Saudi's crown prince promised pain for the US if it retaliated against oil cuts, report says. His threat seems to have paid off.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman presented an image of unity and friendship this week at a summit in Riyadh.
The pair at the meeting "affirmed their shared commitment to advance stability, security, and prosperity across the Middle East and beyond," a State Department spokesman told CNN.
But only months earlier, according to leaked Pentagon papers obtained by The Washington Post, the autocratic Saudi was taking a very different, and more menacing, tone amid an escalating oil dispute with the US.
The dispute flared up last October when the Saudis reduced oil production in tandem with Russia, the US chief global adversary, souring relations between Riyadh and its decades-old allies in Washington, D.C.
The move infuriated President Joe Biden, who promised the Saudis there'd be "consequences" amid fears it'd spike domestic inflation and damage his prospects in the US midterm elections.
The crown prince's response, according to the documents, was to threaten the US with the prospect of economic calamity. That threat appears to have paid off.
Months after the dispute, Biden's promised "consequences" have yet to materialise. Instead he has sent a series of top White House officials, with Blinken the latest, to court the crown prince in Riyadh as the Saudis draw closer to China, another US global rival.
https://www.businessinsider.com/saudi-mohammed-bin-salmans-biden-threat-appears-pay-off-oil-2023-6?r=US&IR=T
I am increasingly concerned about this new founded bravery of the gulf states, which is all rooted in China becoming a superpower and the shifting alliances that have ensued since then (to those who have downplayed China as a threat for years, I hope you have come to your senses now).
On the other hand, we have western countries divided internally and externally and couldn't even pretend to show unity when the Ukraine invasion started, which is really just the beginning of a series of incoming assaults by the autocracies we empowered.
When it comes to internal divisions, I believe a lot of it t in Western Europe (or at least in the UK) is manufactured by the media, during the tories latest 13 year long failurful venture, public services has introduced gender neutral language (including the NHS), public schools have introduced LGBT and diversity education around the country despite the religious nuts constant protest, abortion is non-issue, green energy investments are in abundance, etc. Obviously, there is a lot to work, especially for trans rights, and we'll probably never agree on how to handle immigration (I don't believe this is right vs left issue, neither was Brexit), we're simply not the USA. This is relevant, because the USA political sphere is too toxic to ignore. Seeing the American right wing campaign to boycott retailers that celebrate pride month is incredibly dumb and outrageously successful, much effort put into spreading hate against literally your neighbours. Boycotting Walmart but living in a house filled with stuff you bought from China? you're real tough, man. Fucking idiots
It's not about being anti-China, it's about recognising real threats, our biggest ally isn't as strong as they used to be, our adversaries have become more powerful and we're yet to see their entire jaw. Much coverage over whose dick goes where and nothing about the fact that we're failing nations who can't withstand another Ukraine-like blow or being bullied by the Saudis, of all people. I don't know where I am going with this tbh, I guess I am frustrated up catching up on last week news reading stories about how successful anti-LGBT movement has become again, followed by Saudis dictating foreign policies and aligning themselves with Russia/China, managing to to put their differences with Erdogan behind and going further to send him cash to relieve Turkey's economic pain (caused by no one but Erdogan himself). Yet, our biggest ally is still going on and on about what should be non-issues like abortion and basic human rights. Fucking idiots.
Macron is the dumbest leader France has had in recent years, but he's right in that Europe should take charge in protecting its interests (although his vision and what he means by this actually is comically disastrous).
