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Reuters
RIYADH/ISTANBUL
Saudi Arabia's crown prince agreed on Tuesday there must be a thorough investigation into the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the United States said, after media reports that Riyadh will acknowledge his death in a botched interrogation.
US President Donald Trump, who dispatched Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Riyadh amid strained ties with its close ally, speculated that"rogue killers"may be responsible.
Pompeo met King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh to discuss the incident, which has caused international outrage and brought renewed attention on the authoritarian kingdom's human rights record.
He and Prince Mohammed"agreed on the importance of a thorough, transparent, and timely investigation", US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in Washington.
"The Secretary reiterated the President's concern with respect to Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance, as well as the President's desire to determine what happened,"she said. Pompeo is expected to go on to Turkey after dinner with the crown prince.
Meanwhile, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan raised the possibility that parts of the consulate had been repainted since Khashoggi disappeared.
"The investigation is looking into many things such as toxic materials and those materials being removed by painting them over,"he told reporters.
A Turkish security official said no conclusive evidence emerged from the overnight search that indicated Khashoggi was killed in the consulate.
"However, there are some findings and they are being worked on,"he said, adding that painting may have damaged some evidence."These can't be fully erased after all, so the teams will continue to work on this."
Despite the outcry, the case poses a dilemma for the United States, Britain and other Western nations. Saudi Arabia is the world's top oil exporter and spends lavishly on Western arms. It is also a military ally and an opponent of Iran.
Riyadh has also faced criticism from some Western politicians and human right groups over the civilian casualties its war planes have caused in the war in Yemen, in which it intervened three years ago.
Trump has threatened"severe punishment"if it turns out Khashoggi was killed in the consulate, but ruled out cancelling arms deals worth tens of billions of dollars.
