US president Joe Biden makes efforts to justify his imminent trip to Saudi Arabia as a ‘reorientation’ strategy.
Joe Biden, the American president, has attempted to justify his impending trip to Saudi Arabia in a column for Washington Post. The accusation that the trip signifies a retreat in his government’s principles over human rights led to Biden’s fresh stance.
Biden argued that the trip to the monarchy is significant in an opinion piece that appeared late last week in The Washington Post. He also reaffirmed that the US is still strong and positive in regards to vital issues. He went on to say that he wants to “reorient” and not shatter ties with the rich Arab country.
The trip that Biden will be taking to in two days will also take him to Israel, another controversial destination. The occupied West Bank is a third disputed target of the US president’s Middle East tour this week.
“We have to counter Russia’s aggression, put ourselves in the best possible position to outcompete China, and work for greater stability in a consequential region of the world,” Biden expressed in WP column. “To do these things, we have to engage directly with countries that can impact those outcomes,” he further justified his disputed trip.
Saudi Arabia is one of these nations, according to Biden. His goal in his visit to Saudi Arabia on Friday is to advance a strategic cooperation built on shared obligations and interests.
The White House has high hopes for curbing spiraling fuel prices and inflation driven by Russia’s war against Ukraine. Observers predict that a push for higher Saudi oil output will be the crucial task during Biden’s stay in Saudi Arabia.
Biden said that Riyadh was already collaborating with Washington’s advisers to help other OPEC countries stabilize the oil prices.
Joe Biden; A Turn After a Year
The US president praised the monarchy for its support of Yemen’s continuing peace. In resolving the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) dispute, Biden commended Saudi Arabia’s contribution.
The new position is in line with the Biden office’s new approaches forsaking earlier pledges to shun the longstanding ally. The execution of Washington Post journalist was explicitly connected by the US intelligence agencies to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman a year earlier.
Due to its activities in Yemen and the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, Biden had referred to the Kingdom as a “pariah” while on the campaign tours.
After the intelligence assessment on Khashoggi murder, White House spokesman Jen Psaki stressed that Biden wouldn’t speak with MBS personally going forward. Nevertheless, the “leadership team” of King Salman will engage with Biden during the visit, and the White House earlier this week verified that Bin Salman will be present.
“My views on human rights are clear and long-standing, and fundamental freedoms are always on the agenda when I travel abroad, as they will be during this trip,” Biden claimed in part of his column, referring directly to the murdering of Khashoggi.
The visit would be a part of broader attempts to revive the nuclear agreement with Tehran, according to Biden. Riyadh has a history of opposition to the JCPOA originally reached at in 2015, before withdrawal by US three years later.
In the aftermath of the normalization, he said, the visit would promote the ongoing normalization between Tel Aviv and other Arab nations. He also boasted that he will be remembered as the first US president to travel directly from Israel to Saudi Arabia.
Joe Biden’s column clearly shows that he has forsaken campaign human rights commitments. The reason is clear; Campaigns are over.
