Senator Sasse sounds off on Khashoggi disappearance
Courtesy ABC News
New details continue to emerge regarding the disappearance and suspected killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a columnist for the Washington Post and critic of Saudi Arabia.
The Washington Post recently published an op-ed piece by Khashoggi, received the day before he was reported missing in Istanbul.
Alleged tapes from inside the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul lend more clues on what happened to Khashoggi once inside – a close friend who claims to have heard the tapes says they paint a picture of a brutal killing by a hit squad.
Nebraskan U.S. Senator Ben Sasse (R) now speaking out, calling for the tapes to be released and for a full scale international investigation into what really happened.
“I think we’re going to need an international investigation to get to the bottom of this, the American people and the people in the region need to have some understanding of facts that can be shared,” said Sasse in an interview with CNN.
Turkish authorities have also released images of the 15 Saudi’s they say traveled to Istanbul the same day Khashoggi went missing. Several of them have close ties to the Saudi crown prince.
President Trump says he’s spoken with the crown prince, and both he and the Saudi king deny any knowledge of what happened inside the consulate.
All the while, the president and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo emphasizing the importance of the United State’s relationship with the oil rich country.
“I’m not giving cover at all. With that being said, Saudi Arabia has been a very important ally of ours in the Middle East,” said President Trump.
Senator Sasse says he hopes President Trump and Secretary of State Pompeo listen to the findings of Turkish officials, and says Congress is ready to take action if necessary.
“I think the Saudi’s need to understand, there’s a big appetite in Washington to put lots of stuff on the table – this is not a small matter that will be swept under the rug,” said Sasse.
According to President Trump, we should know who is responsible for Khashoggi’s disappearance by the end of the week. He is expected to be briefed by Pompeo on Thursday.
