US Scrambles Amid Saudi Threats to Downgrade Ties

'Urgent Talks' Aimed at Quelling Saudi Anger at Diplomacy

Saudi Arabia is getting angrier and angrier about the Obama Administration’s recent lack of wars, furious at the deal to disarm Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal instead of invading them, and even moreso that talks with Iran seem to be making good progress.

Much the same as Israel, the Saudi government has built its policy around assumptions of US hostility toward certain nations, and is uncomfortable with even the hint that such acrimony could be waning.

And while reports of Saudi Arabia “severing ties” with the US appear to be greatly exaggerated, the public expressions of outrage have been enough to prompt “urgent talks” with Secretary of State John Kerry.

Kerry is no fan of diplomacy himself, despite being the top US diplomat, and spearheaded the failed effort to attack Syria. It is ironic, then, that Kerry is finding himself in the position of appeasing other hawks about the sudden outbreak of rapprochement, and as with his talks with Israel, Kerry is likely to downplay the chances of a deal and hold out hopes for the wars everyone in the room seems to be rooting for.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.