The administration of US President Donald Trump is trying to “whitewash” Saudi Arabia’s murder of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a former American diplomat says.
Speaking to Press TV on Tuesday, Michael Springmann, a former US diplomat in Jeddah, said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s recent trip to Saudi Arabia was an attempt by President Donald Trump to gloss over Saudi Arabia’s deeds.
“This is absolutely astonishing, astounding, outrageous… you name the superlative,” Springmann said. “The Americans are obviously working to keep the Saudis close to them and the Saudis are working to keep the Americans close to them.”
“It is scarcely conceivable that the president of the United States would send his secretary of state over to Saudi Arabia and not talk tough with them,” he said.
Khashoggi went missing after entering the Saudi consulate in Turkey’s Istanbul on October 2. Turkish and American intelligence…