Saudi Arabia promised 'complete' probe of Khashoggi murder: Jim Mattis
Saudi Arabia has promised a "full" investigation into the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Sunday following talks with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir in Bahrain. Saudi native Khashoggi, 59, who was a critic of the kingdom's Crown Prince, was murdered after entering his country's consulate in Istanbul on October 2 to obtain paperwork to marry his Turkish fiancee.
Murder could destabilize the kingdom, Mattis warns the Saudi authorities
During the talks, Mattis reportedly warned the Saudi kingdom that the murder attributed to the Saudi authorities risked destabilizing the region. "We discussed it... the need of transparency, full and complete investigation. Full agreement from FM Jubeir, no reservations at all," he said. "He (Jubeir) said we need to know what happened and it was very collaborative, in agreement," the Pentagon chief added.
Murder of Jamal Khashoggi must concern us all greatly: Mattis
Addressing a forum in Manama on Saturday, where Mattis met with several Arab and European leaders, he warned that the "murder of Jamal Khashoggi in a diplomatic facility must concern us all greatly." "Failure of any nation to adhere to international norms and the rule of law undermines regional stability at a time when it is needed most," he stressed.
Post weeks of denials, Saudi agreed for the investigation
Khashoggi, who had criticized the kingdom's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, had lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since 2017. Gruesome reports have alleged that the Washington Post columnist was killed and dismembered by a team sent from Saudi Arabia to silence him. After weeks of denials, Riyadh has sought to draw a line under the crisis with an investigation.
Khashoggi's killing had been premeditated: Saudi Prosecutor
Prince Mohammed, the heir to the oil-rich nation's throne, publicly denounced the murder as "repulsive", while the Saudi prosecutor acknowledged for the first time this week that based on the Turkish investigation evidence, the killing had been "premeditated". But Riyadh (Saudi capital) on Saturday dismissed Ankara's (Turkey capital) calls to hand over 18 Saudis being held over Khashoggi's murder, as Washington warned about destabilization.
The murder has tarnished image of Prince Mohammed
The murder, which has tarnished the image of Prince Mohammed, has sparked a wave of international criticism and affected Washington's relations with Saudi. The United States relies heavily on Saudi Arabia to counter Iran's influence in the region and to defend the security of Israel.
