Local Editor

Pentagon chief Jim Mattis warned a Middle East forum on Saturday that the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul "must concern us all greatly".

Quoting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Mattis told a security conference in Bahrain that the United States "does not tolerate this kind of ruthless action to silence Mr. Khashoggi, a journalist, through violence".

"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 claimed.

"Failure of any nation to adhere to international norms and the rule of law undermines regional stability at a time when it is needed most."

Khashoggi was murdered after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2.

On Thursday, CIA Director Gina Haspel briefed US President Donald Trump on the latest developments in the investigation after a fact-finding mission to Turkey.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team