The nation's intelligence communities are "still working" on determining who was behind the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and those who were directly responsible will be held accountable, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday.
However, he insisted during an interview on Fox News' "Fox and Friends" that the direct evidence to target Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman "isn't yet available."
Pompeo will be briefing the House later on Wednesday, and said he'll say what's already been said, including that President Donald Trump has made it clear that Khashoggi's murder was not a tragedy anyone wanted.
"We have held a number of individuals accountable, putting sanctions on them, those who we have evidence were directly involved," said Pompeo.
Still, the United States has an important ally in the Saudi Arabian kingdom, said Pompeo, and the Trump administration intends to "continue to protect the American people in the way that voters back two years demanded."
He also claimed that some of the reporting on the CIA's conclusions that the crown prince ordered Khashoggi's death have been "inaccurate," as facts are still being developed in the case.
"No one underestimates how horrible this murder was," he said. "But, remember, Iran is running rampant throughout the Middle East. The death of any individual is awful. The death of hundreds of thousands of people in Europe or the Middle East or the United States matters an awful lot. President Trump is committed to protecting America."
Pompeo also commented on the trade talks situation between the United States and China, calling the current relationship "challenging."
"We consider them a strategic competitor," said Pompeo. "They are taking actions in the South China Sea. They are conducting espionage and influence operations here in the United States."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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