BY: Mikhael Smits Follow @mikhaelsmits
October 19, 2018 9:23 am
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has not reviewed recordings pertaining to the disappearance of a Saudi journalist, a State Department spokeswoman said Thursday night.
In a statement from the State Department Press Office, spokesperson Heather Nauert said "Secretary Pompeo has neither heard a tape nor has he seen a transcript related to Jamal Khashoggi’s disappearance."
The comment follows growing certainty that Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor and Saudi critic, was murdered in Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. President Donald Trump said Thursday that it "certainly looks" as if Khashoggi was killed. He declined to place the blame on the Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman but said if Saudi Arabia is found responsible the consequences "will have to be very severe."
The State Department statement contradicts a Turkish senior official, who according to a Friday report from ABC News, said Pompeo heard the tapes. The official spoke to ABC News on condition of anonymity.
Trump requested the tapes earlier this week. "We’ve asked for it … if it exists," he said.
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https://freebeacon.com/national-security/state-department-spox-pompeo-waiting-recording-khashoggis-killing/
