Pompeo: US Should Give Saudis 'A Few More Days' to Investigate Journo Vanishing

Earlier this week, State Secretary Mike Pompeo and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held talks on the alleged murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul, while US President Donald Trump said that Washington would have information on the case "soon".

"I told President Trump this morning that we ought to give them a few more days… so that we too have a complete understanding of the facts" before deciding on a response, Pompeo told reporters at the White House.

READ MORE: Turkish Foreign Minister Says Discussed Missing Saudi Journalist With Pompeo

The Secretary of State added that the government of the kingdom had vowed to conduct an investigation into the disappearance of the journalist.

"They [Saudi officials] also assured me that they will conduct a complete, thorough investigation of all of the facts surrounding Mr. Khashoggi and that they will do so in a timely fashion and that this report itself will be transparent, for everyone to see, to ask questions about, and to inquire with respect to its thoroughness," Pompeo noted.

Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist known for his criticism of Riyadh, went missing on October 2 after going to the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul to obtain papers necessary for his marriage.

Turkish police claimed that the journalist could have been murdered inside the building, but Saudi Arabia has denied the accusations, stressing that he left the consulate later in the day. Riyadh also allowed investigators to carry out a search within the diplomatic facility and the consul’s residence.