US President Donald Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States would be "punishing itself" if it halts military sales to Saudi Arabia, even if it is proven that Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside the country's consulate in Istanbul.
Khashoggi, a prominent critic of Riyadh and a U.S. resident, disappeared on Oct. 2 after visiting the consulate. Turkey's government believes he was deliberately killed inside the building and his body removed.
Trump has forged closer ties with Saudi Arabia and is under international and domestic pressure to help determine what happened to Khashoggi and punish Saudi Arabia if investigations show its government had him killed.
Some U.S. lawmakers have said Washington should block military sales to Riyadh if the allegations are proven. But Trump is opposed.
"I actually think we’d be punishing ourselves if we did that," Trump told reporters at the White House on Saturday.
"There are other things we can do that are very, very powerful, very strong and we’ll do them," he added, without saying what those measures might be.
U.S. President Donald Trump said in a CBS interview on Saturday that there would be "severe punishment" for Saudi Arabia if it turns out that missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.Trump said he did not want to block military sales to Saudi Arabia, one option that has rattled U.S. defense contractors, saying, "I don't want to hurt jobs."Khashoggi, a prominent critic of Riyadh and a U.S. resident who wrote columns for the Washington Post, disappeared on Oct. 2 after visiting the consulate."We're going to get to the bottom of it and there will be severe punishment," Trump said.Disappearance of Khashoggi cannot be covered up: AK Party spoxAsked whether Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman gave an order to kill Khashoggi, Trump said, "Nobody knows yet, but we'll probably be able to find out." Trump added in excerpts of the "60 Minutes" interview that will air on Sunday, "We would be very upset and angry if that were the case."Trump said there was much at stake with Khashoggi case, "maybe especially so" because he was a reporter.Major U.S. defense contractors have expressed concern to the Trump administration that lawmakers angered by Khashoggi's disappearance will block further arms deals with Riyadh.But Trump said he did not want to lose military sales to Saudi Arabia that are coveted by U.S. competitors Russia and China, also exporters of military equipment.Turkey obtains recordings of Saudi journalist's purported killing"I don't want to lose an order like that," he said, mentioning the companies Boeing, Lockheed and Raytheon. "And you know what, there are other ways of punishing," he said, without elaborating.Turkish sources have told Reuters the initial assessment of the police was that Khashoggi was deliberately killed inside the consulate.Riyadh has dismissed the claims.US congressmen seek support for Khashoggi intel releaseRiyadh welcomes Turkey’s response to Khashoggi probe
Trump says Saudi Arabia faces 'severe punishment' if Khashoggi was killed
Turkey is probing the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the incident cannot be covered up, Justice and Development (AK) Party spokesman Ömer Çelik said on Saturday.“The president is following the matter closely. Turkey’s independent investigation is ongoing. It is a very critical matter. There are speculative claims that a respectful journalist was killed. Such an action is an attack on all the values of the democratic world,” Çelik said.Jamal Khashoggi was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, and fears have grown that he has been killed by Riyadh.Turkey obtains recordings of Saudi journalist's purported killing“It involves the Republic of Turkey directly. This individual went missing on our soil. He entered the premises and did not re-emerge. It will eventually become clear how he went missing, what happened and who organized it. The disappearance of Khashoggi cannot be covered up,” Çelik said.On the same day Khashoggi arrived at the consulate, 15 Saudis, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and visited the consulate while Khashoggi was inside, police sources said. All of the identified individuals have since left Turkey.Saudi authorities have yet to give a clear explanation of Khashoggi’s fate, while several countries -- particularly Turkey, the U.S. and the UK -- have expressed their desire that the matter should be elucidated as soon as possible.US congressmen seek support for Khashoggi intel releaseRiyadh welcomes Turkey’s response to Khashoggi probeWashington demonstrated "wrong stance" regarding US pastor caseTurkey did not give into threats concerning the case of U.S. pastor Andrew Brunson and Washington demonstrated “the wrong stance” regarding the matter, Justice and Development (AK) Party spokesman Ömer Çelik said on Saturday.“There were days when stances threatening the government were displayed. We did not give into these. Turkey has a long history of prosecuting foreigners. Our president and Turkey did not give into pressure on any of our institutions,” Çelik said.A Turkish court on Friday sentenced the pastor to three years and 45 days in prison, but he will not serve the time in jail. The court credited his time spent in detention, and ended his house arrest and travel ban.US pastor Brunson leaves Turkey, due in US Saturday“Turkey’s stance, which is based on national honor and its national interests, has been put forth. Had this decision been made as a result of pressure, the move would have been made when sanctions were threatened. Economic attacks unseen in Turkey’s history were conducted, yet we did not give into these,” Çelik said.Brunson was arrested on Dec. 9, 2016 on charges of being member of Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ). On July 25, citing Brunson's health problems, an Izmir court ordered him moved from jail to house arrest.Brunson's charges include spying for the PKK -- listed as a terrorist group by both the U.S. and Turkey -- and FETÖ, the group behind the defeated coup attempt in Turkey of July 2016.US president to meet with freed pastor at White House“The U.S. administration has put forth the wrong stance. The U.S. administration should derive a lesson from this. Turkey has in no way made concessions or taken a step back,” Çelik said.Turkey and the U.S. have faced rocky relations following Washington’s imposition of sanctions over Brunson's detention.Political tensions between the two countries sparked worries in the markets after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to use economic pressure to secure Brunson's release.
Disappearance of Khashoggi cannot be covered up: AK Party spox
Two congressmen are seeking to rally lawmakers Friday to call on the Donald Trump administration to release intelligence that could indicate it had foreknowledge about a plot to abduct or kill a journalist before he went missing.Representatives Ro Khanna of California and Mark Pocan of Wisconsin circulated a letter to members of congress that calls for Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats "to release information regarding the U.S. intelligence community’s advance knowledge of Saudi Arabia’s plot to capture journalist and American resident Jamal Khashoggi."Khashoggi was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul Oct. 2. He has not been seen since entering the diplomatic building as fears have grown that he has been killed by Riyadh.Khanna and Pocan are planning to send the letter to Coats next week.The Washington Post, which Khashoggi was a columnist for, reported earlier this week the U.S. intercepted the communications of Saudi officials that allegedly indicated Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman ordered an operation to detain Khashoggi.The letter the Democratic congressmen are seeking to have their fellow representatives sign on to cites an intelligence community directive which specifies the community is "to warn both U.S. and non-U.S. persons of threats of serious bodily injury, kidnapping, and intentional killing.""Given your office oversees the U.S. intelligence community’s duty-to-warn process, we seek urgent answers as to whether Mr. Khashoggi was in fact contacted about the credible threat to his life and liberty posed by the Saudi plot to capture him," the congressmen plan to write to Coats."Considering the profound ramifications of this potential crime, U.S. foreknowledge of Saudi plans to detain Mr. Khashoggi, and whether the U.S. intelligence community carried out its duty to warn, we intend to use the full force of Congressional oversight and investigatory powers to obtain these answers should they not be forthcoming," they will add.The State Department earlier this week denied the U.S. had any "advance knowledge" of a plot to abduct Khashoggi, but when asked if had a duty to warn Khashoggi if it did, spokesman Robert Palladino declined to answer a "hypothetical question.”On the same day Khashoggi arrived at the consulate, 15 Saudis, including several officials, arrived in Istanbul on two planes and visited the consulate while Khashoggi was also inside, police sources said. All of the identified individuals have since left Turkey.Saudi authorities have yet to give a clear explanation of Khashoggi’s fate, while several countries -- particularly Turkey, the U.S. and the UK -- have expressed their desire that the matter should be elucidated as soon as possible.Riyadh welcomes Turkey’s response to Khashoggi probeIMF chief attending Saudi conference, watching for news of journalistUS arms makers express concern to Trump admin about Saudi deals
US congressmen seek support for Khashoggi intel release