Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had a brief and seemingly friendly meeting today with Saudi leaders. Pompeo headed to Saudi Arabia as questions mounted over the country’s role in the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. This comes as reports emerge that the Saudis are preparing a report that will acknowledge Khashoggi was killed as the result of an interrogation gone wrong.
It was expected that Pompeo would take a hard stance at the meeting, but instead what the public saw were smiles and chuckles. NBC reports:
On greeting the secretary of state, the crown prince said: “We are strong and old allies so we face our challenges together — the past, the day of, tomorrow.”
“Absolutely,” responded Pompeo.
State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said Pompeo had thanked King Salman for “his commitment to supporting a thorough, transparent and timely investigation of Jamal Khashoggi’s disappearance.”
Sec. of State Mike Pompeo meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi.
Khashoggi disappeared two weeks ago during a visit to the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. https://t.co/9UgGOVIfVN pic.twitter.com/YMctuF7h3l
— ABC News (@ABC) October 16, 2018
"They were pretty brief. Not brisk, I think, but brief." @kileycnn shares details with @jimsciutto about US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's meetings with King Salman and the King's son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman https://t.co/agLKp8SgMl pic.twitter.com/xOebGyPHX4
— CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) October 16, 2018
Understandably some are already criticizing the meeting.
Hard to believe King Salman was able to withstand all of Pompeo's withering…thank yous? pic.twitter.com/yooy7KOZ3o
— Robert Maguire (@RobertMaguire_) October 16, 2018
Pompeo gives MBS a stern talking-to. pic.twitter.com/x5xqc6x83W
— ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) October 16, 2018
Hey, @SecPompeo, these people just chopped-up a journalist who was a US Permanent Resident. He lived in the US. He worked at a US company. What in the hell is there to smile about?
Disgusting. https://t.co/26dTp8lMl8— Ana Navarro (@ananavarro) October 16, 2018
Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports:
A high-level Turkish official says police have found “certain evidence” during their search of the Saudi Consulate showing that Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi was killed there.
The official did not provide details on the evidence that was recovered during the hourslong search at the diplomatic mission that ended early Tuesday.