Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman punches US President Joe Biden
Jeddah:
US President Joe Biden said on Friday that he told Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that he held him responsible for the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, shortly after a fistfight with the kingdom’s de facto ruler. be provided.
On a visit to reset ties with a country following Khashoggi’s assassination in 2018, Biden said the crown prince, known as MBS, denied involvement in the killing and said he was responsible. People are held responsible.
“With regard to the Khashoggi murder, I raised it at the top of the meeting, which made it clear what I thought about it at the time and what I think about it now,” Biden told reporters.
“I was direct and direct in discussing it. I made my point clear. I said very directly, it is inconsistent for an American president to remain silent on a human rights issue about who we are and who I am.”
US intelligence says the crown prince approved an operation to capture or kill Khashoggi, a Saudi insider-critic who was assassinated by Saudi agents in Istanbul. Biden said what happened to Khashoggi was outrageous.
“He basically said he was not personally responsible for it,” Biden said of the Crown Prince’s reaction during their meeting. “I indicated that I thought he was.”
The president said he also discussed energy and that he expected to see action on energy from Saudi Arabia, a major oil producer, in the coming weeks.
As a presidential candidate, Biden had said the state should be made an “angel” on the world stage because of Khashoggi’s assassination. He said on Friday that he did not regret that remark.
With body language being closely watched, officials at the start of Biden’s Middle East visit said he would avoid close contact, such as shaking hands, as a precaution against COVID-19. But the president remained complacent in shaking hands even during the Israel leg of the tour.
Biden’s conversations with the Crown Prince drew immediate criticism at home – including from the Washington Post and the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Khashoggi was living in self-imposed exile in Virginia. The late journalist’s fiancée, Hatice Cengiz, posted a photo of the fist on Twitter, saying Khashoggi would have written: “Is this the accountability you promised for my murder? The blood of the next victims of MBS is in your hands.” “
Biden told reporters in Jeddah that he was sorry he felt that way.
US journalists questioned the crown prince about Khashoggi at the start of the meeting. “Will you apologize to his family?” One called. MBS, who was sitting next to the Saudi Energy Minister, did not respond and smiled slightly as he led the reporters out of the room.
oil pressure
Energy and security interests prompted Biden and his allies to decide not to isolate the Gulf oil giant, which is bolstering ties with Russia and China despite the president’s scorn over the assassination. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Biden wants to re-examine Washington’s ties with Saudi Arabia and does not want to break them.
The Saudi ambassador to Washington, Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, who was part of the Saudi Greeting Party, reiterated the “disgust” of the kingdom’s killing in an article for Politico, describing it as a gruesome atrocity, and said it Can’t Define America – Saudi Relations.
Jeddah hosts a large gathering of Arab leaders on Saturday.
Biden will discuss energy security with leaders of Gulf oil producers and expects to see more action by OPEC+ to boost production, but talks were unlikely to lead to a bilateral announcement, Sullivan said via Jeddah. I told reporters.
Biden indicated he expected action soon.
“We had a good discussion on ensuring global energy security and adequate oil supplies to support global economic growth,” Biden said. “I am doing everything I can to increase supplies to the United States, which I expect. The Saudis share that urgency and based on our discussions today, I hope to see more steps in the coming weeks.” “
Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir said there was no agreement on oil and that Saudi and OPEC countries would make decisions based on the market, not “hysteria” or “politics”.
The next meeting of the OPEC+ grouping, which includes Russia, will be held on 3 August.
The United States and Saudi Arabia have reiterated their commitment to the stability of global energy markets, said a joint statement carried by the Saudi state news agency, SPA.
The US is eager to pump more oil to Saudi Arabia and its OPEC partners to help reduce the high cost of gasoline and the highest US inflation in four decades.
Biden, who flew to Jeddah after visiting Israel, also took a pair of Saudi moves widely seen as a sign of a gradual thaw between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Riyadh agreed to allow more flight of its territory from Israel, which Biden said he hoped would lead to a broader normalization of relations.
He also announced a US brokerage agreement between Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia under which a small US-led international peacekeeping force would leave the strategic Red Sea island of Tiran.
Cairo handed over control to Riyadh in 2017. Any changes to the security arrangements there required Israeli approval, and the lack of Israeli-Saudi diplomatic relations required lengthy and complicated negotiations to seal the deal.
Biden was the first US president to fly directly from Israel to Jeddah. Ahead of the visit, Saudi Arabia said it would open its airspace to all air carriers, paving the way for more overflights from Israel, which Biden called a historic move toward building a more integrated and stable Middle East. Another important step.
A joint statement carried by the Saudi State News Agency (SPA) said the United States and Saudi Arabia agreed on the importance of preventing Iran from “acquiring a nuclear weapon” during Biden’s visit.
Biden emphasized his country’s strong and enduring commitment to supporting the security and defense of the oil-rich empire, the statement said.
The two countries also stressed the need to prevent Iran from interfering in the internal affairs of the countries, supporting terrorism through its affiliated armed groups, and destabilizing the security and stability of the region.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)