On the heels of President Trump sending Secretary of State Mike Pompeo this morning to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, after talking with the Saudi King who denied any knowledge of the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi government is prepared to admit that Khashoggi was murdered.

According to CNN

The Saudis are preparing a report that will acknowledge the death of Jamal Khashoggi — the Saudi journalist who went missing two weeks ago — was the result of an interrogation that went wrong, two sources say.

Khashoggi’s disappearance created a diplomatic rift between Saudi and the West, with the UK, France and Germany demanding a “credible investigation” into the events and President Trump warning of serious retribution if the Saudis are found to be behind his possible death.

This has put the Trump administration on the defensive for the past two weeks. The Turkish government had been leaking info the whole time saying that Khashoggi had been murdered and that every Saudi denial was just a lie. This past weekend, members of Congress were united in their view that if the Saudis had something to do with this they should be punished.

According to The Atlantic

On Sunday, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, the number three Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, appeared on three separate news programs to argue for accountability if it proves true that Saudi operatives “went medieval on him.”

“I believe the Trump administration will do something. The president has said that,” Rubio said on CNN’s State of the Union. “But, if he doesn’t, Congress will. That I can tell you with 100 percent certainty. With almost full unanimity, across the board, Republicans and Democrats, there will be a very strong congressional response.”

My belief is that that the Turkish government did not just release Pastor Andrew Brunson being they felt it was time. The American and Turkish governments have been talking since Khashoggi disappearance was made public and the Turks are trying to insert a permanent wedge in the U.S.- Saudi relationship. Releasing Brunson was a good faith move and now this admission by the Kingdom will further that goal.

In case you missed my other post on a different subject Sen. Hatch ‘Shoos Away’ People Yelling At Him, Tells Them To “Grow Up” and my podcast Bourbon On The Rocks check it out and follow me on the twitters at IRISHDUKE2