Mike Pompeo: Jamal Khashoggi killers will be held accountable

A commemoration event of Khashoggi's supporters was held in Istanbul on Sunday

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Monday that the US will hold accountable all involved in the killing of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in a wide-ranging telephone call. Khashoggi, a US resident, was murdered in Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul on October 2 and the crown prince has been accused of orchestrating the killing, which has strained the decades-old alliance between Washington and Riyadh.

"The Secretary emphasised that the United States will hold all of those involved in the killing of Khashoggi accountable, and that Saudi Arabia must do the same," spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement. The top United States diplomat has previously said Khashoggi's killing "violates the norms of international law," and that the US was reviewing sanctions on individuals who have been identified as being involved.

But Pompeo and Trump have also both emphasised America's important commercial, strategic and national security relationships with the petro-state. A columnist for the Washington Post, Khashoggi was critical of Prince Mohammed and the country's intervention in Yemen, a conflict which also came up during the call, said Nauert.

Pompeo "reiterated the United States' calls for a cessation of hostilities and for all parties to come to the table to negotiate a peaceful solution to the conflict," she said. Pompeo has previously called for an end to hostilities in the rebel-infested Arab state, emphasising the need for the Saudi-led coalition to halt strikes in populated areas.

Prince Mohammed has overseen Saudi Arabia's Yemen war effort, a highly controversial intervention to bolster President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's government in the face of an insurgency by Huthi rebels. Nearly 10,000 people have since been killed and the country now stands at the brink of famine. Meanwhile, British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt too held talks on Monday with Saudi King Salman in Riyadh, state media said, during a visit to press the kingdom over Khashoggi's murder and the escalating Yemen war.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever