US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has arrived in Riyadh where he is expected to meet with the Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in relation to the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Saudi Arabia is preparing to admit that Khashoggi was killed during an interrogation that went wrong, sources have told CNN, as his family calls for an international inquiry into his disappearance.
The Washington Post columnist was last seen in public when he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in Turkey on October 2. Before that, authorities in Saudi Arabia insisted Khashoggi left the consulate the same afternoon of his visit, but they were unable to provide evidence of this.
International pressure has mounted on Riyadh to explain the journalist’s disappearance. US President Donald Trump suggested that “rogue killers” may have been behind Khashoggi’s death.
Sources told CNN that the Saudis are preparing a report that will acknowledge that Khashoggi’s death was the result of an interrogation that went wrong. The sources said the interrogation was intended to lead to his abduction from Turkey.
One source said the report will likely conclude that the operation was carried out without clearance and transparency and that those involved will be held responsible. A source acknowledged that the report is still being prepared and cautioned that things could change.
Khashoggi’s disappearance has created rift in the diplomatic ties between between Saudi Arabia and the West and led to international firms pulling out of a high-profile summit in Riyadh.
Conflicting reports over Khashoggi’s disappearance led to his family calling for an inquiry.
