Report: Obama to visit Saudi Arabia amid Iran, Syria tensions

[Jefferson23]

Obama preparing to meet with King Abdullah for a summit, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing unnamed Arab officials briefed on the meetings.

By Reuters | Feb. 1, 2014 |

President Barack Obama plans to travel to Saudi Arabia in March on a mission to smooth tensions with Washington's main Arab ally over U.S. policy on Iran's nuclear program and the civil war in Syria, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

Obama is preparing to meet with King Abdullah for a summit, the newspaper reported on Friday, citing unnamed Arab officials briefed on the meetings.

"This is about a deteriorating relationship" and declining trust, said a senior Arab official in discussing the need for the summit, which was pulled together in recent days, the newspaper reported.

A White House spokeswoman declined to comment.

The United States and Saudi Arabia have been allies since the kingdom was formed in 1932, giving Riyadh a powerful military protector and Washington secure oil supplies.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/1.571820

[ForgoTheConsequence]

1. Some oppressive dictatorships are more equal than others.

......







Fuck Saudi Arabia.

[Scootaloo]

2. I hope there's no kissing. n/t

[Jefferson23]

3. Saudi Prince praises Livni at Munich Security conference

Justice minister exchanges words with Saudi Prince Turki bin Faisal during panel discussion at German conference.

Justice Minister Tzipi Livni is the right person to lead Israel's negotiating team, Saudi Prince Turki bin Faisal said at the Munich Security Conference Friday.

Livni's office confirmed Sunday that during a question and answer session at the end of a panel on the peace process, featuring Livni, Chief PLO Negotiator Saeb Erekat and American Envoy Martin Indyk, the Saudi prince asked Livni about the Arab Peace Initiative.

At the end of the panel discussion, bin Faisal praised Livni, saying he "understands why [she was] chosen to be Israel's negotiator."

"If only you could sit on the same stage with me and talk about it," Livni responded, hinting at a desire to upgrade reported secret ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia to more open ones.

Livni also called the Arab initiative a positive development, and said Israeli leadership believes that the price of not reaching a peace treaty will be higher than that of signing one.

The Arab Peace Initiative, introduced in 2002 under the auspices of the Arab League, entails full normalization between Israel and the surrounding Arab countries in exchange for a withdrawal to the pre-1967 lines.

http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Report-Livni-Saudi-prince-talk-peace-process-at-Munich-conference-340080