President Biden
Joe BidenFeds Investigates Cuomo’s Approach to Nursing Home Outbreaks Overnight Defense: One Third of Service Employees Refuse Coronavirus Vaccine | Biden to take executive action in response to Solar Winds hack | US And Japan Reach Agreement To Share Costs On The Money: Biden Faces Left Backlash On Student Loans | Where things stand on the COVID-19 relief measure | Retail sales are recovering MORE shifts the US approach to Saudi Arabia by turning away from the diplomatic access that was given priority to certain Saudi officials during the Trump administration, giving the kingdom a prominent role in US Middle East policy.
Biden is expected to speak to King Salman of Saudi Arabia at some point, signaling a cut in relations with the kingdom’s day-to-day ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, an outsized figure on the world stage.
The emphatic emphasis that Biden will communicate with the Saudi king, a move described by the White House press secretary Jen Psaki
Jen Psaki On The Money: Biden Faces Backlash From The Left On Student Loans | Where things stand on the COVID-19 relief measure | Retail Sales Restore Overnight Health Care: Biden Officials Announce Funding to Detect Virus Variants | Senate Dems announces public option proposal | White House: Teachers Vaccinations Not Required For School Reopening Harris Says Teachers Should Prioritize COVID-19 Vaccine MORE as an attempt to “recalibrate” the relationship between Washington and Riyadh, it indicates that the president is taking steps towards his commitment to more vigorously confront Riyadh about its human rights violations, while still working together towards shared goals .
“There is a tone and a substantive shift,” said Robert Satloff, executive director of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “Not 180 degrees – I still think they’re trying to figure out exactly how to define this – but clearly a reassessment is underway.”
The Crown Prince played a prominent role in the Trump administration’s approach to the Middle East and reportedly exchanged WhatsApp messages with the former White House senior adviser and Trump’s son-in-law. Jared Kushner
Jared Corey Kushner LIVE COVERAGE: Democrats focus on Trump’s comments before the attack on Capitol Kushner, Ivanka Trump reported up to 0 million in external revenue during the White House years Can Palestine Matter Again? LAKE, paving the way for the Abraham Accords, opening relations between Israel and the Gulf and African nations.
But the Crown Prince also alienated Washington over his alleged role in ordering the murder and mutilation of US-based Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018 in Turkey.
Trump notably downplayed the Crown Prince’s role in Khashoggi’s assassination in an effort to maintain strong bilateral ties, writing in an extraordinary statement that “he may and may not” knew about the plot against the journalist who wrote for The Washington Post.
Biden’s Director of National Intelligence, April Haines
Avril Haines Opportunity From Biden’s Wexton Cabinet, Speier Calls for Overhaul of Approval Process to Screen for Extremist Views Hillicon Valley: Senators Express Concern Over Response to Russian Hack | Huawei makes a legal move | Twitter is seeing more user growth, has committed to release the US intelligence report on Khashoggi’s death, which has reportedly been concluded Crown Prince Mohammed personally ordered the murder.
Biden government officials have welcomed the Trump-era Abraham Accords as a positive development, but have already taken steps to reverse US support for Saudi actions considered contributing to human rights atrocities.
‘We know Saudi [Arabia] is an important partner on many different fronts; regional security, counter-terrorism are just two of them, ”State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Wednesday in a briefing with reporters.
At the same time, the strategic partnership must reflect and respect the values we put forward, as well as our interests – and the American people expect US policy towards Riyadh to prioritize the rule of law, respect for human rights. “
Biden has placed human rights at the top of his foreign policy agenda, ending US support for the Saudi-led offensive in neighboring Yemen and ending relevant arms sales.
His decision to undo a last-minute move by the Trump administration to label the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen as a terrorist organization was hailed by advocacy groups as a step back from the brink of catastrophic humanitarian disaster. in Yemen.
There is also bipartisan support in Congress to hold Saudi Arabia more accountable for its human rights violations, such as the Khashoggi murder and the civilian death toll and the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
Democrats have further called on Biden to confront Riyadh on allegations that the Saudi government was helping its citizens accused of crimes in the US flee the country to avoid justice.
“The Saudi government has really given its critics a lot to work with,” said Hussein Ibish, senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, “and even people who support the relationship should say the Saudi government does better. must do, especially in the area of human rights. “
Riyadh braced itself for a tougher stance from the Biden government. On the campaign trail, Biden called Saudi Arabia a “pariah” and promised a stronger hand in relations.
The kingdom took a number of steps that regional experts saw as an attempt to resist criticism from the Biden government. Last month, Riyadh relaxed the Qatar blockade imposed at the start of the Trump administration.
Saudi’s treatment of arrested activists is also receiving attention as goodwill gestures from the kingdom. This includes last month’s decision to reduce the jail time of imprisoned Saudi-American physician Walid al-Fitaihi and the release of Saudi-Americans Bader al-Ibrahim and Salah al-Haider pending trial. Human rights groups have criticized their detentions as attempts to suppress critical statements about Saudi policies.
In addition, prominent women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul was released from a Saudi prison after being convicted on terrorism charges. Critics said her detention of more than 1,000 days was politically motivated, and al-Hathloul reportedly told her family she was being tortured and sexually assaulted.
Other moves include Riyadh’s efforts to edit his textbooks and learning materials to remove positive references to religious violence, extremism and bigotry, especially anti-Semitism. The kingdom recently announced judicial reforms to bring its laws more into line with international standards.
“I think it’s the Saudi way of saying, ‘We still appreciate the relationship'” with the US, Satloff said, adding that the Biden administration and Saudi Arabia are “gradually having what I like. think, a thorough dialogue on this. “
On issues of shared interest, the Biden government is strengthening its commitment to Riyadh’s defensive capabilities in the face of cross-border attacks by the Houthis.
“We are not going to allow Saudi Arabia to be targeted,” Timothy Lenderking, US Special Envoy to Yemen, told reporters on Tuesday.
The government has prioritized resolving the conflict in Yemen and boxing in Iran’s pursuit of a nuclear weapon as its most pressing, primary foreign policy concern – areas where Saudi Arabia is a central and invested partner.
“Maintaining good relations with the Gulf States is very important for the other policies to work,” said Ibish of the Gulf Institute.
“On both counts, the Saudis will be key players – major direct players in Yemen and major indirect players in Iran.”
Relations between Washington and Riyadh were tense during the Obama administration, when Biden was vice president, over what the Saudis saw as blinded by the US’s push for a nuclear deal with Iran, the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
Regional experts say the Biden government is unlikely to make the same mistake by freezing Riyadh from discussions.
“We had a secret negotiation with Iran beyond the reach of regional allies, those days are over,” Satloff said.
“I think we want to have a negotiation that involves full consultation with our regional allies and they are on board as much as we can get them on board.”