State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said that the Saudi ambassador to the U.S. is on the way back to this country and the Trump Administration expects a report from him on the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist with The Washington Post who disappeared while visiting the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul.
But Nauert refused to speculate on the cause of the disappearance and who might be responsible, saying they were going to wait for the facts.
She said an investigation is underway by multiple agencies, that the department won't get ahead of that investigation, and warned against relying on "speculation and rumors." That speculation--and reporting--includes that Khashoggi was either kidnapped or killed by the Saudis over his criticism of the government there.
The Washington Post reported Thursday (Oct. 11) that three were U.S. intercepts of Saudi official conversations that suggested Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman "ordered an operation to lure 'Washington Post' columnist Jamal Kashoggi back to Saudi Arabia from his home in Virginia and then detain him." But Turkish officials concluded Khashoggi was instead killed at the consulate, said the Post.
The Post said the Administration had not commented on whether it warned Khashoggi about the potential detention.
