS, from US senators on both the Republican and Democratic sides, amid calls for Congress to halt US arms sales to the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia warned before Pompeo’s visit that the leading oil exporter can retaliate, with an official quoted in state media warning that the kingdom “plays an effective and vital role in the world economy” and can “respond to any action with a bigger one.”