President Trump said he’s “not satisfied” with Saudi Arabia’s response to the killing of a dissident journalist in Turkey, and won’t allow the kingdom to take another month to investigate.
“I am not satisfied with what I’ve heard,” Mr. Trump told reporters at the White House Monday.
Asked about Saudi Arabia’s for a month to complete the slaying probe, the president said, “That’s a long time. We’re going to know a lot more over the next two days about the Saudi situation. We have people in Saudi Arabia. We have top intelligence people in Turkey. We will know very soon.”
Saudi Arabia acknowledged late last week that journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a legal U.S. resident, was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 after what the government called a “fistfight.” Reports have suggested that as many as 15 Saudis were waiting for Mr. Khashoggi in the consulate.
Saudi officials said Friday that the government has arrested 18 people in connection with the journalist’s death, and that two aides close to the Saudi crown prince have been fired.
Mr. Trump has been criticized for giving too mild a response to the killing. The president has cautioned that Saudi Arabia is a vital oil exporter to the U.S. and a key customer of American-made military equipment.
“I don’t want to lose all that investment,” the president said Monday. “I don’t want to lose one million jobs.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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