The United States secretary of state Mike Pompeo confirmed on Monday Washington is still investigating the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi as the US lawmakers continued to demand stronger US action against the perpetrators alleged in Khashoggi’s murder.
According to Reuters news reports, during his visit to Hungary, Pompeo said, “America is not covering up for a murder,” further adding that the US would be taking more action to hold accountable all of those perpetrators responsible for the murder to Khashoggi, critic of Saudi Arabia crown prince Mohammed bin Salman and a Washington Post columnist, in Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2.
Though, first Saudi denied killing Khashoggi but has confirmed afterwards that its agents had killed him. However, Riyadh denied that Salem was behind the killing of Khashoggi.
The US president Donald Trump’s administration had faced a February 8 deadline to send reports regarding the killing of Khashoggi to the US Congress and whether Washington should impose sanctions over those behind the coup.
Ahead of the deadline, a group of Democratic senators and Republican has on Thursday renewed the push to penalize Saudi also, unveiling legislation to block arms sales and also impose sanctions.
Eleven suspects have been indicted till now for Khashoggi’s murder in Saudi Arabia, and a top Saudi official has on Friday denied all accusations that Salem had ordered the killing.
The US state department representative on Friday said Pompeo had briefed the US lawmakers over the murder probe but gave no further details.
Member of the Senate armed services and foreign relations committees, Democratic US Senate Tim Kaine on Sunday said the reports which were required was not submitted yet and further accused US president administration of complicities in covering the killing.
In a statement, Kaine said, “This amounts to the Trump administration aiding in the cover-up of a murder. America should never descend to this level of moral bankruptcy.”