Biden’s fist bump with MBS signals a reset in US-Saudi relations, sparks fierce criticism
Before he left for the Middle East, administration officials told CNN they were aiming for a full restoration of the US-Saudi relationship after years of tension following Khashoggi’s murder. An on-camera fist bump between Biden and the crown prince symbolized the moment. The meetings in Jeddah appeared to coincide with a planned reset of US relations with the kingdom, and Biden announced several new areas of cooperation aimed at reshaping US- of Saudi Arabia. But images of Biden’s seemingly funny interactions with the crown prince drew the most attention. The President was heavily criticized — including by his fellow Democrats — for slamming MBS during their first face-to-face interaction in Jeddah. Critics said the punch helped restore the 36-year-old leader’s reputation on the world stage just over a year after the US declassified an intelligence report that concluded he personally ordered Khashoggi’s brutal killing, a charge the crown prince denied at the meeting. them, Biden said. Images of the punch were quickly shown by the Saudi government, including on Saudi state television. Washington Post editor Fred Ryan said Biden’s punch was “embarrassing” because it “projected a level of familiarity and comfort that offers MBS the unwarranted redemption he desperately sought.” There was much speculation before the trip whether Biden would shake hands with the crown prince, particularly when the White House said the President would try to reduce contact with others amid the spread of a contagious sub-variant of the micron variant of Covid-19.
Biden cites Khashoggi killing with MBS, emphasizes US support for human rights
Hours after he came under fire for that hit, the President went before the traveling press to say he had raised Khashoggi’s killing directly with Crown Prince Mohammed. Biden said he was “straight and direct” with MBS, adding that he indicated to the crown prince that he believed he was responsible for Khashoggi’s murder. A day earlier, while in Israel, Biden had stopped short of confirming that he planned to bring up Khashoggi’s death with the Crown Prince, instead insisting that he had “always” emphasized human rights and that his views on the assassination had been expressed ” absolutely”. Clear. The President reiterated that point on Friday. “For an American president to be silent on the issue of human rights is inconsistent with who we are and who I am. I will always stand up for our values,” Biden told reporters. On Saturday, as he delivered remarks to the Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as the leaders of Egypt, Iraq and Jordan, the President again touched on human rights as he sat next to Crown Prince Mohammed, touting the values enshrined in the charter of the UN “fundamental to who we are as Americans” and encouraging the assembled leaders to allow more rights for women and the press. “I’ve taken plenty of criticism over the years. It’s not fun. But the ability to talk openly, to exchange ideas freely, is what unlocks innovation,” Biden said.
Biden leaves Saudi Arabia without public pledges to increase oil production, but hints at private assurances
Biden came to Jeddah seeking solutions to one of his top political problems at home — high gas prices — as diplomacy with the kingdom and other Middle Eastern allies was seen as one of the few avenues he could take to to relieve the pain in the pump. But the trip did not prompt immediate announcements of increased oil production. The trip came amid high gas prices and widespread inflation in the US and around the world, in part due to Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine that has been ongoing since February. High gas and grocery prices in the US are putting pressure on millions of Americans and are a major political liability for Biden’s Democratic Party in this year’s midterm elections. While natural gas prices have been falling in recent weeks, high prices have become a thorn in Biden’s side. White House officials said before the Saudi leg of the trip that they did not expect to leave with promises to increase oil production, and that prediction came true when Biden left the kingdom on Saturday. However, the President expressed optimism that regional leaders will take action soon as the next OPEC meeting takes place in early August. “Based on our discussions today, I expect we will see further steps in the coming weeks,” Biden said Friday after hours of meetings with the Saudi leadership.
The President is trying to reassure allies that the US is committed to the Middle East
Biden sought to reassert US leadership in the Middle East during Saturday’s GCC+3 summit with key leaders in the region and vowed that his administration would remain actively engaged amid fears that China and Russia they could quickly fill a leadership void. The focus of the President’s foreign policy since taking office has largely been on countering China’s growing geopolitical influence and Russia’s war in Ukraine, which has raised questions about the extent of Biden’s commitment to Middle East engagement. . “The United States is investing in building a positive future in the region in partnership with all of you, and the United States is not going anywhere,” Biden said at the GCC+3 meeting. The summit took place nearly a year after the US withdrew all military troops from Afghanistan and ended 20 years of war in the country. Biden also noted that his visit to the Middle East was the first time since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that a U.S. president had visited the region without U.S. troops engaging in combat in the region, although U.S. forces continue to conduct operations in Syria. Biden has come under pressure to do more to confront Iran in the region and come up with a coordinated strategy among allies, and on Saturday pledged to play a big US role in the Middle East for years to come. “Let me state clearly that the United States will remain an active and committed partner in the Middle East,” he said. The White House issued a joint statement later Saturday, in which it said all participants in the meeting “reaffirmed their intent to continue holding the US-GRC Summit annually.”
Biden eyes diplomacy to stop Iran from getting nukes despite Israeli skepticism
Biden has pushed for a revival of the Iran nuclear deal, from which former President Donald Trump withdrew the US in 2018, as he faces growing pressure from key allies in the Middle East to come up with a plan to contain Iran. But hopes appear to be fading that a deal will materialize, and the President acknowledged that the US is “not going to wait forever” for a response from the Iranian leadership. “I continue to believe that diplomacy is the best way to achieve this outcome,” Biden said at a news conference Thursday. “We will continue to work with Israel to address other threats from Iran across the region, including support for terrorism and its continued ballistic missile program and proliferation of weapons to terrorists and proxies such as Hezbollah.” By Biden’s side at that press conference was Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, who has been dismissive of another nuclear deal as a means to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. “Words will not stop them, Mr. President. Diplomacy will not stop them. The only thing that will stop Iran is knowing that if it continues to develop its nuclear program, the free world will use force. The only way to to stop them is to put a credible military threat on the table,” Lapid said. Iran was a main topic of discussion during the bilateral meeting between Biden and Lapid on Thursday, and the two leaders signed a new joint statement aimed at expanding the security relationship between their nations and countering Iran’s efforts to destabilize the region. The President reiterated the US’s “ironclad commitment” to Israel’s security.
