© Reuters. Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz receives US President Joe Biden at Al Salman Palace on his arrival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, July 15, 2022. Bandar Algaloud / Courtesy of the Royal Court of Saudi Arabia Ut / Document broadcast via REUTERS
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By Steve Holland, Aziz El Yaakoubi, Jarrett Renshaw and Maha El Dahan
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) – President Joe Biden said at the Arab Summit on Saturday that the United States would stay committed to its allies in the Middle East and “won’t go anywhere.” all” as he campaigned for a regional security alliance that would integrate the Israelites.
Biden, who began his first trip to the Middle East as president with a visit to Israel, presented his vision and strategy for US engagement in the Middle East at a meeting in Jeddah. .
Saudi Arabia poured cold water on the United States, and Israel hopes that a summit could help lay the groundwork for a regional security alliance that includes Israel to counter threats from Iran.
His meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MbS, proved highly sensitive as the president advanced human rights and he sought to include Israel as part of a new axis that was largely established motivated by a common interest in Iran.
“We believe there is great value in bringing in as many capabilities in this region as possible and certainly Israel has a substantial air and missile defense capability, when they need it. But we are having the capabilities. bilateral discussions with these countries,” a senior administration official told reporters.
The plan to connect air defense systems could be a hard sell for Arab states that have no ties to Israel and do not want to be part of a perceived coalition against Iran, which has strong proxy network in the region including Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, said he was not aware of any discussions about the Gulf-Israel defense alliance and the kingdom was not involved in such negotiations.
He told reporters after the US-Arab summit that Riyadh’s decision to open its airspace to all aircraft carriers had nothing to do with establishing diplomatic relations with Israel and was not premise for further steps.
Biden focused on the summit with six Gulf nations and Egypt, Jordan and Iraq, while downplaying the meeting with MbS, which has drawn criticism from the United States over human rights concerns.
Biden once said he would make powerhouse Saudi Arabia the “head” on the global stage of the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents, but ultimately decided American interests have brought about a recalibration, not a break, in relations with the world’s leading oil nation. exporter.
The crown prince told Biden that Saudi Arabia had acted to prevent a repeat of mistakes like the murder of Khashoggi and that the United States had also made mistakes, including in Iraq, a Saudi minister said.
FIST BUMP
Biden spoke to MbS on Friday but said he told him he held him accountable for Khashoggi’s murder at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
“The president raised the issue… And the crown prince replied that it was a painful period for Saudi Arabia and it was a terrible mistake,” said Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al. – Jubeir said.
The defendants were brought to trial and sentenced to prison, he said.
US intelligence agencies believe the crown prince ordered Khashoggi’s murder, which he denies.
Jubeir, speaking to Reuters of the conversation on Friday, said MBS made the case that trying to impose values on other countries by force could backfire.
“It didn’t work when the US tried to impose values on Afghanistan and Iraq. In fact, it backfired,” Jubeir quoted the crown prince as telling Biden. “Countries have different values and those values should be respected!”
The exchange highlighted tensions that have weighed on relations between Washington and Riyadh, its closest Arab ally, on issues including Khashoggi, oil prices and the war in Yemen.
Biden needs help from OPEC giant Saudi Arabia at a time of high crude oil prices and other issues related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Washington also wants to contain Iran’s wobble in the region and China’s global influence.
Biden travels to Saudi Arabia hoping to strike a deal on oil production to help lower gasoline prices that is pushing inflation to its highest level in more than 40 years and threatening his ratings.
He left the region empty-handed but hopes the OPEC+ group, which includes Saudi Arabia, Russia and his other group including Saudi Arabia, Russia and other major oil producers, will increase output. at the meeting on August 3.
“I look forward to seeing what happens in the coming months,” Biden said.
FOOD SAFETY
A second senior administration official said Biden will announce that Washington has committed $1 billion in near- and long-term new and long-term food security assistance to the Middle East and North Africa, and Gulf states. will commit $3 billion over the next two years to projects tied to U.S. partnerships for global infrastructure and investment.
The Gulf states, which refuse to side with the West against Russia over Ukraine, are seeking a concrete commitment from the United States to their already strained strategic relationships, claiming that the United States separate from the area.
Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have been frustrated by US conditions on arms sales and their exclusion from indirect US-Iran negotiations on the restoration of the 2015 nuclear accord, which they see as flawed because of the lack of information available to them. address concerns about Iran’s missile program and behavior.
Israel has encouraged Biden’s trip to Saudi Arabia, hoping for a warmer relationship between the country and Riyadh as part of a broader Arab partnership.
