Obama messes up relations with yet another ally
Maybe he just didn't bow low enough or something. Yet the pleasantries conceal what some analysts see as a widening gulf between the two allies, as Saudi Arabia hedges its relationship with the West over concern about the growing influence of Iran amidst a feeling that the US isn't doing enough to stop Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Simon Henderson of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, writing on foreignpolicy.com, said the "distancing" going on in the US-Saudi relationship was also clear in the case of oil policy.If it wasn't for the Iran factor, a distancing of the United States from the Saudis would actually be a cause for celebration. But the Iran motivation shows that the Saudis don't believe Obama will act on Iran and that they are angry about it too.
The talk on oil comes at time when the US is in the midst of reassessing its energy policy. Earlier Tuesday Obama held a bi-partisan meeting with nearly two dozen lawmakers with the aim of pushing forward comprehensive legislation to move Americans away from fossil fuel and towards greener alternatives.
"Though for many years, in a clear statement of diplomatic priorities, the kingdom was the largest foreign supplier of oil to the United States, it has now slipped behind Canada and Mexico," he noted.
What could go wrong?
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:57 PM
2 Comments:
Why don't the Saudis do something about their Persian problem?
Who says they want to? The Saudis couldn't defend themselves from Iraq. They sure as heck can't defend themselves from Iran.
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