President Biden spoke with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman on Thursday ahead of the release of a US intelligence report on the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi that is expected to pin the killing on Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBS.
US officials have told media outlets that the report is a declassified version of an intelligence assessment that says MBS ordered Khashoggi’s murder that took place in the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul. Saudi Arabia denies that MBS directed the hit.
The Biden administration has said it will reevaluate the US-Saudi relationship. So far, the only real policy change has been an announcement that the US is ending all support for Saudi Arabia’s “offensive” operations in Yemen. But President Biden made it clear that military support will continue if it can be framed as defensive.
According to a readout of the Salman-Biden call, President Biden reaffirmed the US “commitment to help Saudi Arabia defend its territory as it faces attacks,” a reference to attacks inside the kingdom launched by Yemen’s Houthis. The fact is, these attacks wouldn’t be happening if the Saudis haven’t been waging a vicious bombing campaign in Yemen for almost six years now.
The two leaders also discussed “the renewed diplomatic efforts led by the United Nations and the United States to end the war in Yemen.” As part of Biden’s new Yemen policy, he appointed a special envoy to seek a diplomatic solution to end the war who has been meeting with Saudi officials.
“The President told King Salman he would work to make the bilateral relationship as strong and transparent as possible,” the readout said. Biden also “noted positively” the recent release of women’s rights activists in Saudi Arabia.
“But President Biden made it clear that military support will continue if it can be framed as defensive.”
Notice a trend? See Syria.
doublespeak…………….
What did he ask him, to promise not to chop up any more folks he doesn’t like??
I’m sure they also discussed what kind of diapers they wear. And I’m wondering if they had interpreters or just people there to wake them up whenever they started drifting off into a drool dripping nap.
From what I have gathered, there was no discussion of the murder.
They have sooo much in common.
An amazing amount of falsehoods is being sprayed these days around and about Saudi Arabia . Makes me wonder — what is the point of books like Blood and Oil, or many other experts that are anything but? Are the people who wrote the book or writing rather stupid and obvious falsehoods, trying to get themselves ingratiated to certain power circles, trying to get employed by a think-tank, or become advisors?
Hard to say.
But this is certain. They are so grossly twisting the truth, that even a total novice with some research skills can easily expose obvious errors. I say errors — but this is not what these things are. They are deliberately misleading, that is lies with intent.
Examples too many to go over. Notably, killing of Kashoggi, start of Yemen war, start of Qatar blockade, authority of Crown Prince, Ritz shake up, etc, etc. etc.
What has not been clarified EVER, as nobody wants to ask ugly questions — what is US interest in Yemen and why is it hovering there?
Biden knows that it is weird, so he is now offering STANDARD answer to all questions: it is for DEFENSE!
It may be his administration’s defining phrase — it is the defense stupid!
And the political posture is already becoming cookie cutter creative. Thus — you Saudi Arabia are protected by great protector, and in turn you do what we say, or else. And to King, you better restrain the junior. He thinks he is an international player — better get back into compliance.
Same with Russia, China, etc. “We, Royal We, can bestow upon you our grace in matters of interest to us — on all others issue we reserve the right to be extremely unpleasant.”.
Crown Prince is THE government of Saudi Arabia. Kung is the power balancer between The Council of Allegiance and Crown Prince. The Council represents all Saudi clans. They are the power. They appoint Crown Prince, and they back him up, or can replace him. The clans have their disagreements about share of power, money, privileges. They are born with income.
The most difficult period the Kingdom went through in recent history is US direct interference in royal selection. It happened after King Salman ascendance. The Council appointed Prince Muqrin to the position of Crown Prince. US was displeased, as for years US groomed the then Minister of the Interior, Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef. By groomed, I mean from his college days in US to FBI and Scotland Yard “training”.
And then, Saudi elite (clans) buckled under Obama pressure, and removed Prince Muqrin after about three months as Crown Prince. And US favorite appointed. Under pressure, before being pushed out, Prince Muqrin authorized an intervention in Yemen for ONE MONTH. Once Mohammed Bin Nayef (MBN) took charge as Crown Prince in 2014. All the plans and covert operations were implemented full blown. MBS as Interior Minister was already running Syria operation in coordination with CIA and MI5. ISIS was born in the same lab — as a remedy to disjointed actions of various Salafi militants, funded by Saudis and UAE, and supported ideologically by Wahhabi establishment. Coordination of ISIS Caliphate was performed by a cadre of experienced administrators and special ops in command positions. The objective was to unify groups of militants, and take as much territory from Syria and Iraq where Sunnis are majority.
Eventually, the Caliphate was to capture imagination of ordinary people as guarantee against chaos.
But by 2015 Russia came into Syria and pushed ISIS away from major urban areas. Baghdad stopped listening to US intelligence, established militia to augment army, and started winning against ISIS. US in parallel built Kurdish militants in birh Syria and Iraq, propping them up to hedge against ISIS losses. .
Saudis spent a fortune into Obama plan, and Obama “coalition” did nothing but kill ISIS leaders, trying to generate excitement of Bin Laden theater.
But things looked grim, as ISIS was losing in Iraq and Syria.
Then came Trump. Being smart enough not to be in the losing end — he declared war in ISIS — could not let Russia win, and Iraq liberate itself.
This was the biggest crisis of confidence in US. When Trump went to visit Saudi Arabia and delivered news that Caliphate territory is not defensible — that was blow to the entire decade of Saudi policy. Shocked MBN took Trump’s advice to shift all blame in Qatar, and declare Qartar supporter of terrorism. Trump wanted Qatar to kneel, because of relations with Iran.
That was the last thing MBN did. King had resented US meddling and appointing MBN to do things without support i of elite. He then appointed his son to defense and oil control, to insure he has a spy in the cabinet. Contrary to public misinformation — MBS could not do anything during MBN rule. Because Crown Prince controlled the policy. In US, false information was spread that the King had Alzheimers, and that he should retire and MBN take over.
So when un June 2017 MBN was pushed out by Allegiance Council, and they appointed MBS. And King took a 2,000 strong delegation to Moscow. Wahhabi stopped funding ISIS, by end of 2017 Mosul fell. Raqqa fell a year later, keeping them shielded from Damascus until SDF was built enough to take over Manbij and Raqqa.
With Saudis out of the picture, nobody supported militants, and many came to a deal with Damascus, later with Turkey.
MBS is a break with old Saudi role, and a more independent one.
The killing if Khahoggi was perpetrated by people loyal to MBN, with some intelligence support. Allegiance Council ordered then to MBS to reorganize and remove MBN supporters. Saudis did not go after MBN because of respect for his clan. But recently MBN was arrested for planning a coup.
If Biden thinks that King can be prevailed on to free MBN or remove MBS — not likely.
Biden needs to exit Yemen war, and has no leverage over Saudis — other then unveiling the intelligence, as if Turkry did not get the executioners in living color. All is known, all is clear. Now comes Biden to tell them something. new.