State Dept. Spox on Khashoggi: ‘We Don’t Have the Facts Yet So We’re Going to Hold Back on Our Comments’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT NAUERT The ░░░░░░░░ released a statement earlier ░░░░░░░░ week The Vice President ░░░░░░░░ talked about this the ░░░░░░░░ has talked about this ░░░░░░░░ re all concerned about ░░░░░░░░ whereabouts We don t ░░░░░░░░ any information on his ░░░░░░░░ right now or what ░░░░░░░░ to him As you ░░░░░░░░ see any time you ░░░░░░░░ on the news you ░░░░░░░░ the newspaper there s ░░░░░░░░ lot of speculation and ░░░░░░░░ ton of rumors out ░░░░░░░░ We re making determinations ░░░░░░░░ watching this for facts ░░░░░░░░ don t have the ░░░░░░░░ yet So we re ░░░░░░░░ to hold back on ░░░░░░░░ comments until we have ░░░░░░░░ information that the U ░░░░░░░░ Government can share We ░░░░░░░░ t have that information ░░░░░░░░ this point right now ░░░░░░░░ investigation as our understanding ░░░░░░░░ is underway and we ░░░░░░░░ not going to get ░░░░░░░░ of that REPORTER The ░░░░░░░░ and the Turkey has ░░░░░░░░ they re going to ░░░░░░░░ in or take part ░░░░░░░░ some kind of working ░░░░░░░░ of Saudis to shed ░░░░░░░░ on what happened Is ░░░░░░░░ something that you might ░░░░░░░░ involved in or something ░░░░░░░░ would welcome Secondly I ░░░░░░░░ to follow up on ░░░░░░░░ question NAUERT Let me ░░░░░░░░ that part We welcome ░░░░░░░░ thorough and transparent investigation ░░░░░░░░ ve been extremely clear ░░░░░░░░ that I can also ░░░░░░░░ another piece of information ░░░░░░░░ we have communicated with ░░░░░░░░ Saudi ambassador to the ░░░░░░░░ States It s my ░░░░░░░░ that he s on ░░░░░░░░ way back to Saudi ░░░░░░░░ We have said to ░░░░░░░░ that we expect information ░░░░░░░░ his return to the ░░░░░░░░ States When and if ░░░░░░░░ have additional information to ░░░░░░░░ you we ll bring ░░░░░░░░ right away REPORTER It ░░░░░░░░ your understanding did you ░░░░░░░░ him NAUERT We absolutely ░░░░░░░░ not That was not ░░░░░░░░ our direction I can ░░░░░░░░ speak on behalf of ░░░░░░░░ government But I can ░░░░░░░░ you that I m ░░░░░░░░ that he s headed ░░░░░░░░ to his home country ░░░░░░░░ we expect some information ░░░░░░░░ he gets back Have ░░░░░░░░ told him not to ░░░░░░░░ come back unless he ░░░░░░░░ an explanation Not now ░░░░░░░░ U S Government is ░░░░░░░░ concerned about this situation ░░░░░░░░ has the highest attention ░░░░░░░░ just want to know ░░░░░░░░ you getter get back ░░░░░░░░ better have We would ░░░░░░░░ information We have not ░░░░░░░░ shy about that Last ░░░░░░░░ and I ll shut ░░░░░░░░ Yesterday I ask Robert ░░░░░░░░ other people did too ░░░░░░░░ this reports about intelligence ░░░░░░░░ you guys may or ░░░░░░░░ not reports that you ░░░░░░░░ intelligence that there might ░░░░░░░░ some harm that came ░░░░░░░░ him He gave kind ░░░░░░░░ cryptic answer at first ░░░░░░░░ said that you had ░░░░░░░░ advanced notice of his ░░░░░░░░ and then when I ░░░░░░░░ him and said does ░░░░░░░░ mean you didn t ░░░░░░░░ any advanced notice that ░░░░░░░░ bad might happen to ░░░░░░░░ not disappearance necessarily he ░░░░░░░░ we had no advanced ░░░░░░░░ So I want to ░░░░░░░░ does that mean you ░░░░░░░░ no advanced notice of ░░░░░░░░ no intelligence or any ░░░░░░░░ and anything that might ░░░░░░░░ could happen to him ░░░░░░░░ the consulate Almost never ░░░░░░░░ you hear us talk ░░░░░░░░ matters of intelligence here ░░░░░░░░ the state Department I ░░░░░░░░ not going to get ░░░░░░░░ those matters An investigation ░░░░░░░░ underway I have nothing ░░░░░░░░ add beyond what Robert ░░░░░░░░ yesterday here from that ░░░░░░░░ We re going to ░░░░░░░░ the investigation take place ░░░░░░░░ United States government will ░░░░░░░░ to offer its support ░░░░░░░░ will provide information based ░░░░░░░░ facts based on information ░░░░░░░░ we have and when ░░░░░░░░ don t have facts ░░░░░░░░ won t bring them ░░░░░░░░ you Be mindful of ░░░░░░░░ speculation and a lot ░░░░░░░░ rumors out there and ░░░░░░░░ s wait until we ░░░░░░░░ get solid information Okay ░░░░░░░░ Thanks very much Inaudible ░░░░░░░░ the Riyadh or was ░░░░░░░░ recalled Like I said ░░░░░░░░ understanding is he s ░░░░░░░░ his way back there ░░░░░░░░ said when you come ░░░░░░░░ we need a report ░░░░░░░░ him Right So the ░░░░░░░░ from the U S ░░░░░░░░ like is from him ░░░░░░░░ us what the Saudis ░░░░░░░░ or the outcome of ░░░░░░░░ investigation or I m ░░░░░░░░ There s no reason ░░░░░░░░ be confused Okay There ░░░░░░░░ an investigation underway We ░░░░░░░░ not going to get ░░░░░░░░ of that investigation We ░░░░░░░░ let that investigation play ░░░░░░░░ I know there s ░░░░░░░░ lot of people that ░░░░░░░░ answers at this point ░░░░░░░░ so We re not ░░░░░░░░ to get ahead of ░░░░░░░░ investigations Bring us whatever ░░░░░░░░ you have when you ░░░░░░░░ We ll go from ░░░░░░░░ Is that above what ░░░░░░░░ secretary as well as ░░░░░░░░ discussed with the crown ░░░░░░░░ yesterday What does that ░░░░░░░░ Meaning yesterday Bolton two ░░░░░░░░ in the government spoke ░░░░░░░░ the crown prince yesterday ░░░░░░░░ they not satisfied with ░░░░░░░░ they were told Look ░░░░░░░░ we have multiple agencies ░░░░░░░░ departments in the United ░░░░░░░░ government that are paying ░░░░░░░░ attention to this issue ░░░░░░░░ I would not make ░░░░░░░░ assumption that we didn ░░░░░░░░ get satisfactory answers and ░░░░░░░░ required another level Correct ░░░░░░░░ is obviously an interagency ░░░░░░░░ Okay I don t ░░░░░░░░ more for you on ░░░░░░░░ We re not going ░░░░░░░░ let this go on ░░░░░░░░ on I m not ░░░░░░░░ to speculate to you ░░░░░░░░ ambassador left because of ░░░░░░░░ incident or was he ░░░░░░░░ on going Okay Third ░░░░░░░░ Third time We did ░░░░░░░░ request that he would ░░░░░░░░ Okay He went over ░░░░░░░░ My understanding is he ░░░░░░░░ going over there Any ░░░░░░░░ information on that I ░░░░░░░░ have to refer you ░░░░░░░░ the Saudi government We ░░░░░░░░ when you come back ░░░░░░░░ us a report and ░░░░░░░░ read out of what ░░░░░░░░ learned Who spoke with ░░░░░░░░ from state I don ░░░░░░░░ have information for you ░░░░░░░░ that we had exchanges ░░░░░░░░ multiple levels The other ░░░░░░░░ was reporters without borders ░░░░░░░░ that the U N ░░░░░░░░ in to have an ░░░░░░░░ into is that something ░░░░░░░░ the I m not ░░░░░░░░ of it You re ░░░░░░░░ me about that That ░░░░░░░░ the first Generally speaking ░░░░░░░░ m just not aware ░░░░░░░░ that Some folks on ░░░░░░░░ hill are saying that ░░░░░░░░ assistance should be at ░░░░░░░░ because of this The ░░░░░░░░ spoke about that today ░░░░░░░░ it the position of ░░░░░░░░ state Department that s ░░░░░░░░ on the table You ░░░░░░░░ jumping to conclusions This ░░░░░░░░ entirely a hypothetical situation ░░░░░░░░ this point We don ░░░░░░░░ know what happened We ░░░░░░░░ t have the facts ░░░░░░░░ the case We want ░░░░░░░░ learn what happened The ░░░░░░░░ has said that The ░░░░░░░░ state has said that ░░░░░░░░ Bolton has said that ░░░░░░░░ s not get ahead ░░░░░░░░ ourselves Understandably it s ░░░░░░░░ that Congress and others ░░░░░░░░ concerned Let s not ░░░░░░░░ ahead of ourselves Barbara ░░░░░░░░ guy is missing Absolutely ░░░░░░░░ don t know what ░░░░░░░░ Let s wait and ░░░░░░░░ what happened Barbara Republican ░░░░░░░░ yesterday were going and ░░░░░░░░ at U S Intelligence ░░░░░░░░ to this case Bob ░░░░░░░░ said it made the ░░░░░░░░ accounts look convincing Barbara ░░░░░░░░ would not I m ░░░░░░░░ if secretary Pompeo has ░░░░░░░░ the same intelligence Barbara ░░░░░░░░ don t do intelligence ░░░░░░░░ of this building We ░░░░░░░░ diplomacy We try to ░░░░░░░░ intelligence One clarifying question ░░░░░░░░ lot of speculation or ░░░░░░░░ on what Mr Khaishoggi ░░░░░░░░ immigration status is Can ░░░░░░░░ clarify at all whether ░░░░░░░░ not he is a ░░░░░░░░ resident if he s ░░░░░░░░ Visa We don t ░░░░░░░░ Visas.