Fox News host Shepard Smith on Wednesday questioned why the U. S. was allowing Saudi Arabia to conduct its own investigation into the fate of…
Fox News host Shepard Smith on Wednesday questioned why the U. S. was allowing Saudi Arabia to conduct its own investigation into the fate of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi, asking if this level of deference would take place if oil wasn’t an issue.
“The Saudis are accused of ordering an operation that ended with an innocent man’s murder,” Smith said on his Fox News program . “Now the Saudis are going to investigate themselves. And that’s fine with the United States.”
Smith took issue with comments made by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who said after meeting with Saudi leadership that they told him that they would conduct a complete, thorough and transparent investigation into Khashoggi’s disappearance.
The Fox News host asked if an investigation can be “thorough and timely when the crime scene search is incomplete 14 days later?”
“No, it’s not,” he said.
The host proceeded to lay out the controversial history of the Saudi crown prince, who is often referred to by his initials, MBS.
“The MBS who’s accused of ordering his goons to the consulate in Turkey where there’s said to be solid evidence that they hacked a man to bits is now essentially investigating himself,” Smith said.
“And the United States government is thanking his father. The United States – this nation has been defending that oil-rich kingdom since long before 15 of its citizens were among the 19 hijackers who wrecked our world and killed our people by the thousands on 9/11,” he continued.
“Depending and thanking for their commitment to transparency. The Saudis transparent. What could be more preposterous? Were the desert not covering the oil, would any of this be happening?”
Khashoggi, a U. S. resident and critic of Saudi leadership, was last seen Oct. 2 entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Saudi operatives has been accused of killing him and dismembering his body shortly after he entered the consulate.
President Trump said Wednesday that the U. S. requested audio and video from Turkey related to the disappearance of Khashoggi.
“We have asked for it, if it exists,” Trump told reporters, conceding later it “probably does.”
Trump also said he expected to get a “full report” from Pompeo after he returns from meeting with Saudi and Turkish officials.
Pompeo told reporters on Tuesday about his interactions with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir regarding the disappearance of Khashoggi.
The Saudi government has faced increasing scrutiny over the journalist’s disappearance, with Turkish authorities releasing information on several suspects that have been linked to the crown prince or his security detail.
Turkish police also reportedly have ” certain evidence ” that the outspoken journalist was killed after entering the consulate.
Saudi Arabis has so far denied involvement.
