US Secretary of State to meet Saudi Crown Prince to discuss Khashoggi case

"I will state what the US government has agreed that this was a brutal act, an unacceptable murder. The US will hold those involved accountable," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo replied yesterday.CBS Newsrelated to the murder of the journalistJamal Khashoggi.

Pompeo says he will meet with Saudi Crown PrinceMohammed bin Salman is on a visit to Saudi Arabia to discuss how to resolve the issue. Earlier, the US Secretary of State told Al Arabiya that he would visit Saudi Arabia on January 13.

"And then we'll talk about other important things that the United States can do with Saudi Arabia and the support that they can provide to keep Americans in Kansas, Colorado, California, Washington safe," he added.

The US Senate in December 2018 passed a resolution concluding that Crown Prince bin Salman was behind Khashoggi's murder and demanding that the Riyadh government ensure that all those involved in the case are appropriately punished.

However, Pompeo also emphasized the importance of the relationship between the US and Saudi Arabia because this mutually beneficial relationship helps create stability in the Middle East. "Saudi Arabia is a great partner in the missions that we ask them to help with," the head of the US State Department emphasized.

Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist who was critical of the Saudi government, was killed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Türkiye, in early October 2018. Riyadh has fired six officials and prosecuted 11 people in connection with the assassination, with five suspects facing the death penalty.

US intelligence officials believe Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered Khashoggi's assassination. Ankara has also claimed that the journalist's death was linked to "the highest levels" of Riyadh. However, Saudi officials have denied any wrongdoing against the crown prince.