Obama will travel to Saudi Arabia after King Abdullah's death

[PoliticAverse]

Last edited Sat Jan 24, 2015, 02:29 PM - Edit history (4)

Source: The Hill

President Obama will forego a visit to the Taj Mahal during his visit to India in order to pay respects in Saudi Arabia after the death of King Abdullah, the White House announced early Saturday morning.

Vice President Biden was initially scheduled to lead the U.S. delegation, but he will instead now remain in Washington and Obama will add the stop onto his return from India, where the president is embarking on a three-day trip to foster economic ties with the nation.

“President Obama and the First Lady will travel to Riyadh on Tuesday, January 27 in order to pay respects to King Salman bin Abdulaziz and the family of the late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said in a statement.



Read more: http://thehill.com/policy/international/230625-obama-will-travel-to-saudi-arabia-for-king-abdullahs-funeral

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CNN article on the story:
http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/24/middleeast/saudi-arabia-royals-obama/

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Post edited for updated text and headline:
"Obama will travel to Saudi Arabia after King Abdullah's death"

[joshcryer]

1. WTF

Wow.

Got to keep those gas prices low.

[JonLP24]

64. I don't believe this was to keep gas prices

Saudi Arabia is rapidly declining when it comes to share of oil imported from Saudi Arabia when top importer Canada keeps on growing. The prices are low in part due to Saudi Arabia desperately defending its market share.

I do believe oil was a reason for this as this was the politically correct thing to do. Any shortfall from Canadian oil would easily be replaced by Saudi or Venezuelan oil. As a top importer, the US have self-interested reasons in keeping prices low but Saudi Arabia is continuing to produce & lower their price to compete when their market share is rapidly declining. It also harms their rivals Iran & Russia more, especially Iran who has a cap on exports & suffering deficits for an economy dependent on the oil industry. There has been recent talks to lift the "oil sanctions" that may be in part for low oil prices & the countries with permission to import from Iran want more Iranian oil. Low prices also harms states like Wyoming & North Dakota which are more dependent on the oil & gas industry but the US economy doesn't live or die on the oil industry & high prices would normally harm the economy if it wasn't for producing our own oil & exporting from friendly neighbors like Canada. Obama can't even shake hands with Chavez with the media jumping all over him bu...

Now that I think of it, oil prices could be a factor with idea they would put further stress on political rivals Iran & Russia. Which would also include Venuzela who fits as both mainstream politically they have to be their rival & they are a top exporter to us. Don't mind me, I think as I go and I may be wrong when it comes to all of this. It is hard to try to figure out the "behind the scenes" political decisions. Geopolitics when it comes to oil is especially tricky.

[elehhhhna]

2. Now thats a bad idea. imo.

[LuvNewcastle]

3. Maybe he can talk them out of beheading any

gay people while he's there.

[OKNancy]

4. It's called diplomacy.

Geezus. That's what the head diplomat of a country does. The leader of a country will support what is in the best interest of that country. He must foster good relations even though Saudi Arabia sucks. It is especially important given what is going on in Yemen.

[ColesCountyDem]

5. And the voice of sanity is heard in the land.

[RationalMan]

22. Completely agree with you......

Obama is the U.S. Head of State. None of us, likely Obama himself, cares for the political system in Saudi Arabia. It is an autocratic, nearly theocratic state that hasn't evolved politically or socially. They use ruthless tactics to maintain control of the country. They treat women like chattel. Saudi Arabian money funded 9-11 and most of the 9-11 terrorists were Saudis. OBL was a Saudi.

But, the world economy is still very dependent on middle east oil and Saudi is the largest producer of oil. The Saudis allowed us to use bases on Saudi soil when we liberated Kuwait (again a terrible autocratic state but one with oil). Saudi has been one of the strongest supporters to oust Assad from Syria (because he is allied with Shia Iran). Saudi sent in tanks to help put down protests in Bahrain. Saudi is opposed to the Muslim Brotherhood. Yemen is in crisis and Saudi has one of the largest, if not the largest, militaries among the gulf states.

Those are geo-political facts. The new Saudi king is himself said to be in poor health and while no one expects any political turmoil, his health and how he will rule raise uncertainties in the region.

As for those who claim Obama should have gone to Paris and not go to Riyadh. I completely agree the U.S. presence at the march in Paris was embarrassing. But, Obama's attendance would have been a distraction. It would have diverted security forces from protecting the people and in the hunt for other terrorists just so Obama could be seen. We should have sent a higher level delegation but Obama was not the right person.

I'm not sure exactly where Obama will go in Riyadh but I suspect security is already very tight there and there will be expected other heads of state, etc. and Saudi has the ability to provide resources for security. Obama is going to show respect to the new leader of an ally.

I wish we didn't lie in the grass with the snakes. I wish we were in a position to tell all those countries to take their oil and put it somewhere where the sun does not shine. But we have seen where autocratic rule in that part of the world disintegrates (e.g. Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Syria, etc.) chaos ensues. What is in the U.S.' strategic interests is stability. This diplomatic call is real politik.

[ColesCountyDem]

24. We must deal with the world as it is.

I'm not a fan of the Saudis, and I find most of their 'cultural/societal norms' repugnant. That said, our economic interdependence is a fact, and the President must engage in reality-based diplomacy for that reason.

[4139]

6. Yemen, the Iran negotiations... A lot going right now...

Right thing to go

[treestar]

37. +1

If the POTUS snubbing such things worked, it would be one thing, but it only stirs things up. And by that standard, we might have to refuse to "speak to" most of the world.

[branford]

40. I agree 100%. His attendance is probably required as a political necessity.

However, Obama's visit for the funeral of a dictatorial theocratic Arab Islamic oil monarch will be used against him, particularly after he failed to show-up in France in solidarity against Islamic terror and antisemitism, and White House complaints about the anticipated visit and speech before Congress by Netanyahu, the elected democratic Jewish prime minister of a long-time, very pro-American Mideast ally.

The King's death could not come at a worse time. The fact that he has to cut-short a visit to India, the world's largest democracy who recently elected a pro-American prime minister who's interested in increasing commercial ties with the USA, adds yet more insult to injury.

I do not envy the pr flacks at the White House and State Department who have to spin this mess.

[TM99]

54. Diplomacy?

You mean like NOT sending anyone including himself to Paris, also our NATO ally?

He could have detoured Holder to the Paris rally and send Biden or Kerry to Saudi Arabia. That's diplomacy too.

[oberliner]

61. So the stuff about supporting democracy and human rights is BS?

Since we are quite friendly with Saudi Arabia and they have neither.

[Ichingcarpenter]

7. He should blog about it while there and comment on

Canings and beheadings and then have his wife drive him around town

[Shrike47]

8. Mistake, big one, especially after failing to go to Paris.

They still keep their women locked up, I can't support showing them our favor.

[Arcadiasix]

10. My first thought was he goes there but not to Paris.

[Yo_Mama]

52. Mine too. Don't like it. n/t

[840high]

27. Agree.

[JI7]

57. it's about political strategy

Not really about paying respect to the dead king

[RandiFan1290]

9. Will he call for an election?

Fuck the "king"

Where is the Democracy?

[awake]

26. While I do not in any way support the Saudi's form of Gov.

I do not believe we have any right to tell another country that they need to be a "Democracy"
When the queen of England passes I am sure whom ever is our president at the time will go to their funeral, that just part of the job. I feel America needs to work with things as the are not how we wish them be. When one works with things as they are one can begin to improve them but when one tries to work with thing not as they are be as one wishes them to be nothing can get done.

[branford]

41. I agree that the president should attend the funeral, but . . .

comparing the Queen of England to the Saudi King is like comparing apples to hand grenades.

The United Kingdom is an advanced western democracy with a constitutional monarch that is legally little more than a figurehead, who in any event, supports democracy, human rights and the separation of church and state.

The Saudi royal family rules the country with an iron hand under a theocratic and oppressive Wahabist regime.

The people of the UK can choose at any time to democratically end their monarchy. If they did so, little would substantively change. The people of Saudi Arabia are not permitted such a choice.

[awake]

43. Agree England is no Saudi Arabia that was not my point

I feel that many of our last wars have been trying to export "democracy" from the barrel of a gun, the sooner we stop trying to tell other countries to become like us the better of we will all be. I can not stand Saudi Arabia and the way they treat their people but demanding they become a "democracy" is no way for us to behave and will get us no-where .

[Scuba]

11. Well, praising war criminals as "patriots" is nothing new to him.

[SamKnause]

13. Praising ALL criminals is nothing new to him.

The Best and the Brightest caused the global financial collapse.

That is who the president called on to fix the crisis.

We have to look forward not backwards when the anointed criminals are involved.

I can not respect or admire anyone who governs in this manner.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

16. I posted this back in December, and it covers this situation

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025957183

Our nation needs to stop making expedient choices and adhere to our basic principles.

We are ostensibly a nation that believes in free speech and media; impartial courts; fair and free elections; religious freedom without state interference or endorsement; the freedom to arm oneself (or the freedom for states within the nation to arm themselves - depending on one's interpretation); the right not to be compelled to self-incriminate and not to be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment.

We need to craft a foreign policy that defines "American interest" as joining with nations that support those principles, and not allying with nations out of simple economic interest. That means not selling arms or sending troops to defend monarchies that practice slavery and religious intolerance (i.e. Saudi Arabia, et. al.); not selling arms or sending troops to defend dictators (the list is too long). One thing in which I am in complete agreement with some on the right: we should not be sending US troops to nations that will not allow those troops to practice their faith openly and freely. I'd add that we should not send troops to any nation that treats our female soldiers and sailors as second-class citizens.

...

America needs to become far less focused on world leadership and more focused on national and regional development. Want a secure southern border? Build a stronger economy and a better democracy in Mexico. Want an ally in Cuba? End the embargo, and make clear that democratic and economic advances in the post-Castro years (which are coming) will be met with increased US engagement. The US needs to stop feeling compelled to send troops to solve conflicts in the Middle East that, at the end of the day, are not our problem.

[Scuba]

19. +1 Sad how the media allows the claim that corporate intersts and American interest are the same.

[JoePhilly]

12. Let the whining commence!!!!

[Fred Sanders]

14. I am not liking this....some questions need to be asked of Obama...I am not liking this at all,

unless
Obama plans to speak openly and candidly about the massive human rights abuses in Saudi.

You know, "human rights", the thing the human rights loving American Congress removed from the name of a Congressional sub-committee because.....reasons, and which exceptional America is the "champion" of? Remember that thing?

The hypocrisy is nauseating.

[branford]

42. The hypocrisy is indeed nauseating

However, openly complaining about human rights while attending the funeral of the leader of a very important, albeit extremely distasteful, ally, is neither the time or place for such action.

It is not only very undiplomatic, but would probably have the opposite of its intended effect.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

15. I'm thinking we pay John Kerry to do this kind of thing

...or Joe Biden.

I understand the reasoning for the President going to Saudi Arabia, but I think it sends the wrong message.

Maybe the WH thinks this will annoy Bibi?

[branford]

44. Why would it annoy Bibi?

Israel and Saudi Arabia actually have been less antagonistic towards one another recently due to their common position concerning Iran. The Saudi's comments during the recent Gaza war were even far more restrained than in the past.

More importantly, the visuals of Obama's attendance at the funeral of an Islamic theocratic Arab dictator is political gold for both Netanyahu and the Republicans.

Obama is attending the funeral because he believes he has no political choice, and would like nothing more than to just send Biden and forget the whole mess.

[Warren Stupidity]

17. That's disgraceful.

Fucking disgraceful.

[malthaussen]

18. He should go to Ernie Banks's funeral instead

Wouldn't you really rather honor a great American, Mr President?

-- Mal

[Algernon Moncrieff]

23. ^^^ THIS!!!

I'd rec this if it were possible

[leveymg]

20. Talk about security nightmares. B-a-d idea.

[oberliner]

21. What were the reasons he didn't go to France again?

Seems like folks were making a lot of excuses in that case that would also apply to going to Saudi Arabia.

[Frank Cannon]

25. Why doesn't he just send the Shrub over there?

They're lifelong friends and business partners, and he can even offer the sons consoling blow jobs in the backs of their limos.

[TexasTowelie]

38. Shrub is too scared to leave the country

because he might get arrested as a war criminal.

[former9thward]

55. This keeps on being posted.

Tell us in which country there are legitimate arrest warrants for any past or present American leader.

[davidn3600]

65. Saudi Arabia is an ally, like them or not

Yeah, they do executions and violate human rights, but so do we.

They dont have as much pull with our oil prices as they once did. But the US may favor keeping the prices where they are at in order to keep economic pressure on Moscow.

And we need Saudi air space for drone attacks in various parts of the mid-east.

[earthside]

28. This means the 28 pages won't be declassified soon.

It would be kind of awkward to go to the king's funeral and then reveal that it was his family that financed the 9/11 attacks.

I'm referring to the 9/11 commission report.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/01/12/the-missing-pages-of-the-9-11-report.html

[gwheezie]

29. It's the right thing to do

Like it or not they are our allies.
And obama was correct in not going to France. Do we even know if Hollande wanted him there?

[wildbilln864]

35. allies!? WTF?

Allies that financially supported the worst terrorist attack on American soil! With friends like that....

[gwheezie]

45. It usually bites us in the ass

We've taken the wrong side before but we are lying down with the Saudi's.

[mountain grammy]

30. I would rather he didn't..

Obama should send W, he and the king were kissing cousins.

[TexasTowelie]

39. They can't send W

because he could get arrested, the W stands for war criminal.

[mountain grammy]

47. He's ok in Saudi Arabia... they're cut from the same robe..

I think it might be one of the few places left he and the rest of the criminals can go outside of the US.

[oberliner]

31. Thie headline is a lie

He is not going to the funeral. The funeral already happened and he wasn't invited.

He is going to pay his respect and meet with the new king.

[PoliticAverse]

32. They've now corrected their headline and I've updated my post. n/t

[oberliner]

46. Thanks

Kinda poor initial reporting on that website's part. Glad they corrected.

[branford]

50. True, but it doesn't really change the politics or perceptions of Obama's attendance. nt

[TwilightGardener]

33. Why the sudden change in plans?

What is with the Keystone Cop behavior of the White House lately?

[hopemountain]

62. security. nt

[onenote]

34. Do those who think he shouldn't meet the new king also think he shouldn't negotiate with Iran

Do you think Iran is some enlightened bastion of democracy?

And this isn't attending the old king's funeral, it's meeting with the new king. It's not something you send someone else to do.

[oberliner]

48. "The United States supports a set of universal rights."

"And these rights include free speech, the freedom of peaceful assembly, the freedom of religion, equality for men and women under the rule of law, and the right to choose your own leaders..."

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/05/19/remarks-president-middle-east-and-north-africa%20

Apparently Saudi Arabia is exempt from this for some reason?

[onenote]

51. Meeting with them doesn't mean with agree with them

Last edited Sat Jan 24, 2015, 08:40 PM - Edit history (1)

President Obama has been, rightfully in my opinion, praised here for opening up relations with Cuba and with trying to get to a better place with Iran by negotiating with them. While I'm not suggesting Cuba is anywhere as bad as Iran, it hardly is a model of free speech, etc. Snubbing the new King of Saudi Arabia would make no sense.

[oberliner]

56. Not saying it does

Just saying that it is hypocritical to have such warm ties with a country that clearly violates those basic rights.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

68. I don't think we should engage much with Saudi Arabia, Israel, or Iran

...or most other nations in the Middle East. The Middle East nation states range from theocratic monarchies to dictatorships to whatever we consider Israel to be -- which is democratic unless you happen to be Palestinian.

We don't need Middle Eastern oil, and we don't have the resources to continue to play world police. Instead, I recommend that our foreign policy resources be concentrated in our hemisphere. Let's help build stronger, freer nations in Central and South America.

[onenote]

69. "Hemispheres" don't mean that much anymore

The world is a much smaller place than it was when it took ships weeks to get from one side to the other. What happens in the mideast is as important to the US as what happens in other parts of the world.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

70. No, actually, I think that's a myth

If there were no oil there, we wouldn't care. If we didn't continue to stick our nose in where it doesn't belong, we wouldn't be fighting a war on terror. We've had a long track record of supporting leaders and then turning our back on them out of the expediency of the moment. This certainly applies to Osama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, and Mommar Quadaffi. We care about the oil. My view is that we can live without Mid-East Oil, and trying to broker peace in the region isn't our concern. Let the European nations who once colonized the area, or China who is desperate for Iranian oil take the lead on this.

[Corey_Baker08]

36. As Leader Of The Free World,President Obama Should Pay His Respects To An Ally Of The United States

Even if he, his Administration & the American people very much disagree with the policies, laws & principles that country & that King have enacted, I truly believe that a funeral is not the time nor the place to bring up matters of political policy...

Just think back to the outrage we felt when the New York City Police Department turned their backs on Mayor Bill De Blasio during his eulogy at the funeral for the slain Police Officers...

It's a matter of respect for the dead...

[oberliner]

49. The US is very hypocritical with respect to Saudi Arabia

We seem to turn away from their violation of the basic fundamental rights we claim to support elsewhere.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

53. I'd never make a good President

In fact, I'd make a terrible President. I wouldn't be able to go to a place like Saudi Arabia as a major representative of the west without telling them what I think of their evil medieval culture and the fact they are trying to export Wahabism to the rest of the world, diplomacy be damned.

[GeorgeGist]

58. Smarmy

[Hosnon]

59. Good move. Like it or not, Saudi Arabia is an important ally. nt.

[oberliner]

60. So we shouldn't pretend to support democracy or human rights

Since friendly dictators who offer no such things are AOK!

[Hosnon]

66. Since when has the U.S. only supported countries that support democracy and human rights? nt.

[oberliner]

67. "The United States supports a set of universal rights."

"And these rights include free speech, the freedom of peaceful assembly, the freedom of religion, equality for men and women under the rule of law, and the right to choose your own leaders..."

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/05/19/remarks-president-middle-east-and-north-africa%20

[marshall]

63. After France this makes sense

the administration had to mea culpa over not going to the gathering in France. Better to be safe than sorry now and rush to cover all bases.