Jamal Khashoggi: Trump brands aftermath of journalist's killing 'worst cover-up ever'
'Somebody really messed up... And they had the worst cover-up ever,' says US president
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Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump has called the response to the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi ”the worst cover-up” in history as the US announced it would sanction Saudi Arabian officials who are implicated in the death.
Mr Trump was speaking hours after Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismissed Riyadh’s efforts to blame Mr Khashoggi’s death, within the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, on “rogue operatives”. Mr Erdogan called for Saudi Arabia to search from “top to bottom” to uncover those behind what he called “savage” premeditated murder of Mr Khashoggi - who was last seen alive entering the consulate on 2 October.
Mr Trump said the Khashoggi case was handled badly by Saudi officials. “Bad deal, should have never been thought of. Somebody really messed up. And they had the worst cover-up ever,” he said. ”Once they thought about it, everything else they did was bad too,” the president added later.
Having spent weeks maintaining that Mr Khashoggi had left the consulate alive, Saudi authorities have said they now believe that Mr Khashoggi - a US resident and Washington Post columnist – was unintentionally killed in a “fight” with “suspects” inside the diplomatic premises. That explanation has been met with scepticism, with Turkish officials having alleged that a 15-man ‘hit squad’ was behind the killing and that Saudi officials had planned the operation for days.
The killing has caused global outrage, with the fallout straining relations between Riyadh and a number of governments who have called for a transparent investigation. The G7 nations issued a fresh call for “a thorough, credible, transparent and prompt investigation” on Tuesday adding Saudi Arabia needed to put in place “measures to ensure that something like this cannot happen again”.
“There should have never been an execution or a cover-up, because it should have never happened,” the president said. He added that he had spoken on Monday with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman who denied having anything to do with Mr Khashoggi’s killing.
The crown prince has come under pressure over his links to some of the suspects identified as allegedly being involved by Turkish officials. On Tuesday, the Saudi foreign ministry released photos of Mr Khashoggi’s son, Salah bin Jamal Khashoggi, meeting the crown prince and King Salman in Riyadh.
The crown prince did receive a standing ovation when he appeared at a major investment conference in Riyadh, a conference that a number of Western government officials and business leaders have withdrawn from because of the controversy.
Shortly after Mr Trump made his comments, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the administration was moving to revoke the visas of Saudi government and intelligence agents suspected of involvement in the death of Khashoggi.
Visa records are confidential and Mr Pompeo was not more specific about who the revocations would affect, but the State Department later said 21 “Saudi suspects” would have visas revoked or would be declared ineligible to enter the US.
The penalties are the first action taken by Washington over the affair, with Mr Trump having faced pressure from Congress to sanction Riyadh.
“These penalties will not be the last word on this matter,” Mr Pompeo said at the State Department. The administration “will continue to hold those responsible accountable. We’re making very clear that the United States does not tolerate this kind of ruthless action to silence Mr. Khashoggi, a journalist, with violence,” he said. “Neither the president or I am happy with this situation.”
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Turkey's president has spoken by phone with Khashoggi's family members and sent them condolences, Reuters reports.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged Turkey would do all it could to solve his murder.
Presidential sources told the agency that Mr Erdogan expressed his deep sadness at Khashoggi's killing in his call with the family members, which included his son Abdullah Khashoggi.
Crime scene investigators have found two suitcases and possessions believed to belong to slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a search of a Saudi consulate car in Istanbul, broadcaster CNN Turk reported on Tuesday.
A Reuters witness said a Saudi team was accompanying the Turkish investigators as they carried out the search in a car park where the vehicle was found in Istanbul's Sultangazi district on Monday.
On its website, CNN Turk said the investigators found a computer and documents in the car which were said to belong to Khashoggi.
Turkish officials suspect Khashoggi was killed and dismembered inside the consulate by Saudi agents on Oct. 2. He did not appear to be carrying belongings when he entered the consulate on that day, according to video footage.
The search of the vehicle in the car park has been halted and will resume on Wednesday morning, the broadcaster said.
Spain's parliament has voted on Tuesday against blocking arms sales to Saudi Arabia, despite increasing international pressure over the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.
Spain's socialist government said on Saturday it was “dismayed” by the death of the Saudi journalist but it decided to join forces with the main opposition party, the conservative People's Party, to defeat a parliamentary motion that called on the government to stop such trade.
The United Nations says Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stands by his earlier call for an independent and transparent investigation into the death of Mr Khashoggi.
UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said on Tuesday that the secretary-general can initiate an investigation if key parties request it or if there is a legislative mandate from a UN body.
Turkish investigators have apparently found two suitcases and other items in a Saudi consulate car in Istanbul, as part of the investigation into the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, broadcaster CNN Turk has reported
It was not immediately clear whether any of the items belonged to Mr Khashoggi
And here is Richard Hall, one of our reporters in Beirut, with how the Khashoggi affair has affect Saudi-Moscow relations.
Turkish officials say President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has promised family members of slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi that Turkey would do all it can "to shed light on the murder."
The officials said Mr Erdogan on called M Khashoggi's son, Abdullah, to express his condolences, and also spoke with other members of his family.
US Vice President Mike Pence has said that the death of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi “will not go without an American response”.
Asked if the Washington would sanction members of Saudi Arabia’s royal family if they were found to have been complicit, Mr Pence said that’s a decision for President Donald Trump. He said the president will make a decision that reflects the values and national security interests of the nation and will also “make sure the world knows the truth.”
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