US defense chief: Killing of writer is threat to stability

MANAMA, Bahrain – The killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi “undermines regional stability” and the U.S. State Department plans to take additional action in response to the slaying, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Saturday at an international conference in the Middle East.

Mattis didn’t mention Saudi Arabia directly in connection with the Oct. 2 slaying of Khashoggi at the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. But he noted that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo revoked visas of Saudis implicated in the death of the Washington Post writer, and he said additional measures will be taken.

Turkish officials have said that a Saudi team of 15 men tortured, killed and dismembered the writer in a premeditated act. The kingdom initially said it knew nothing about what happened to Khashoggi, but on Thursday said evidence shows the killing was premeditated.

Mattis made no move to directly blame Saudi Arabia and did not refer to the calls from members of Congress to cut arms sales to the country or impose sanctions on the kingdom. But his broader mention of the matter toward the end of his speech underscores the serious national security ramifications the incident poses for relations with a key U.S. ally.

“With our collective interests in peace and unwavering respect for human rights in mind, the murder of Jamal Khashoggi in a diplomatic facility must concern us all greatly,” Mattis said at the Manama Dialogue. “Failure of any one nation to adhere to international norms and the rule of law undermines regional stability at a time when it is needed most.”