Mnuchin drops out of Saudi Conference

[avebury]

https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/18/politics/mnuchin-decision-saudi-conference/index.html


Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced Thursday that he will not participate in a high-profile investor conference in Saudi Arabia amid growing controversy over dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance and apparent killing.

Mnuchin announced his decision shortly after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo briefed President Donald Trump on his visit earlier this week to Riyadh to discuss the Khashoggi case. Pompeo urged patience with the Saudi investigation, telling reporters that he advised the President to give the Saudis "a few more days" -- but Mnuchin followed up shortly afterward with a tweet saying he would not go to Riyadh, reversing the position he's taken over the past week.

"Just met with @realDonaldTrump and @SecPompeo and we have decided, I will not be participating in the Future Investment Initiative summit in Saudi Arabia," Mnuchin tweeted.

An administration official told CNN that no other government officials will attend next week's summit in Mnuchin's place.

The chief factor driving Mnuchin's decision was the withdrawal on Thursday of several of his European counterparts, including ministers from France and the UK, according to a senior administration official. Both Mnuchin and Trump had been waiting to see what other countries would do before deciding themselves.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. I know it's not from shame. NT

[elfin]

2. What's the least we can do and make it sound like a BIG DEAL? nt

[gratuitous]

3. Ha, ha, "The chief factor driving Mnuchin's decision . . ."

I'd bet a dollar to a hole in a donut the chief factor was that wifey didn't want to go to someplace so beastly hot.

Even at that, though, the story saying that Trump and Mnuchin didn't want to make a decision until they saw what everyone else was doing doesn't say much about American leadership, does it?

[pandr32]

4. Now if only he'd drop out as Sec. of the Treasury

[JCMach1]

5. Well, since he knows about killing- see his experience from Sears