Trump vows 'severe punishment' in Saudi journo Khashoggi's disappearance
US President Donald Trump has vowed "severe punishment" if Saudi Arabia was behind the disappearance of its dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who is feared killed at the kingdom's consulate in Turkey. Trump, however, opposed the idea of canceling the mega $110 billion arms deal with Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, saying this will hurt American companies and jobs. Here's more.
The journalist had gone to Saudi to collect marriage papers
Trump's remarks came amidst mounting pressure as reports coming out of Turkey suggest that Khashoggi was brutally killed by Saudi officials inside their consulate in Istanbul. Khashoggi, 59, a Washington Post contributor, had gone there to collect some papers for his marriage. "We're going to get to the bottom of it and there will be severe punishment," Trump told CBS News.
Saudi would retaliate on any sanctions by the US
Saudi Arabia issued a statement saying it would retaliate if there were any sanctions by the US. The statement said Saudi will respond with greater action if there was any action from the United States. It said the Kingdom's economy has a vital role in the global economy and that the Kingdom's economy is affected only by the impact of the global economy.
Trump to ignore steps that will harm US
Trump resisted the move to take steps that would harm the US itself. When asked about whether he would consider imposing sanctions, as the bipartisan group of Senators has proposed, Trump said, "It depends on what the sanction is. I'll give an example. They're ordering military equipment. Everybody in the world wanted that order. Russia wanted it, China wanted it, but we got it."
Trump's options if Saudi is involved in journalist's disappearance
"I tell you what I don't wanna do. Boeing, Lockheed, Raytheon, all these companies, I don't wanna hurt jobs. I don't wanna lose an order like that," Trump said in response when asked what his options are even if Saudi Arabia is behind the act. "There are other ways of punishing, to use a word that's pretty harsh word, but it's true," he said.
The US President intends to speak to Saudi King soon
The matter is still being investigated and Saudi Arabia has been claiming that Khashoggi had left its Consulate in Istanbul. Turkish investigative agencies claim that they have audio and video evidence which indicated that the journalist was brutally killed inside the Consulate. The US has sought information from Saudi Arabia. Trump has said that he intends to speak to the Saudi King soon.
Who is behind the act, we'll find out soon: Trump
"Nobody knows yet, but we'll probably be able to find out. It's being investigated. We would be very upset and angry if that were the case. As of this moment, they deny it. And deny it vehemently. Could it be them? Yes," Trump said.
