Pompeo Cuts Mideast Tour for Family Business

Nawal Sayed

By Nawal Sayed

CAIRO, Jan. 14 (SEE) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cuts the

rest of his Middle East trip to attend a family funeral, a State Department

spokesman said on Monday. Pompeo will return home after meetings in Oman

instead of travelling on to Kuwait.

Pompeo has

begun his Middle East trip on Jan. 8 and it should have lasted until Jan. 15.

He visited Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, UAE, Doha and Saudi Arabia. His last stop will

be in Oman where he will meet with Sultan Qaboos late Monday.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (L) meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia January 14, 2019. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool via REUTERS

Yemeni Conflict

Pompeo held

meetings with both Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdel Aziz

and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The three leaders agreed on the

importance of a de-escalation in military operations in Yemen amid United

Nations peace efforts to the end the conflict.

Soldiers inspect the scene of a Houthi drone attack at Yemeni government military parade in al-Anad air base, Lahaj province, Yemen January 10, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE

The Iranian-aligned Houthi and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government agreed

during peace talks in Sweden in December on a ceasefire in Hodeidah and to

withdraw troops from the strategic Red Sea port city.

"We talked about the fact that work done in Sweden on Yemen was

good but we need both sides to honour those commitments. To date, the

Iranian-backed Houthis have chosen not to do that," Pompeo said.

Khashoggi Murder

U.S. Secretary said that Saudi leaders assured him everyone responsible

for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi would be held accountable, as

Riyadh tries to resolve its biggest political crisis in a generation.

Pompeo told reporters he had also raised a number of human rights

issues with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

FILE PHOTO: A demonstrator holds a poster with a picture of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi outside the Saudi Arabia consulate in Istanbul, Turkey October 25, 2018. REUTERS/Osman Orsal -/File Photo

Khashoggi was killed in October in the kingdom's Istanbul consulate,

prompting a global outcry including Treasury sanctions on 17 inpiduals. At

least 21 Saudis have been detained in the case, with five facing the death

penalty. Five officials were also fired, including a senior royal advisor.

"They both acknowledged that accountability needed to take place.

They talked about the process that is occurring inside their country, both the

investigative process and the judicial process that is taking place," Pompeo said.

"They reiterated their commitment to achieve the objective, the

expectations we set for them."

Syrian Crisis

U.S. President

Donald Trump's threat to devastate Turkey economically should it attack a

Washington-backed Kurdish militia in Syria would not change plans to withdraw

troops from the country, Secretary of State declared from Riyadh.

Asked what

Trump meant by economic devastation, Pompeo told reporters in Riyadh:

"You'll have to ask the president."

FILE PHOTO: Turkish lira banknotes are seen in this picture illustration in Istanbul, Turkey August 14, 2018. REUTERS/Murad Sezer/Illustration/File Photo

"We have

applied economic sanctions in many places, I assume he is speaking about those

kinds of things. You'll have to ask him, "Pompeo said, adding he had

not spoken with Ankara since Trump's comment.

"I don't

think it changes the president's decision for our 2,000 uniformed personnel to

depart Syria," he added.

Relations between

the two NATO allies have been strained over U.S. backing for the Kurdish YPG,

which Turkey views as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party

(PKK) that is waging a decades-long insurgency on Turkish soil.

FILE PHOTO:Kurdish fighters from the People's Protection Units (YPG) stand near U.S military vehicles in the town of Darbasiya next to the Turkish border, Syria April 29, 2017. REUTERS/Rodi Said/File Photo