Jared Kushner: Donald Trump Weighing “Strategic Objectives” Against Jamal Khashoggi Murder

The United States is “in the fact finding phase” of the investigation into the Saudi murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, First Son-In-Law Jared Kushner told CNN’s Van Jones.

“We’re getting as many facts as we can from the different places; then we will determine which facts are credible and, after that, the President and Secretary of State will make a determination as to what we deem to be credible and what actions we think we should take,” Kushner said at CitizenCNN in New York.

“We have to be able to work with our allies,” Kushner hastened to add.

“Saudi Arabia has been a very strong ally in terms of pushing back against Iran’s aggression which is funding a lot of terror in the region.”

“We have lot of terrorism in the region,” Kushner noted. “The Middle East is a rough place; it’s been a rough place for a very long time. And we have to be able to pursue our strategic objectives, but we also have to deal with obviously what seems like a terrible situation.”

Asked if he trusts the Saudis to investigate themselves, given that prince MBS is the “prime suspect” while also the “prime investigator,” Kushner insisted the administration is not relying solely on the Saudi version of events.

“We’re getting facts in from multiple places. Once those facts come in, the Secretary of State will work with our national security team to help us determine what we want to believe,” Kushner said.

Asked about the deception already attempted by the Saudi royal family in Khashoggi’s disappearance, Kushner said this was just business as usual.

“I see things that are deceptive every day. In the Middle East, I seem them in Washington. We have our eyes wide open,” he said.

Determining what the Trump administration wants to believe, Kushner explained, “The president is focused on what is good for America, what are our strategic interests, where do we share interests with other countries.”

“But, yeah, every day we deal with people who are trying to deceive us in different ways. Our job is to see through it, but also to stay focused on what’s best for the American people. The president is fully committed to doing that.”

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