Pompeo asks Trump to give Saudi more time for Khashoggi investigation

United States Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo has asked US President Donald Trump to give Saudi Arabia a few more days to investigate the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Pompeo met Trump after he returned from an official trip to Saudi Arabia and Turkey. He met with Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as well as other officials during his visit.

"We made clear to them that we take this matter in respect to Khashoggi very seriously. They assured me that they will conduct a thorough and detailed investigation in the case," he said.

Pompeo addressed the media and asserted that Saudi and the US have a history of strategic partnership and Riyadh's investment in Washington.

Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post, went missing in Turkey on October 2. According to the journalist's fiancee, he was invited to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul but never left the consulate building.

According to media reports, Turkish investigators believe the journalist was murdered inside the consulate, but Saudi Arabia claims that Khashoggi went missing after he left the building.