'Let's go to Fox': State Department spokesman creatively grilled over diplomatic vacancies amid disappearance of Saudi journalist
uk.businessinsider.com/jamal-khashoggi-disappearance-saudi-arabia-ambassadors-2018-10?r=US&IR=T
That grilling of Robert Palladino which lion linked to reminded me I'd seen Heather Nauert's less than useless State Dept Press Brief 9/10. Relevant bits only posted here:
QUESTION: I wanted to ask about Jamal Khashoggi.
MS NAUERT: Mm-hmm.
QUESTION: Have you received any response from Saudi Arabia since Secretary Pompeo registered concerns regarding his disappearance?
MS NAUERT: Sure. Let’s start out – first, I’d like to say I imagine that most if not all of you saw the statement that we put out last night. You probably also heard the President’s comments about it yesterday and also the Vice President’s tweet that he put out yesterday.
From the Secretary on down, we have been engaged in this matter. This is something that we’ve been following. I understand that the President intends to speak with the Saudis, so I’m not going to get ahead of that conversation that the President may be having.
In the Secretary’s statement, he said that we’ve seen conflicting reports about his status. We’re not going to make any judgments about what had happened to him. The United States is certainly concerned about his whereabouts. Senior officials at the State Department have spoken with Saudi officials through diplomatic channels about the matter. We call on the Government of Saudi Arabia to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation.
QUESTION: It was nearly a week between his – first reports of his disappearance and that statement from Secretary Pompeo. Why was there such a delay between those two events?
MS NAUERT: So are you assuming that taking time to put out a statement means that the State Department has not been doing anything? Is that your assumption?
QUESTION: What was the State Department doing before the statement came out?
MS NAUERT: The State Department was engaged at the highest levels and also at the working level and having conversations with Saudi Government officials, and I’ll leave it at that.
QUESTION: And then so what was the reason behind that delay in the statement coming out?
MS NAUERT: I wouldn’t – I wouldn’t call it a delay. The United States Government, as we handle situations in other countries as well, sometimes we decide to conduct our conversations and to conduct our diplomacy more privately than publicly because we feel that that could have the best outcome, and I’ll leave it at that.
QUESTION: Has the U.S. seen any evidence that Jamal might be alive?
MS NAUERT: We don’t know what has happened to him. We don’t have any information on that. That’s why I want to say we don’t want to make any judgments about what happened, and we call for a thorough and transparent investigation.
QUESTION: You’ve called for a thorough and transparent inspection from the – investigation from the Saudis, but what about the Turks? Have you asked them for their evidence, if they’ve seen --
MS NAUERT: I don’t have any information on that. I think that would be in the FBI’s lane and local investigators’ lane.
QUESTION: But you said you – they – that on these diplomatic channels you’ve spoken to the Saudis, but what about the Turks?
MS NAUERT: I don’t have any information on that. I would imagine that through the course of our conversations with the Turkish Government – we have many conversations with the Turkish Government – that this has certainly come up.
QUESTION: But that would be – that would be P, yes?
QUESTION: Did the Secretary --
MS NAUERT: Just hold on. Hold on.
QUESTION: On Friday, I saw on the Public Schedule that Mr. Hale had a meeting with the Turkish ambassador here at the State Department.
MS NAUERT: I was out on Friday, so I don’t recall what was on his private – on his public schedule. I’d have to just double-check on that, okay?
QUESTION: Okay. So --
MS NAUERT: I’m not saying it didn’t happen. I’m just not aware of it if it did. I was out on Friday.
QUESTION: Since this happened on Turkish soil, wouldn’t speaking to the Turks and being part of their investigation be absolutely key to --
MS NAUERT: I did not say that we have not spoken with the Turkish Government. I just don’t have any information on it at this moment. Okay? If I have anything in addition for you, I’ll let you know.
QUESTION: Hi. Can I ask a follow-up on Jamal Khashoggi?
MS NAUERT: Sure.
QUESTION: So the UK foreign secretary has said that if the reports are correct, “We will treat the incident seriously.” I wanted to ask why can’t – or why has not Secretary Pompeo said that if the reports are true and the Saudis, our allies, turn out to be cold-blooded killers, that there will be repercussions?
MS NAUERT: I think that would be entirely a hypothetical question, and so if the Brits decide to comment that way, they’re more than welcome to do so. But we’re going to wait until the facts come out, and we call again for a thorough and transparent investigation.
QUESTION: Will there be repercussions?
MS NAUERT: Carol, I’m not going to get ahead or assume that anything happened. We’re calling for a thorough and transparent investigation. And again, let me say this one more time: I’ll leave it at that. I don’t have anything more for you on this today.
QUESTION: Can you just confirm if it was Pompeo?
QUESTION: Does the Secretary plan to speak himself with his counterpart in Saudi Arabia, and did he raise this question when he spoke with the crown prince last week?
MS NAUERT: I can confirm --
QUESTION: There was a readout --
MS NAUERT: I can confirm that the Secretary has had phone conversations, but I don’t have any of the details. And some of those would just be private diplomatic conversations, which I will not be able to read out. Last time I’ll say this: I don’t have anything more for you on this today. If and when I have more, I will bring it to you. Okay?
QUESTION: Is it okay? Can I have one more follow-up on Khashoggi, please?
MS NAUERT: Sir, I don’t have anything --
QUESTION: It’s in relation to what you just said.
MS NAUERT: I don’t have anything more for you on that.
QUESTION: Let me just --
MS NAUERT: When I do, I would be happy to give it to you.
QUESTION: Let me just ask my question, and you decide if you don’t want --
MS NAUERT: Okay, I’ve not met you before, but go right ahead. Welcome to the State Department. And tell me your publication.
QUESTION: Fadi Mansour with Al Jazeera. I’ve been covering this place for 10 years now, thank you very much.
MS NAUERT: Pardon me?
QUESTION: I’ve been covering this place for 10 years. I don’t come every day because I cover other places.
QUESTION: Thank you. So the fact that you called on the Saudis to carry an investigation, is the State Department assuming that Saudi Arabia is responsible for the whereabout of Khashoggi?
MS NAUERT: We’re not assuming anything. Only because it was their consulate, we’re asking them to conduct an investigation.
QUESTION: Thank you