The US has sought a thorough and transparent investigation into the disappearance of a prominent Saudi journalist after President Donald Trump expressed concern over the scribe’s whereabouts. Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and Washington Post contributor, went missing after he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2.
According to some media reports, Khashoggi, 59, has been killed inside the Saudi consulate. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he had seen conflicting reports on the safety and whereabouts of Khashoggi.
“As the President has conveyed, the United States is concerned by his disappearance. State Department senior officials have spoken with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through diplomatic channels about this matter,” he said.
“We call on the government of Saudi Arabia to support a thorough investigation of Mr Khashoggi’s disappearance and to be transparent about the results of that investigation,” Pompeo said in a statement.
Trump’s own remarks to reporters were more tentative, saying he was “concerned” about “some pretty bad stories” about what had happened to Khashoggi.
“I am concerned about it. I don’t like hearing about it. Hopefully that will sort itself out. Right now nobody knows anything about it, but there’s some pretty bad stories going around. I do not like it,” Trump said.
