politicqxs 358 Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 It's been a rough year for the seven-decade-old alliance between the US and Saudi Arabia, from Riyadh's fury over the nuclear deal with Iran, President Barack Obama's comments about free-riding allies, to the Saudi threat to sell off $750bn (£523bn) in US treasury bonds and front page headlines decrying the Saudis as "Royal Scum". Now, the Saudi Deputy Crown Prince is coming to the US with a different message - you may not like us or need our oil as much anymore, but the kingdom is one big investment opportunity. Mohamed bin Salman, the brash, ambitious and powerful 30-year-old son of the king will be pitching the idea of a deeper economic engagement between the two countries and taking the unusual step of setting an agenda beyond talks in Washington with administration officials. He is planning meetings on Wall Street in New York, and in Silicon Valley, California, in an attempt to attract investment, as his country's economy reels from the slump in oil prices. ... In a region going through such upheaval, Saudi Arabia remains a key player and the only Arab country left with regional power, even if the drop in oil prices means the kingdom has had to cut back on the largesse it distributed to friends and allies to maintain its clout. Egypt is consumed by its internal political and economic troubles and its struggle against a militant insurgency in Sinai. Syria has been reduced to a battlefield where Iran's power has grown tremendously. Saudi Arabia is leading the charge against Iran in the region, militarily and economically, trying to put Iran back into the box that the US opened with the nuclear deal and lifting of sanctions. The kingdom's foreign policy has become increasingly activist, with devastating consequences for neighbouring Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition says Iran is backing Houthi rebels. Last year, Saudi Arabia became the world's largest military spender. President Obama may have harsh words for the Saudis, but his actions tell a different story. In 2010, the Obama administration authorised weapon sales of up to $60bn to Saudi Arabia. Since then, the administration has concluded deals for nearly $48bn in sales - triple the total amount under the George W Bush administration. ... There is little that Democrats and Republicans agree on these days but they seem united in their criticism of the kingdom. Even at the White House, officials occasionally remind visitors that the large majority of 9/11 hijackers were not Iranian, but Saudi, according to the Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg. The US Senate has passed a bill allowing the Saudi government to be held responsible for any role in the 9/11 attacks - prompting the threat to sell of US Treasury bonds. And in a recent opinion piece in the New York Times, commentator Nicholas Kristof wrote that "Saudi Arabia legitimises Islamic extremism and intolerance around the world. If you want to stop bombings in Brussels or San Bernardino, then turn off the spigots of incitement from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries". The kingdom was back in the spotlight after UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon revealed Saudi Arabia had pressured him to drop the country from a blacklist over child casualties in Yemen, a war that the US has tacitly supported. Riyadh threatened to cut off all funding to the UN and issue a fatwa against the world body, prompting outrage from international human rights organisations. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36495730 giving up sodomy and moving to 🇦🇪 converting to ☪ and marrying four girls Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
politicqxs 358 Posted June 13, 2016 Author Share Posted June 13, 2016 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petro-Islam Petro-Islam usually refers to the extremist and fundamentalist interpretation of Sunni Islam—sometimes called "Wahhabism"—favored by the conservative oil-exporting Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Its name derives from source of the funding—petroleum exports—that spread it through the Muslim world following the October 1973 War. http://www.newsweek.com/german-official-warns-saudi-arabia-militant-mosques-401637 "We need Saudi Arabia to solve the regional conflicts," Sigmar Gabriel, head of the Social Democrats (SPD) who share power with conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel, told the mass-circulation Bild am Sonntag. "But we must at the same time make clear that the time to look away is past. Wahhabi mosques are financed all over the world by Saudi Arabia. In Germany, many dangerous Islamists come from these communities," he said. giving up sodomy and moving to 🇦🇪 converting to ☪ and marrying four girls Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solitaire 902 Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 Wasn't (or is) Saudi Arabi undergoing the process of restructuring their economy and government? I thought I read a thread about that on here a few months ago but never saw anything else about it. I'm assuming everything is going well since there hasn't been any huge news about the country completely collapsing or anything? On topic: I think the US still needs SA as a strategic ally in the Middle East but I definitely don't think we rely on them as much as we used to when it comes to oil/economics, and that's something I'm thankful for. Spoiler Surprised this wasn't written by @Economy even though it's not 100% all economics. I'm sure there are interesting economic repercussions of what SA is attempting to do - Previously Sycothisis Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Economy 52,861 Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 50 minutes ago, Solitaire said: Wasn't (or is) Saudi Arabi undergoing the process of restructuring their economy and government? I thought I read a thread about that on here a few months ago but never saw anything else about it. I'm assuming everything is going well since there hasn't been any huge news about the country completely collapsing or anything? On topic: I think the US still needs SA as a strategic ally in the Middle East but I definitely don't think we rely on them as much as we used to when it comes to oil/economics, and that's something I'm thankful for. Reveal hidden contents Surprised this wasn't written by @Economy even though it's not 100% all economics. I'm sure there are interesting economic repercussions of what SA is attempting to do Well... The US doesnt import a huge amount of oil directly from Saudi Arabia anymore. First of all the US produces for about 60% of its consumption now ever since the fracking boom As for the anount it still imports, nearlt half of US crude imports are from Canada. Mexico and Venezuela make up another quarter Less than 25% of US imports come from middle east now But Saudi Arabia is still the worlds biggest exporter. Without them there would be a huge shortage Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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