Trump: The Khashoggi Case Was One of the Worst Cover-Ups in History

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, criticized Saudi Arabia's operation to kill Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident journalist, on Tuesday, November 23, stating that the covert operation in this case was one of the worst cover-ups in history. According to Reuters, the U.S. President has strongly condemned Khashoggi's murder by Saudi agents. Mr. Trump stated: 'No one should even think about such a bad act. Someone really messed up.' The U.S. President emphasized: 'Their initial plan was very bad, it was poorly executed, and it is one of the worst cover-ups in history.' He added: 'I think the person who came up with this idea is in big trouble, and they should be in big trouble.' Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, and a columnist for the Washington Post, visited the Saudi consulate in Istanbul three weeks ago to complete paperwork related to his marriage but did not leave the premises. Initially, Saudi Arabia insisted that he had left the location, but after two weeks, it acknowledged that Mr. Khashoggi was killed in the consulate 'as a result of a quarrel.' In connection with the Khashoggi murder case, the U.S. is revoking visas for 21 Saudi officials, as announced by Heather Nauert, the spokesperson for the U.S. State Department. Meanwhile, a U.S. State Department official told Reuters that most of these 21 individuals already have U.S. visas. In this context, Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, also announced earlier in the day that some Saudi officials involved in Khashoggi's murder have been identified, and actions such as visa revocation and sanctions against them are being considered. According to Reuters, the Secretary of State stated in a press conference: 'These punishments will not be the last actions by the United States in this matter.' Mr. Pompeo said: 'We clearly state that the United States will not accept actions like silencing Mr. Khashoggi.' Meanwhile, the U.S. President reacted to the statements of his Turkish counterpart regarding the 'murder of Jamal Khashoggi,' saying that Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was 'somewhat harsh' in his remarks directed at Saudi Arabia. According to Reuters, Donald Trump, when asked if he believes the Turkish President's statements, said: 'I need to see the facts first.' On Tuesday, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated in the Turkish Parliament that the 'brutal murder' of Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate was 'pre-planned' and called for the extradition of 18 suspects in this murder, whom Riyadh claims to have arrested. Senator Lindsey Graham also supported the U.S. President's statements on Twitter, stating that Saudi Arabia's actions in Turkey regarding Jamal Khashoggi were horrific, reckless, and the worst cover-up in history. Reports indicate that Gina Haspel, the head of the CIA, is currently in Turkey to be briefed on the investigations by the authorities regarding this murder and to provide a report to Washington officials. A group of Congress members and former U.S. officials have also accused Riyadh of trying to conceal the facts surrounding Jamal Khashoggi's death and the government's involvement, particularly that of the Crown Prince in this murder.