Tag Archives: Saudi Arabia

The Washington Post reports: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has decided to take part in an anti-terror finance meeting with Saudi security officials and their Middle Eastern counterparts in Riyadh later this month, opting to attend despite growing global outrage over the suspected murder of a U.S.-based journalist at the hands of Saudi operatives, according to three people familiar with his …

The Washington Post reports: Hard-line Republicans and conservative commentators are mounting a whispering campaign against Jamal Khashoggi that is designed to protect President Trump from criticism of his handling of the dissident journalist’s alleged murder by operatives of Saudi Arabia — and support Trump’s continued aversion to a forceful response to the oil-rich desert kingdom. In recent days, a cadre …

The New York Times reports: President Trump said on Thursday that he believes the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi is dead, and he expressed confidence in intelligence reports from multiple sources that strongly suggest a high-level Saudi role in Mr. Khashoggi’s assassination. Mr. Trump stopped short of saying the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, was responsible for Mr. Khashoggi’s death. …

Politico reports: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday appeared to hold the United States partially accountable for the case of Washington Post journalist and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi, who vanished after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and is believed to have been killed. “As far as I know, the journalist who went missing used to live in the USA. …

The New York Times reports: This summer, Saudi Arabia promised the Trump administration $100 million for American efforts to stabilize areas in Syria liberated from the Islamic State. That money landed in American accounts on Tuesday, the same day that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo landed in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, for discussions with the kingdom’s leaders about the fate …

Talking Points Memo reports: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced Thursday that he will not attend an upcoming conference in Saudi Arabia amid the fallout from the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Mnuchin has been facing mounting pressure to pull out of the conference following the disappearance of Khashoggi, a U.S..-based Saudi journalist, after he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul …

Turkey’s Daily Hürriyet reports: A Turkish newspaper reported on Oct. 18 that one of the suspects involved in the disappearance of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi died in a “suspicious car accident” in Riyadh. Mashal Saad al-Bostani, a 31-year-old lieutenant of the Saudi Royal Air Forces, was among the 15 suspects who arrived and left Turkey on Oct. 2 after going …

The Guardian reports: Mike Pompeo’s visit to the region was supposed to be a face-saver that explained away the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi, while sparing further blushes in Riyadh, Washington, and Ankara. It did not go to plan. The US secretary of state’s two-day trip has seemingly led Saudi Arabia and Turkey to dig further into positions that are starting …

The Daily Kos reports: In a letter sent today, eleven Democratic senators have demanded Trump account for financial ties between the Trump Organization and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The letter notes that the Trump Organization “for decades has maintained business relationships with the government of Saudi Arabia and with members of the Saudi royal family.” The letter notes some …

The Associated Press reports: President Donald Trump is criticizing the mounting global condemnation of Saudi Arabia over the case of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Trump says in an interview with The Associated Press: “Here we go again with you know you’re guilty until proven innocent.” He is comparing it to allegations of sexual assault leveled against now-Supreme Court Justice Brett …

The Washington Post reports: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pressed Saudi leaders Tuesday to move quickly with a “transparent” investigation into the disappearance of journalist Kamal Khashoggi even as Turkish officials sifted through possible evidence at the last place he was seen alive. Turkish officials have said they believe a Saudi hit team killed Khashoggi earlier this month after he …

The Washington Examiner reports: Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., vowed never to work with Saudi Arabia again as long as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is leading the country and said he intends to “sanction the hell” out of the country. “This guy has got to go. Saudi Arabia, if you’re listening, there are a lot of good people you can …

The fact checkers will have a field day with this one: President Trump on Tuesday pushed back on speculation he has not punished Saudi Arabia for the disappearance of a U.S.-based journalist due to financial conflicts of interest, calling it “FAKE NEWS.” Trump for years has had business ties to the Saudis, with one Saudi royal billionaire, Prince Alwaleed bin-Talal, …

NBC News reports: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Saudi King Salman in Riyadh on Tuesday to discuss the disappearance and alleged murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. President Donald Trump sent Pompeo to the kingdom where he will also meet and dine with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country’s putative leader. As the secretary of state arrived in …

Reuters reports: Saudi Arabia is preparing a report that would admit Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed as the result of an interrogation that went wrong, CNN reported on Monday, citing two unnamed sources. One source cautioned that the report was still being prepared and could change, CNN said. The other source said the report would likely conclude that the …

The Daily Beast reports: President Trump has once again come to the defense of Saudi Arabia, telling reporters on Monday morning that Saudi officials have repeatedly denied murdering critic and journalist Jamal Khashoggi—and suggesting that Khashoggi could have been murdered by “rogue killers” instead. “I just spoke with the king of Saudi Arabia, who denies any knowledge of what took …

CNBC reports: President Donald Trump said Monday morning that he would send Secretary of State Mike Pompeo “immediately” to meet with the Saudi king as the international outcry continued to grow over missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Details of Pompeo’s visit to Saudi Arabia weren’t immediately clear. The White House and the State Department didn’t immediately respond to CNBC’s requests for …

ABC News reports: Saudi Arabia has rejected threats to punish it over the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul, saying the kingdom would retaliate against any sanctions with tougher measures, the official state news agency reported. The comments came after US President Donald Trump threatened “severe punishment” for Riyadh if it turned out Khashoggi, a prominent critic of Saudi …

CNN reports: Missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi may have recorded his own death, a Turkish newspaper reported Saturday morning. Khashoggi turned on the recording function of his Apple Watch before walking into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, according to Sabah newspaper. The moments of his “interrogation, torture and killing were audio recorded and sent to both his …

CBS News reports: President Donald Trump said in an interview with 60 Minutes that the Saudis could be behind the disappearance of missing journalist and Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi, and if so, the U.S. would inflict “severe punishment.” In a clip broadcast on “CBS This Morning,” Mr. Trump said there is a lot at stake “and maybe especially so …