IN SIGHT. >> HAVE YOU HAD A HOT MEAL YET?
>> I HAVE NOT.
>> OKAY, LOTS TO CATCH YOU UP
ON.
ON. RIGHT NOW SECRETARY OF STATE
MIKE POMPEO IS IN SAUDI ARABIA,
HAVING DINNER WITH THE CROWN
PRINCE AS THE UNITED STATES
TRIED TO GET ANSWERS ABOUT THE
MISSING JOURNALIST.
MISSING JOURNALIST. POMPEO MET WITH THE PRINCE AND
HIS FATHER SAUDI KING SALMAN IN
RIYADH EARLIER AS NBC NEWS
LEARNED FROM THREE SOURCES THAT
SAUDI LEADERS WERE DISCUSSING A
PLAN TO ADMIT THAT KHASHOGGI WAS
KILLED AT THE SAUDI CONSULATE IN
ISTANBUL.
ISTANBUL. ONE SOURCE SAID THE KINGDOM WILL
CLAIM, QUOTE, ROGUE OPERATIVES
KILLED HIM DURING AN
INTERROGATION THAT WENT WRONG.
TURKISH INVESTIGATORS LEFT THE
CONSULATE EARLY THIS MORNING
AFTER SPENDING NINE HOURS
SEARCHING THE BUILDING.
IT WAS THE FIRST TIME POLICE
WERE LET IN SINCE KHASHOGGI WAS
LAST SEEN THERE, EXACTLY TWO
WEEKS AGO.
WEEKS AGO. AND THE SEARCH CAME HOURS AFTER
A CLEANING CREW, THIS CLEANING
CREW, WAS SEEN GOING INTO THE
BUILDING.
BUILDING. NBC NEWS CHIEF GLOBAL
CORRESPONDENT BILL NEELY JOINS
ME NOW FROM ISTANBUL.
LET’S GET UP TO SPEED ON WHAT WE
BELIEVE IS GOING ON IN SAUDI
ARABIA.
ARABIA. ARE THEY PREPARING TO COME
FORWARD WITH SOME SORT OF
EXPLANATION AS HAS BEEN REPORTED
SINCE LATE YESTERDAY?
>> WELL, YES, THE FIRST HINT WAS
OF COURSE FROM DONALD TRUMP
TALKING ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY
OF, YOU KNOW, ROGUE ACTORS IN
THIS APPALLING DRAMA.
IT LOOKS LIKE THE SAUDIS ARE --
YOU KNOW, FOR TWO WEEKS
BASICALLY SAID THEY DIDN’T KNOW
ANYTHING ABOUT IT, PLAUSIBLE
DENIABILITY, FROM BOTH THE KING
AND FOR MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN.
NOW REALIZING THAT STORY DIDN’T
FLY.
FLY. REALIZING THAT THE WORLD DID NOT
BELIEVE THEM.
BELIEVE THEM. INVESTORS FLEEING LIKE CRAZY
FROM THE INVESTMENT CONFERENCE
DUE IN SAUDI ARABIA NEXT WEEK
AND THEY REALIZED THEY HAVE TO
COME UP WITH A DIFFERENT
EXPLANATION.
EXPLANATION. PARTLY OF COURSE BECAUSE THE
TURKS HAVE EVIDENCE.
EXACTLY WHAT EVIDENCE, WE STILL
DON’T KNOW.
DON’T KNOW. WE THINK IT’S POSSIBLY
VIDEOTAPE.
VIDEOTAPE. CERTAINLY AUDIO.
CERTAINLY AUDIO. AND NOW WITH POLICE TEAMS GOING
INTO THE SAUDI CONSULATE, ACTUAL
PHYSICAL EVIDENCE.
PHYSICAL EVIDENCE. SO THE SAUDIS ARE TRYING TO HAVE
A PLAUSIBLE EXPLANATION.
I SUPPOSE THE CRITICISM FROM
SOME IN CONGRESS IS MIKE POMPEO
MAY BE PART OF THAT SQUARING OF
THE CIRCLE AND THAT REALLY HE
SHOULDN’T BE DOING THAT.
THE U.S. SHOULDN’T BE INVOLVED
IN THIS AT ALL.
>> IF YOU TAKE THAT VIEW, THEN
MAYBE DONALD TRUMP SHOULDN’T BE
FLOATING THE TRIAL BALLOON IT
WAS A BUNCH OF ROGUES GONE
WRONG.
WRONG. YESTERDAY WHEN WE TALKED YOU
FLOATED AN IDEA THERE THAT
TURKEY, SAUDI ARABIA AND THE
UNITED STATES MAY WANT THIS
HEADACHE TO GO AWAY.
THEY MIGHT BE LOOKING FOR THE
WAY IN WHICH TO MOVE PAST THIS
IN A WAY THAT DOESN’T CHALLENGE
THE AMOUNT OF OIL THAT AMERICA
GETS FROM SAUDI ARABIA, THE
AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT AMERICA
MAKES THERE, THE AMOUNT OF
WEAPONRY THAT SAUDI ARABIA BUYS
FROM THE UNITED STATES.
THAT’S MAYBE A DIPLOMATIC EFFORT
TO TRY AND SWEEP THIS POTENTIAL
MURDER OF JAMAL KHASHOGGI UNDER
THE RUG.
THE RUG. >> YES, ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
KHASHOGGI FAMILY CAME OUT WITH A
STATEMENT TODAY SAYING THEY WERE
TRAUMATIZED AND CALLING FOR AN
INDEPENDENT INTERNATIONAL
INDEPENDENT INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. WELL, SADLY, FOR THEM, I THINK
THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
THIS IS NOW IN THE REALM OF
GREAT POWER POLITICS AND A
DIPLOMATIC DEAL IS BEING
STITCHED UP.
STITCHED UP. I THINK THE ONLY POSSIBLE LOSER
IN ALL OF THIS IS THE SAUDI
CROWN PRINCE.
CROWN PRINCE. MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN WHO POMPEO
MET TODAY, HE’S SITTING DOWN TO
DINNER WITH HIM AT THIS VERY
MOMENT, WAS THE WORLD’S MOST
POWERFUL 30-SOMETHING.
POWERFUL 30-SOMETHING. HE WAS THE REAL DECISIONMAKER IN
SAUDI ARABIA.
SAUDI ARABIA. A MAN WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR
SAUDI ARABIA’S GREAT REFORM
EFFORT.
EFFORT. AT LEAST WOMEN ARE DRIVING NOW.
BUT RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL SORTS OF
OTHER THINGS LIKE THE WAR IN
YEMEN.
YEMEN. LIKE THE ARREST OF MANY SAUDI
ROYALS AND DIGNITIES IN THE RITZ
CARLTON HOTEL.
CARLTON HOTEL. ARRESTING THE LEBANESE PRIME
MINISTER, HAVING HIM RESIGN ON
LIVE TV, A HOST OF EXTRAORDINARY
THINGS.
THINGS. BUT NOW MUCH WORSE THAN THAT.
HE IS COMPLICIT IN MURDER AND
PEOPLE ARE RUNNING FROM HIM VERY
QUICKLY.
QUICKLY. DID YOU HEAR REPUBLICAN SENATOR
LINDSEY GRAHAM TALKING TODAY IN
VERY DISTASTEFUL TERMS ABOUT
MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN.
IF ANYONE IS THE LOSER IN THIS I
THINK IT’S HIM.
THE SAUDIS ARE TRYING TO CRAWL
BACK THE REPUTATION OF THE
KINGDOM AND COME UP WITH SOME
DEAL THAT ALLOWS THEM PLAUSIBLE
DENIABILITY.
DENIABILITY. OF COURSE THE TURKS ARE
ABSOLUTELY PILING ON THE
PRESSURE HERE.
PRESSURE HERE. THEY’RE QUITE HAPPY TO SEE THEIR
REGIONAL RIVAL SQUIRM.
>> THAT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO
THE RELEASE OF PASTOR BRUNSON
WHILE THE TURKS CAN GAIN POINTS
IN THE EYES OF THE UNITED STATES
AND THE WEST, THEY WERE TAKING
AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO.
BILL, YOU HAVE COVERED THE WORLD
AND YOU KNOW THIS ADMINISTRATION
IN PARTICULAR.
IN PARTICULAR. MIGHT GENERALIZE AND SAY
AMERICAN AND WESTERN GOVERNMENTS
IN GENERAL HAVE OFTEN TURNED A
BLIND EYE TO COUNTRIES THAT ARE
BUSINESS AND STRATEGIC AND
DIPLOMATIC AND MILITARY PARTNERS
WHEN THOSE COUNTRIES ENGAGE IN
HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES OR PRESS
FREEDOM ABUSES.
FREEDOM ABUSES. THIS IS JUST NOT SOMETHING WE
TEND TO DO.
WE TEND TO SAY, AS THE PRESIDENT
DID, WE’VE GOT REMARKABLE
BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS WITH
SAUDI ARABIA.
SAUDI ARABIA. THEY ARE, IN FACT, THE LARGEST
BUYER OF AMERICAN ARMS.
THE PRESIDENT IN AN INTERVIEW ON
"60 MINUTES" NAMED BOEING,
RATHEON, AS COMPANIES THAT WOULD
SUFFER IF WE STOP SELL THINGS,
INCLUDING THE SAUDIS.
THIS IS THE WAY OF THE WORLD
UNFORTUNATELY.
UNFORTUNATELY. >> EVERY COUNTRY LIKES TO THINK
IT HAS AN ETHICAL FOREIGN
POLICY.
POLICY. SOMETIMES THAT DOES INCLUDE
HUMAN RIGHTS.
HUMAN RIGHTS. BUT PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS NOT BEEN
A GREAT CHAMPION OF HUMAN
RIGHTS.
RIGHTS. I THINK HERE IT’S REAL POLLITIK
THAT IS GOING TO WIN OUT.
I THINK HE QUOTED THE FIGURE OF
500,000 AMERICAN JOBS.
YES, HE NAMED ALL THOSE
COMPANIES.
COMPANIES. OF COURSE, THE SAUDIS WERE NOT
SLOW IN SAYING LOOK, IF YOU MESS
WITH US, WE WILL MESS WITH THE
GLOBAL ECONOMY AND ON THE SAUDI
STATE MEDIA, THEY WERE TALKING
ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF OIL
PRICE PER BARREL GOING UP TO
$200 A BARREL.
IT’S NOW AROUND, JUST AROUND $80
A BARREL.
A BARREL. THE SAUDIS ARE FLEXING THEIR
DIPLOMATIC MUSCLE.
DIPLOMATIC MUSCLE. SO ALL THE GREAT POWERS ARE
COOKING UP SOME KIND OF
EXPLANATION THAT WILL BE
CONVENIENT TO EVERYONE.
ONE LOSER MAY BE MOHAMMED BIN
SALMAN BUT REALLY THE REAL LOSER
IS THE FAMILY AND THE PERSON OF
JAMAL KHASHOGGI AND OF COURSE
THE GREAT QUESTION IS WHERE’S
HIS BODY --
>> YEP.
>> YEP. >> HOW ON EARTH DID HE DIE AND
WHY DID THIS HAPPEN IN THE FIRST
PLACE.
PLACE. >> WE APPRECIATE YOU BREAKING IT
DOWN AND YOUR ANALYSIS, BILL
NEELY FOR US IN ISTANBUL.
JOINING ME NOW IS ROBIN WRIGHT,
JOURNALIST AND SENIOR FELLOW AT
THE WOODROW WILSON CENTER.
SHE’S KNOWN JAMAL KHASHOGGI FOR
YEARS.
YEARS. ROBIN, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
MARCO RUBIO, ONE OF THE U.S.
REPUBLICAN SENATORS WHO DO NOT
SEEM TO BE SATISFIED WITH THIS
PENDING SAUDI EXPLANATION FOR
KHASHOGGI’S DEATH HAS ASKED A
NUMBER OF QUESTIONS.
LET’S SAY THE SAUDIS COME OUT
AND SAY THIS WAS A ROGUE THING
OR RENDITION GONE WRONG.
WHERE’S THE BODY?
WHY TWO WEEKS OF LIES ABOUT
THIS?
THIS? AND WHY IS THE SECRETARY OF
STATE OF THE UNITED STATES
SITTING WITH BIN SALMAN IN WHAT
SOME OBSERVERS MIGHT THINK TO BE
AN EFFORT TO CRAFT A PLAUSIBLE
RESPONSE THAT WILL ALLOW SAUDI
ARABIA TO GET PAST THIS?
ANY OF THESE QUESTION, TAKE
WHICHEVER ONE YOU WANT.
>> THE REPERCUSSIONS ARE
WIDENING IN WASHINGTON.
THERE HAS BEEN CONSENSUS AMONG
REPUBLICANS WHO ARE ALLIES OF
THE PRESIDENT QUESTIONING NOT
JUST THE LEADERSHIP OF THE
KINGDOM BUT THE U.S.
RELATIONSHIP.
RELATIONSHIP. AND THE VERY STRONG RELATIONSHIP
FROM RUBIO, GRAHAM, McCONNELL.
ALL INDICATES THAT FOR THE
FORESEEABLE FUTURE, SAUDI ARABIA
IS GOING TO HAVE A HARD TIME
BERING RELATIONSHIPS OR
REPAIRING RELATIONSHIPS WITH
UNITED STATES.
UNITED STATES. >> SAUDI ARABIA’S NOT IN ANY WAY
A DEMOCRACY.
A DEMOCRACY. IF THEY GO WITH THIS ANSWER THAT
IT WAS AN INTERROGATION GONE
WRONG, A RENDITION GONE WRONG,
ROGUE KILLERS WOULD MAY NOT HAVE
BEEN SENT BY SAUDI ARABIA WHO
MAY HAVE KILLED SOMEBODY INSIDE
THE EMBASSY IN ISTANBUL.
IF THAT IS THE MESSAGE, THAT BIN
SALMAN IS NOT IN CONTROL OF
THINGS AS HE WOULD HAVE THE
WORLD BELIEVE.
WORLD BELIEVE. EITHER THE REPUTED HEAD OF SAUDI
ARABIA ORDERED JAMAL’S KILLING
OR HE DIDN’T.
BOTH ARE PROBLEMS FOR HIM.
>> YES, AND BIN SALMAN IS
CLEARLY THE SINGULAR POWER IN
THE KINGDOM.
THE KINGDOM. HE’S CONSOLIDATED ALL FIVE MAJOR
WINGS OF GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING A
MILITARY ESTABLISHMENT, THE
ECONOMIC COUNCIL, THE POLITICAL
ROYAL COURT.
ROYAL COURT. THERE IS ALMOST NO AVENUE TO
CHALLENGE HIS RULE.
MANY OF THE PEOPLE AMONG THE 15
WHO REPORTEDLY WENT TO THE SAUDI
CONSULATE IN ISTANBUL ARE
EMPLOYEES OF BRANCHES OF
GOVERNMENT THAT HE CONTROLS.
IT’S VERY HARD TO SEE HOW HE
DIDN’T KNOW OR DIDN’T HAVE SOME
ROLE IN THIS VERY TRAGIC AFFAIR.
AND THE WAY IT’S PLAYED OUT, THE
WAY IT’S BEEN BUNGLED, YOU KNOW,
WITH THE REPEATED LIES, TRYING
TO FIND SOME OUT FOR THE
KINGDOM, RECALLING DIPLOMATS.
IT’S REALLY QUITE STAGGERING.
I CAN’T THINK OF ANYTHING
COMPARABLE ANY PLACE ELSE IN THE
WORLD RECENTLY.
WORLD RECENTLY. >> A NUMBER OF CONGRESS SENATORS
ARE DOUBTING THE SAUDI STORY AND
HAS SAID IF THIS STORY IS THE
ONE THAT COMES OUT, THEY STILL
DON’T ACTUALLY BELIEVE IT.
LINDSEY GRAHAM HAS SAID HE’S
GOING TO, QUOTE, SANCTION THE
HELL OUT OF SAUDI ARABIA IF THIS
IS THE CASE.
THE IDEA OF SANCTIONING SAUDI
ARABIA IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT
TO SEE HOW IT PLAYS OUT.
THIS IS SALMAN’S FUTURE.
KIND OF RESTS ON HIS VISION
2030, WHICH IS A PLAN TO
DIVERSIFY AN OIL-RELIANT ECONOMY
AND HE NEEDS HUNDREDS OF
MILLIONS, BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN
FOREIGN INVESTMENT TO MAKE THAT
WORK AND OF COURSE HE WAS
HOLDING -- CONTINUES WHO PLAN TO
HOLD A CONFERENCE THIS MONTH TO
TRY TO DRAW IN.
THE STAKES REALLY HAVE DEEPENED.
FOR THE DISAPPEARANCE AND
PURPORTED DISMEMBERMENT OF JAMAL
AND THE FUTURE OF THE KINGDOM AS
IT TRIES TO BE MORE THAN AN
OIL-RICH DESERT MONARCHY.
>> WHAT YOU THINK IS GOING ON
WITH POMPEO AND SALMAN, IS IT A
STERN CONVERSATION?
STERN CONVERSATION? >> YOU HAVE TO HOPE THAT POMPEO
WAS READING THE RIOT ACT.
THIS IS SOMEONE WHO HAS AMERICAN
CHILDREN AND CLOSE TIES WITH THE
UNITED STATES.
UNITED STATES. YOU CAN’T TREAT ANYONE THAT WAY,
IN YOUR KINGDOM OR OUTSIDE THE
KINGDOM.
KINGDOM. BUT THE OPTICS OF THE MEETING
TODAY WERE VERY STRIKING.
THAT THE SECRETARY WAS SITTING
NEXT TO THE CROWN PRINCE AND
THEY APPEARED TO BE LAUGHING,
ENJOYING EACH OTHER’S COMPANY,
AND THE CROWN PRINCE
DELIBERATELY, WHILE CAMERAS WERE
ROLLING, POINTED OUT THAT THE
TWO COUNTRIES HAVE BEEN ALLIES
IN THE PAST, THE PRESENT AND
WILL BE IN THE FUTURE AND
POMPEO, QUITE ENTHUSIASTICALLY,
SAID ABSOLUTELY.
SAID ABSOLUTELY. AND THAT’S NOT THE KIND OF
MESSAGE THAT THE ADMINISTRATION
SHOULD BE SENDING.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> TO THE KINGDOM.
>> THAT MIGHT BE AN INTERESTING
LONG-TERM MESSAGE.