White House Reaction Following Confirmation of Khashoggi's Murder at Saudi Consulate

Saudi Arabia finally announced on Saturday that Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist critical of the current rulers of the country, was killed following a confrontation at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, two weeks after his disappearance. In response to this confirmation, U.S. President Donald Trump described it as a positive step and 'good' in the pursuit of truth regarding the incident. According to a report by the Saudi state news agency, eighteen people have been arrested in connection with this case and are being interrogated, although none of the detainees' names were mentioned in the report. The report also states that General Ahmad Asiri, the deputy head of Saudi intelligence, and four other senior security officials have been dismissed, but it does not clarify what role these officials had in Khashoggi's death. Previously, some unconfirmed reports suggested that the Saudi government might declare General Asiri the main culprit to resolve the case of Khashoggi, which has significant international ramifications. Asiri was described as a close figure to Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, and his advisor. Saudi Arabia had repeatedly denied Khashoggi's murder until Saturday when the government confirmed it in a statement. The statement reads: 'The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expresses its deep regret for the painful incident that has occurred in this case and emphasizes the commitment of its officials to inform the public of the facts and hold accountable those involved in this incident.' The statement claims that Khashoggi, after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, had a confrontation and physical altercation with individuals he encountered there, which led to his murder, and that these individuals then attempted to cover up the crime. Saudi Arabia has established a commission to investigate this case, which has one month to prepare its report. This commission consists of national security officials, the foreign minister, and the interior minister of Saudi Arabia. Less than a day before this announcement, reports emerged that King Salman of Saudi Arabia had become involved in the case following the escalation of the crisis. The report stated that the king sent his most trusted advisor to Turkey to discuss the case with Turkish officials. On Thursday, President Trump stated that he believes Khashoggi has been killed and that if it is determined that Saudi Arabia was behind this incident, there will be severe consequences. Washington considers the Saudi government its main ally in the Middle East, and for this reason, Trump sent Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on an emergency mission to investigate the case in Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Following this, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced that after discussions with Trump and Pompeo, he decided to cancel his trip to Riyadh for an investment conference. In recent days, economic and business officials as well as foreign ministers from France, the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands have also announced that they will not attend this conference. Additionally, international media and some prominent figures in the business world have withdrawn from attending this conference, including The Economist, The New York Times, and Dara Khosrowshahi, the CEO of Uber. Washington: We demand justice. Hours after the Saudi government's announcement, Trump called it a 'good first step' and stated that he believes Riyadh's explanations are credible. The White House also reacted to this announcement, emphasizing the need for international investigations into the case and the execution of justice. Sarah Sanders, the White House spokesperson, tweeted that the United States acknowledges the actions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which has stated that investigations into Khashoggi's fate are ongoing and that actions have been taken against the suspects in this incident. She continued, 'We continue to closely monitor international investigations into this tragic event and demand timely, transparent, and lawful justice.' Ms. Sanders ultimately stated, 'We are saddened to hear of Mr. Khashoggi's confirmed death and express our deep condolences to his family, fiancée, and friends.' Senator Menendez emphasized sanctions against those involved in the case. However, Democratic Senator Bob Menendez called for U.S. action to sanction the Saudi individuals involved in Khashoggi's murder. In his tweet, he referenced a law passed by the U.S. Congress named after Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian accountant and anti-corruption figure who was murdered in a Russian prison. Senator Menendez wrote, 'The global Magnitsky Act makes no exceptions for such incidents. Even if Khashoggi was killed in a confrontation, no excuse can be accepted from his murderer.' He added, 'There is still a long way to go until the end of this matter, and we must continue to apply international pressure.' Previously, some prominent figures from both the Democratic and Republican parties had called for sanctions against Saudi Arabia due to this incident.