Friday, October 19, 2018

Will Jamal Khashoggi's Disappearance Impact US-Saudi Relations? I Inside Story


President Donald Trump has acknoweldged for the first time that Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi is likely dead.

More than two weeks after Jamal Khashoggi disappeared, his fate remains unclear; but US President Donald Trump has admitted, for the first time, the journalist may have been killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Trump's comments, are a shift for the White House, and he's warning of 'severe' consequences if the Saudi leadership is involved. The shift in tone comes following his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to Riyadh and Ankara earlier this week.

The president is now under mounting pressure to take action. Members of the House of Representatives have sent him a letter calling for sanctions against Saudi Arabia; so, how will this case impact the long-standing relationship between Washington and Riyadh?

Presenter: Imran Kahn | Guests: Kenneth Roth - Executive Director of Human Rights Watch; Galip Dalay - Research Director of Al Sharq Forum; Georges Malbrunot - Middle East Reporter at Le Figaro.