Saudis Snub Obama On Riyadh Arrival Amid Growing Tensions

[Purveyor]

Source: CNN

(CNN)President Barack Obama received a chilly reception from Saudi Arabia's leaders as he landed in Riyadh Wednesday, a clear sign of the cooling relations between once-close allies amid regional upheaval and dropping oil prices.

When Obama touched down in Riyadh shortly after 1 p.m. local time, there were no kisses with the kingdom's ruler as President George W. Bush once exchanged. The Saudi government dispatched the governor of Riyadh rather than a senior-level royal to shake Obama's hand, a departure from the scene at the airport earlier in the day when King Salman was shown on state television greeting the leaders of other Gulf nations on the tarmac.

Social media users quickly termed the reception, which was not carried live on state TV, a snub and a sign that a relationship long lubricated by barrels of oil is now facing deep questions on both sides.

For all the frostiness seemingly on diplay, though, analysts and former officials say the two countries aren't at the end of a love affair so much as in an unhappy marriage in which both sides, for better or worse, are stuck with each other.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/20/politics/obama-saudi-arabia-tensions/

[sharp_stick]

1. I for one find the House of Saud one of the

most despicable groups of individuals in existence. If they don't like Obama then I think Obama is doing something right.

[colorado_ufo]

2. Well said.

[Glorfindel]

3. I agree...very well said! n/t

[jaysunb]

4. +1 n/t

[iandhr]

7. No doubt

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. Often, they look like North Korea with oil

and who won their battles against their neighbours about a century ago, rather than getting a stalemate 60 years ago. Both are totalitarian hereditary regimes.

[Renew Deal]

15. We only put up with them for one reason

OIL

[paleotn]

30. Yep. n/t

[madokie]

44. +10,000

[LiberalArkie]

5. Well for one thing the Saudis usually dislike dark skinned people. Usually thought of

as laborers.

[agnostic102]

50. very right

although is peak farsi i have a limited understanding of arabic as you learn bunch of stuff being forced to learn the koran. anyway in arab countries the word for an african is usually abed or abd which basically means slave.. its just one of those things.

[turbinetree]

6. I want to see those 28 pages.................................

so if this "kingdom" had any knowledge and collusion in 9/11 than let the cards fall, where they may........................


Honk------------------for a political revolution Bernie 2016

[lark]

9. Obama should let the truth come out about how the Saudis funded 9/11 terrorists.

Think the Bushes and Cheney are stopping him because then it will become clear that they were all in this together. Saudis snub Obama because he hasn't said categorically that he will keep this information hidden. F them, let it all hang out! I think Obama's either been well paid or well threatened into not doing exactly that.

[keithbvadu2]

18. After 9-11 the skies over America were mostly closed except

for Bush's Saudi pals and bin Laden's relatives.

How did Bush know that his Saudi friends and bin Laden's relatives needed safe passage out of this country?

[cprise]

45. Essentially a special "get them out safe" effort by the Whitehouse

Now in 2016, Obama is running to his upset Saudi investors to convince them he can maintain the cover-up (so they will maintain the price war against the other oil producers like Russia and Venezuela).

[lark]

58. Bingoarama

Nailed it! They knew about this and that's why Georgie didn't quit reading, he had to leave Cheney in charge and let the deed go down without interruption.

[Duppers]

34. +100

[Contrary1]

39. I think it goes deeper than just Bush and Cheney. n/t

[lark]

57. Agree

Its the whole 1% neocon crowd, represented by them.

[philosslayer]

48. Are you suggesting....

The President is being controlled by Dick Cheney???

[lark]

56. Cheney et al, as part of MIC

Bushes, Rummy, Cheney - the neocon 1% who profited from the war are either threatening or bribing, don't know which.

[lark]

59. That's the real question

except it's not just Cheney but all the MIC including bushes etc. Is he being bribed or threatened, I've wondered that ever since Obama basically pardonned them for their treason by refusing to look into it.

[MisterP]

10. does that mean he'll RE classify an extra few pages to make up for Congress's attempt?

[jalan48]

11. Is Obama there to reassure the Saudis that everything's OK?

No secrets are to be revealed?

[OldRedneck]

12. No kiss at the airport . . . however . . .

So -- they didn't kiss him at the airport, but, will POTUS Obama do the Sword Dance with the Saudis?

[Zen Democrat]

49. Thanks my big laugh of the day. But it's sad that he was actually a president.

[grasswire]

52. DORK

Gawd what a dork.

Compare him to Obama's cool. Wow.

[Botany]

13. Fuck 'em

$130,000 from Saudi Ambassador Prince Bandar’s checking account to the (9-11) hijackers

How the US covered up Saudi role in 9/11


http://nypost.com/2016/04/17/how-us-covered-up-saudi-role-in-911/

In its report on the still-censored “28 pages” implicating the Saudi government in 9/11, “60 Minutes”
last weekend said the Saudi role in the attacks has been “soft-pedaled” to protect America’s delicate
alliance with the oil-rich kingdom.

snip

" ...$130,000 from then-Saudi Ambassador Prince Bandar’s family checking account to yet another
of the hijackers’ Saudi handlers ..."

snip

“The Saudi ambassador funded two of the 9/11 hijackers through a third party,” Guandolo said. “He
should be treated as a terrorist suspect, as should other members of the Saudi elite class who the US
government knows are currently funding the global jihad.”

snip

After he met on Sept. 13, 2001, with President Bush in the White House, where the two old family friends
shared cigars on the Truman Balcony, the FBI evacuated dozens of Saudi officials from multiple cities,
including at least one Osama bin Laden family member on the terror watch list. Instead of interrogating
the Saudis, FBI agents acted as security escorts for them, even though it was known at the time that 15
of the 19 hijackers were Saudi citizens.

[cprise]

47. $130,000 from Prince Bandar.... You mean "Bandar Bush"???

The Saudi Prince who stayed at the Whitehouse so often they made him an honorary member of the Bush clan?

[WDIM]

14. Good we should cut ties with those brutal killers.

Any country that cuts off peoples heads for their religious belief or sexual orientation should be cut off.

Definately should not be taking their money and approving arms deals for them. They are against everything we believe and stand for and are one of the most brutal regimes in the world.

[romanic]

16. Severing ties with Saudi Arabia would be one of the best decisions the U.S. could make.

Fuck them, their royal family, their Islamic extremism, their oil, and their backwards desert hellhole of a country.

[GeorgeGist]

17. This is all pretty obvious,

but I guess it's why I go off on rants about Saudi Arabia only occasionally. It's easy to do for someone like me, who has no influence over anything. But if I were president, and I had to choose from a steaming pile of seriously ugly choices—with American interests, American lives, Mideast stability, and the threat of global terrorist surges all on the line? Well, I might look at everything, hold my nose, and play nice with the Saudis. I don't know. But that's apparently the choice that President Obama made, even though it's pretty clear he didn't like it much.

Said one side of center America.

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2016/04/why-put-up-with-saudi-arabia

[nyabingi]

19. If not for our military industrial complex's addiction

to Saudi purchases of their fighter planes and other instruments of death, the US might actually do what's right and cut these pampered, spoiled brats off from any American assistance or diplomatic cover.

Because of government acts solely upon the wishes and profit desires of the rich and their corporations, our leaders are still over there trying to be nice to these scumbags.

[mopinko]

41. ^^^this^^^^^

follow the money.

[hollowdweller]

20. Another casualty of the Iraq war.

Think about it.

We liberated a majority Shiite country from it's Sunni Minority leader, installing an Iran friendly Shiite gov't instead.

We decided to back off on removing Assad due to ISIS being worse, leaving in place a minority Shiite ruler of a majority Sunni country.

Then we cut a deal with Iran giving them more money and prestige.

Prior to the War on Terror we were pretty much aligned with Israel and the Saudis against their common enemy, the Shiites.

However now US troops are fighting Sunnis who are more concerned with killing Westerners or Shiites than Jews.

So our interests with Saudis and Israel are parting ways.

So another old alliance fucked by the decision to go to war in Iraq.

Bottom line though is the middle east itself is fucked as long as they cling to this sectarian BS.

[Enrique]

21. no kisses from the King

Obama will get over this.

[pangaia]

22. To put it as simply as I can,, fuck the Saudi royal family.

They brought down the twin towers... no punishment is too much for them.

Obama should just get back on his 747 and fly home.

[SHRED]

24. And release the 28 pages

[pangaia]

25. THAT, TOO !!!

Fat chance, eh..

[SHRED]

23. The Saudis claim they had nothing to do with 9/11

So then why do they fear release of the 28 pages?

[Buzz Clik]

26. Unlike when Dubya was in charge, the US no longer needs Saudi oil.

Our imports were much, much greater ten years ago. So, the Saudis are playing the role of the entitled children who are mad at mommy and daddy for imposing discipline.

The Saudis can snub Obama all they want, but we're holding the cards.

[mopinko]

42. we all hate fracking, but

it is why we can give these assholes the finger and not lose a thing.

[Buzz Clik]

43. +1

Damned skippy!

[NickB79]

62. And all it cost us was the planet's future as we fucked the climate beyond repair

Winning?

[Buzz Clik]

63. That makes no sense whatsoever.

Can you please elaborate -- we're talking about petroleum from drilling/pumping versus natural gas from fracking.

[NickB79]

65. Tight-oil drilling and natural gas fracking are inexorably linked together

It was inevitable that once one was brought to market, the technology would be adapted to other energy sources.

And as the US has rapidly embraced both techniques for "energy independence", we've released massive amounts of carbon into the air and flooded the market with cheap oil, driving down the adoption of energy-efficient automobiles and EV's and driving a new surge in truck and SUV sales in the US.

Hell, the Bakken Field, even though primarily an oil producer, was flaring off $100 million dollars worth of natural gas a DAY at one point: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-bakken-flaring-idUSBRE96S05320130729

And given how far past the tipping point we are with regard to climate change, we can't afford to release any excess carbon anymore.

[ReRe]

27. I'll say one thing for PO:

... he's got guts. If I was snubbed, I would have climbed back on AFI and high-tailed it out of there.
I will not rest easy until PO is safely back on US soil.

[christx30]

64. I would have too.

Then I would put future military contracts up for immediate review.

[ReRe]

66. Whatever happened with all that?

I swear to God I was afraid for him to sleep in that God forsaken country that night.

[LS_Editor]

28. Hillary loved selling the Saudis weapons.

[Duppers]

35. Yeah, $6 billion in 2010.

Largest sale in history!

[Democat]

60. Go away pro-Trump troll

This is not the Primaries forum and this thread has nothing to do with Clinton.

[KamaAina]

31. Still carrying a torch for Dumbya, I see.

[Dont call me Shirley]

32. So release the 28 pages then, Mr President, nothing else to lose!

[cab67]

33. I would consider myself honored to be snubbed by such people.

[maindawg]

36. Why is he there?

This whole thing is fishy.

[Scootaloo]

38. Because they're threatening to sell off US assets due ot a bill congress is looking at.

The bill would allow US litigants to seek damages form Saudi Arabia in courts.

[Scootaloo]

37. Fuck Saudi Arabia

That government is the most destabilizing force in the region, and their efforts are clearly directed towards expanding wahhabist practice in the west, with the net effect of harming Muslim communities here as well.

I do not use the word "evil" lightly. It's a big word, has lot packed into it. But the al-sauds are within its criteria for me.

[Skwmom]

40. I take this stuff with a grain of salt. It seems every time Obama doesn't toe their foreign policy

line the corporate media display their unhappiness.

Their response the one time he answered questions overseas was ridiculous - from both the right and left corporate media.

[roamer65]

46. "Document 17" is pointing to the Saudis.

Good discussion of said declassified document over at 28pages.org, including a PDF of it.

Congressman Massie of KY has read the 28 pages. Here is what he said of them..."I had to stop reading about every 2 pages or so, to rearrange my understanding of history."

The Saudis are freaking out over those documents. To which I say good...and release them to public now!

[desmiller]

51. First they threaten the economy, now it's all lovey dovey again.

Lord forgive me......


Barack.....


Bomb the shit out of them, please.....

[Leontius]

53. Cuban leader pulled the same shit

but no outcry for that slight here. Why the whining over this but not that.

[flamingdem]

55. That's not true, the Cubans followed protocol

Google it if your mind is open to learning about it

[leveymg]

54. Unhappy spouses often shoot their marital partners.

If you want to use the marriage metaphor, there you have it.

[Sunlei]

61. Saudis are now the 'military' spenders, bomber jets/boots of Middle East, they'll get used to it.