Donald Trump says USA ‘demanding’ answers over disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi

A bipartisan group of senators sent a letter to President Trump on Wednesday, triggering an investigation into the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and columnist for The Washington Post who has not been seen since he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last week.

A bipartisan group of US senators is forcing the Trump administration to investigate the disappearance of a Saudi journalist, triggering a human rights probe that could result in sanctions against Saudi officials and entities.

When asked for video footage on Khashoggi, Saudi officials reportedly told Republican Sen. He served as an adviser to senior Saudi officials.

Saudi Arabia’s top leadership ordered the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Turkish officials said according to an explosive new report by The New York Times.

Jamal Khashoggi: Washington is demanding answers from Saudi Arabia after a US-based Saudi journalist and critic disappeared following his arrival at their consulate in Istanbul.

Khashoggi left Saudi Arabia previous year saying he feared retribution for his criticism of Riyadh over the Yemen war and its crackdown on dissent, and since then wrote columns for the Washington Post.

According to pro-government daily Sabah, the team arrived in Istanbul on two private planes, one which landed after 03:00 am (0000 GMT) on Tuesday while the second plane landed around 05:00 pm (1400 GMT) after Khashoggi entered the consulate.

Without going into detail, the president also said he has talked with the highest levels of the Saudi government about the missing contributor. “We don’t know what happened yet”. “If Donald Trump is not getting in touch with the king of Saudi Arabia, he is being derelict in his duty….(Trump’s) statements, so far, have been completely inadequate”.

“The Saudis have a lot of explaining to do because all indications are that they have been involved at minimum with his disappearance”, Corker told The Associated Press.

Of the crown prince, who is often referred to as “MBS”, Corker went on to say, “MBS is a person of the future”.

The Post, a newspaper to which Khashoggi contributed, cited unnamed USA officials as saying that Saudi officials had been heard discussing a plan to lure Khashoggi from the U.S. state of Virginia, where he resided, and detain him.

Other members included alleged Saudi intelligence officers and special forces troops, Turkish media said.

“In most cases, their arrests have never been officially confirmed and no official has ever said where they are being held or what they are charged with”, said the watchdog.

Khashoggi, 59, was last seen entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul through the main entrance on October 2.

Under pressure from Congress, the Trump administration faces a dilemma: how to respond to the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi while ensuring that any punitive action does not alienate Riyadh, a key ally against Iran.

News channel 24 aired the video Wednesday, suggesting that Khashoggi was inside of the black Mercedes Vito.

A Turkish security source had previously told Reuters that the 15 Saudis, including some officials, left the country later the same day.

Turkish officials are hoping to enter the consulate and consul general residence to conduct an investigation. A search would be an extraordinary development, as embassies and consulates under the Vienna Convention are technically foreign soil and must be protected by host nations. Is it possible that camera systems didn’t exist at the Saudi Arabia Consulate, where the incident took place? This could lead to sanctions against Saudi Arabia within 120 days. Jamal had applied for U.S. citizenship, and his reason to visit to Turkey was our intended marriage. “We have to see what happens”.