Pompeo: Saudis Didn’t Want to Talk ‘Facts’ About Khashoggi Case

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declined to say if he found out from his meetings with the Saudi royal family whether Jamal Khashoggi is dead or alive, saying neither he nor his Saudi hosts wanted to talk about the “facts” of the case. Pompeo flew to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and King Salman, where he thanked the latter for the “thorough” investigation into Khashoggi’s disappearance following a visit to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Asked if the Saudis told him whether Khashoggi was alive, Pompeo declined to answer. “I don’t want to talk about any of the facts,” he said. “They didn’t want to either, in that they want to have the opportunity to complete this investigation in a thorough way.” He then reiterated that he believed the Saudis would carry out a sound investigation, saying it would be “thorough, complete, and transparent,” and that it would be done in “a timely, rapid fashion.”