In attempt to whitewash Saudis, Trump says ‘rogue killers’ involved in journo case

At a time that international pressure is being piled up on the Saudi government over the disappearance of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, US President Donald Trump has made new remarks seen by analysts as an effort to whitewash Saudi rulers in the case so that Washington would not lose its hefty arms deal with the kingdom.

Speaking to reporters following a phone call with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman on Monday, Trump suggested that “rogue killers” may be responsible for whatever happened to the missing Washington Post columnist, Jamal Khashoggi.

Noting that he did not “want to get” into King Salman’s mind, Trump said, “it sounded to me like maybe these could have been rogue killers.”

“We’re going to try getting to the bottom of it very soon, but his was a flat denial,” he added.

Trump further noted that during the phone call, the Saudi King had “firmly denied any knowledge” of the disappearance of the dissident journalist.

Trump's remarks come after he initially issued stern warning to Saudi rulers on Friday, threatening them with “severe consequences” if it turned out that Riyadh was behind Khashoggi’s disappearance, but noted that he had no decision to revoke Washington’s huge arms deal with Riyadh over the case as Washington would be “punishing itself” if it halted weapons sales to Saudi Arabia.

PressTV-US would be 'punishing itself' if it halts Saudi arms sales

The US president says America would be "punishing itself" it it halts arms sales to Saudi Arabia over the suspected murder of Khashoggi.

Trump's remarks have prompted analysts to conclude that the incumbent US administration puts trade with Saudi Arabia, especially maintaining its arms deal with the kingdom, way above the value of human life, as a result of which the US leader is trying to curry favor with the Saudi rulers by washing their hands of the possible killing of the dissident journalist.

Earlier on Monday, Salman ordered an internal probe into Khashoggi's disappearance while a joint Turkish-Saudi team was set to search the consulate.

Trump said in a tweet he had spoken with the Saudi king regarding the missing journalist and that he was sending American Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to meet with the king immediately.

Trump threatened at the weekend "severe punishment" for Riyadh if it turned out the prominent critic of Saudi authorities and a legal resident of the United States had been killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Saudi Arabia, in turn, threatened to retaliate.    

Saudi Arabia said it would react by manipulating oil prices, doing away with major US weapons deals and reconsidering its intelligence ties with Washington.

“It will not be strange that Riyadh would stop buying weapons from the US. Riyadh is the most important customer of US companies, as Saudi Arabia buys 10 percent of the total weapons that these US companies produce, and buys 85 percent from the US army, which means what’s left for the rest of the world is only five percent; in addition to the end of Riyadh’s investments in the US government, which reaches $800 billion,” Saudi Arabia’s al-Arabiya news network reported on Sunday.

“If US sanctions are imposed on Saudi Arabia, we will be facing an economic disaster that would rock the entire world. Riyadh is the capital of its oil, and touching this would affect oil production before any other vital commodity. It would lead to Saudi Arabia's failure to commit to producing 7.5 million barrels. If the price of oil reaching $80 angered President Trump, no one should rule out the price jumping to $100, or $200, or even double that figure,” it added.

PressTV-‘Reconciliation with Iran possible if sanctions imposed’

Saudi could reconcile with Iran as a way to retaliate possible punishment by the US and others over Khashoggi's case, a new report warns.

Khashoggi's case highlights how much is at stake in US-Saudi relations, and in the president's own ties to the Saudis. 

Major US military contractors, including Lockheed Martin Corp and Raytheon Co, are among the beneficiaries of Washington’s cozy ties with Riyadh and would suffer huge losses if contracts with Saudi Arabia are suspended.

In recent days, Democrats and Republicans in Congress have demanded severe consequences if Saudi Arabia is proven to be behind the disappearance of Khashoggi. 

Even before that, some lawmakers had placed "holds" on at least four military deals with Saudi Arabia over the kingdom’s deadly campaign against Yemen.

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