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Pompeo defends US-Saudi relations amid mounting criticism

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo defended himself from criticism that he appeared too eager to maintain business-as-usual relations with the Saudis, following the suspected gruesome murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks to reporters while his plane refuels in Brussels, Belgium October 17, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis/Pool - RC125E4B4F30

WASHINGTON — Facing mounting criticism for appearing smiling and eager to maintain business-as-usual relations with his Saudi hosts yesterday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo insisted today that he has confidence in a Saudi investigation of the suspected murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but conceded that the US administration does not want to see US-Saudi relations suffer depending on what they find.

“Look, we had very direct conversations about this, the seriousness of this, how serious President Trump is taking this, how seriously the United States will take this,” Pompeo told reporters traveling with him on a refueling stop in Brussels today after briefly stopping in Turkey for meetings with Turkish officials. “But, as for responses that the United States will take, we need to know the facts before we can begin to formulate what the appropriate response for this would be.”

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