US Treasury Secretary meets Saudi crown prince amid growing criticism over Khashoggi killing

Riyadh/ Washington, Oct 23 : US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Monday held closed-door talks in Riyadh with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has faced a global backlash over journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder.
The official Saudi Press Agency said the two stressed “the importance of the Saudi-US strategic partnership” in a meeting on the eve of a key investment conference in Riyadh.
Mnuchin is a among a wave of Western political leaders who pulled out of the Future Investment Initiative (FII), dubbed “Davos in the desert,” amid global outrage over the journalist’s murder in Saudi Arabia’s Istanbul consulate.
They were held despite the fact that Mr Mnuchin – like a number of other Western politicians and businessmen – had pulled out of a major investment forum being held in the Saudi capital this week.
Trump said Monday he was “not satisfied” with Riyadh’s explanation of how Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor, died inside the Saudi consulate.
Mr Trump also said he had discussed the issue with the Saudi crown prince, seen as the country’s most powerful figure.
The Saudis say they have arrested 18 people, sacked two aides of Mohammed bin Salman and set up a body, under his leadership, to reform the intelligence agency over the killing reported BBC.
Mnuchin’s withdrawal from the investment conference came after top financial, trade and foreign officials from Britain, France and Germany also dropped out.
The Saudis have said they plan to move forward with the conference, scheduled for Tuesday through Thursday, despite a wave of cancellations by business titans and media giants.
Mnuchin still plans to attend a meeting of the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center in Riyadh, despite the suspected involvement of Saudi government officials and security services in the slaying of Khashoggi , according to a Saturday report in the Washington Post.