President biden
Joe BidenFeds investigating how Cuomo is dealing with outbreaks in nursing homes Night defense: a third of the military refuse the coronavirus vaccine Biden will take executive action in response to the Solar Winds hack | US and Japan reach cost-sharing agreement On The Money: Biden faces leftist reaction on student loans | Situation of the relief measure COVID-19 | Retail sales recover MORE is changing the U.S. approach to Saudi Arabia, moving away from the priority diplomatic access granted to certain Saudi officials during the Trump administration, which has given the kingdom a prominent role in American policy towards the Middle East.
Biden is expected to speak at some point with King Salman of Saudi Arabia, signaling a downgrade in relations with the kingdom’s daily ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, an outsized figure on the world stage.
The pointed emphasis that Biden will communicate with the Saudi king, a measure described by the press secretary of the White House Jen Psaki
Jen PsakiOn The Money: Biden Faces Leftist Reaction on Student Loans | Situation of the relief measure COVID-19 | Retail sales rebound overnight Health Care: Biden employees announce funding to track variants of the Senado Dems virus reveals public option proposal | White House: Vaccination of teachers is not necessary for schools to reopen Harris says teachers should have priority for the vaccine COVID-19 MORE as an effort to “recalibrate” the relationship between Washington and Riyadh, it indicates that the President is taking steps towards his commitment to confront Riyadh more strongly about his human rights abuses, while we still work together on common goals.
“There is a tone and a change in substance,” said Robert Satloff, executive director of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “Not 180 degrees – I still think they are trying to figure out precisely how to define this – but there is clearly a reassessment going on.”
The Crown Prince played a prominent role in the Trump administration’s approach to the Middle East, reportedly exchanging messages on WhatsApp with former White House senior adviser and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner
Jared Corey Kushner LIVE COVERAGE: Democrats focused on Trump’s comments before the attack on Kushner Capitol, Ivanka Trump reported up to 0 million foreign revenue during the White House years. MOST, helping to pave the way for the Abraham Accords, opening up relations between Israel and the Gulf and African nations.
But the Crown Prince also alienated Washington over his alleged role in ordering the death and dismemberment of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey in October 2018.
Trump remarkably downplayed the role of the Crown Prince in Khashoggi’s death in an effort to maintain strong bilateral ties, writing in an extraordinary statement that “perhaps he had and perhaps not” was aware of the conspiracy against the journalist he wrote for The Washington Post.
Biden’s national intelligence director, Avril Haines
Avril HainesBiden Wexton’s Cabinet opportunity, Speier calls for a reshaping of the liberation process to examine extremist views Hillicon Valley: Senators express concern over response to Russian hack | Huawei makes a cool move | Twitter sees leap in user growth MORE, pledged to release the US intelligence report on the death of Khashoggi, which allegedly concluded Crown Prince Mohammed personally ordered the killing.
Biden government officials hailed the Trump era Abraham Agreements as a positive development, but have already taken steps to curtail U.S. support for Saudi actions seen as contributors to human rights atrocities.
“We know that Saudi [Arabia] it is an important partner on many different fronts; regional security and counterterrorism are just two of them, ”State Department spokesman Ned Price said at a news conference on Wednesday.
“At the same time, the strategic partnership needs to reflect and respect the values we bring to the table, as well as our interests – and the American people hope that US policy towards Riyadh will prioritize the rule of law and respect for human rights. “
Biden has put human rights at the forefront of his foreign policy agenda, ending US support for the Saudi-led offensive in neighboring Yemen and ending relevant arms sales.
His decision to reverse a last-minute move by the Trump administration to label Iranian Yemen-supported Houthis as a terrorist organization was hailed by advocacy groups as withdrawing from the brink of a catastrophic humanitarian disaster in Yemen.
There is also bipartisan support in Congress to hold Saudi Arabia more accountable for its human rights abuses, such as the murder of Khashoggi and the number of civilians killed and the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
Democrats also asked Biden to confront Riyadh over allegations that the Saudi government helped its citizens accused of crimes in the United States to flee the country to avoid justice.
“The Saudi government has really given a lot to work with its critics,” said Hussein Ibish, senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, “and even the people who support the relationship have to say that the Saudi government has to do better, particularly on human rights. “
Riyadh was preparing for a tougher stance by the Biden government. In the campaign, Biden called Saudi Arabia an “outcast” and promised a stronger hand in relations.
The kingdom took a series of measures that regional experts considered an attempt to overcome criticism from the Biden government. Last month, Riyadh eased the blockade on Qatar that was imposed at the start of the Trump administration.
The treatment that the Saudis give to imprisoned activists is also gaining attention as goodwill gestures by the kingdom. This includes last month’s decision to reduce the prison sentence of American Saudi doctor Walid al-Fitaihi and the release of American Saudis Bader al-Ibrahim and Salah al-Haider pending trial. Human rights groups have criticized his arrests as efforts to quell the discourse that criticizes 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 his family that she suffered torture and sexual abuse.
Other movements include Riyadh’s efforts to edit his textbooks and teaching materials to remove positive references to religious violence, extremism and intolerance, particularly anti-Semitism. The kingdom recently announced judicial reforms to codify its laws more in line with international standards.
“I think it’s the Saudi way of saying, ‘We still value the relationship'” with the United States, Satloff said, adding that the Biden government and Saudi Arabia are “moving forward to have, what I like to think, a complete and discreet dialogue about it. “
On issues of common interest, the Biden government is reinforcing its commitment to Riyadh’s defense capabilities in the face of cross-border attacks launched by the Houthis.
“We are not going to allow Saudi Arabia to be shot,” the US special envoy to Yemen, Timothy Lenderking, told reporters on Tuesday.
The government has prioritized resolving the conflict in Yemen and boxing in Iran’s search for a nuclear weapon as its main foreign policy concerns – areas where Saudi Arabia is a central and invested partner.
“Maintaining good relations with the Gulf countries is really important to make other policies work,” said Ibish, from the Gulf Institute.
“In both cases, the Saudis will be key players – direct key players in Yemen and indirect key players in Iran.”
Relations between Washington and Riyadh were strained during the Obama administration, when Biden was vice president, because of what the Saudis saw as being taken by surprise by the US search for a nuclear deal with Iran, the Joint Global Action Plan 2015.
Regional experts say the Biden government is unlikely to make the same mistake of freezing Riyadh out of discussions.
“We had a secret negotiation with Iran out of the reach of regional allies, those days are over,” said Satloff.
“I think we want to have a negotiation where we are fully consulting with our regional allies and they are on board as much as we can.”