Saudi-US Rift Causes Severe Diplomatic Strain
October 28, 2013
Tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United States are causing a severe strain on what has been a rock-solid relationship. Saudi officials are expressing anger and concern over America’s evolving policies in the Middle East.
Saudi government officials are fuming over U.S. policy regarding the bloody Syrian civil war.
In Egypt, the Saudis are supporting the military-backed government.
While the United States is suspending hundreds of millions of dollars in aid following the coup which ousted president Mohamed Morsi.
But mostly the Saudis are worried about the military strength of arch-rival Iran.
And a possible thaw in relations between Washington and Tehran over the country’s controversial nuclear program.
Clifford May is president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies:
“The signs are that the Saudis are angry, that they are exasperated, that they are frustrated and I think if you had to come down to a one line reason why, it is because the U.S. is not showing leadership in the Middle East at this moment," said May.
Riyadh is unhappy the U.S. has not been more aggressive in arming the Syrian rebels.
And the Saudis complained about the White House decision to embrace an agreement to remove Syria’s chemical weaponw - rather than launch a cruise missile strike against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who now appears to be in a stronger position.
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