Hillary Clinton Email Management
2022-06-23 01:01:09 UTC
In article <t1nkf0$35eam$***@news.freedyn.de>
<***@gmail.com> wrote:
President Joe Bidens planned visits to Saudi Arabia and Israel
later this month have been postponed until July, several
officials told NBC News on Friday.
The White House is now planning a broader trip to the Middle
East next month, sources said.
We are working on a trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia for a GCC+3
Summit, a senior administration official told NBC News. We are
working to confirm dates. When we have something to announce, we
will.
A foreign diplomat and two U.S. officials said the Saudi stop
will no longer take place in late June, and two U.S. officials
said the trip to Israel was also being pushed back. Both visits
had been expected to be tacked on to Bidens previously
scheduled trip to Germany and Spain this month.
The reason for the delay wasnt immediately clear. The foreign
diplomat and two officials said they learned of the postponed
travel plans on Friday. The U.S. officials added that the dates
remained in flux and could change again.
The White House declined to comment on the travel itinerary. The
Israeli and Saudi embassies in Washington didnt immediately
respond to inquiries late Friday.
Bidens plans to visit Saudi Arabia came under swift scrutiny
given the country's human rights record and the presidents own
past comments about the oil-rich country. On the campaign trail,
Biden promised to treat as a pariah following the killing of
journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
The CIA concluded in 2018 that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,
Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, had ordered Khashoggis killing.
The crown prince has denied any personal involvement in his
death.
A group of relatives of victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks wrote to Biden this week saying that if he travels to
the kingdom, he must raise issues of accountability over
alleged ties between some of the 9/11 hijackers and Saudi
officials.
Yet Saudi Arabia, a close U.S. economic and military ally, has
traditionally been one of the first foreign stops a president
makes in the Middle East. The Biden administration has found it
difficult to avoid cooperating with Saudi Arabia given its major
role in many of the top foreign policy issues confronting the
Biden administration, including Israel-Palestinian tensions and
the Iran nuclear deal.
Biden has also been looking for ways to help drive down the
price of oil and gas as his administration faces ongoing
pressure to do more to lower the price of fuel heading into the
midterm elections.
NBC News reported Thursday that Biden was expected to visit
Saudi Arabia and Israel this month, citing five sources with
knowledge of the matter.
The White House never publicly confirmed those travel plans. But
sources told NBC News that the Biden administration had informed
other countries that the visits were happening in late June, and
that the White House and State Department were preparing for the
visits.
Biden, asked by a reporter on Friday morning about reports of
trip to Saudi Arabia, said a stop was possible but that was not
sure whether Im going.
I have been engaged in trying to work with how we can bring
more stability and peace to the Middle East. And there is a
possibility that I would be going to meet with both the Israelis
and some Arab countries at the time, including, I expect, would
be Saudi Arabia, would be included in that if I did go, Biden
said. But I have no direct plans at the moment. Were looking
at it.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/white-house-
postpones-biden-trips-saudi-arabia-israel-rcna31951
<***@gmail.com> wrote:
President Joe Bidens planned visits to Saudi Arabia and Israel
later this month have been postponed until July, several
officials told NBC News on Friday.
The White House is now planning a broader trip to the Middle
East next month, sources said.
We are working on a trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia for a GCC+3
Summit, a senior administration official told NBC News. We are
working to confirm dates. When we have something to announce, we
will.
A foreign diplomat and two U.S. officials said the Saudi stop
will no longer take place in late June, and two U.S. officials
said the trip to Israel was also being pushed back. Both visits
had been expected to be tacked on to Bidens previously
scheduled trip to Germany and Spain this month.
The reason for the delay wasnt immediately clear. The foreign
diplomat and two officials said they learned of the postponed
travel plans on Friday. The U.S. officials added that the dates
remained in flux and could change again.
The White House declined to comment on the travel itinerary. The
Israeli and Saudi embassies in Washington didnt immediately
respond to inquiries late Friday.
Bidens plans to visit Saudi Arabia came under swift scrutiny
given the country's human rights record and the presidents own
past comments about the oil-rich country. On the campaign trail,
Biden promised to treat as a pariah following the killing of
journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
The CIA concluded in 2018 that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,
Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, had ordered Khashoggis killing.
The crown prince has denied any personal involvement in his
death.
A group of relatives of victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks wrote to Biden this week saying that if he travels to
the kingdom, he must raise issues of accountability over
alleged ties between some of the 9/11 hijackers and Saudi
officials.
Yet Saudi Arabia, a close U.S. economic and military ally, has
traditionally been one of the first foreign stops a president
makes in the Middle East. The Biden administration has found it
difficult to avoid cooperating with Saudi Arabia given its major
role in many of the top foreign policy issues confronting the
Biden administration, including Israel-Palestinian tensions and
the Iran nuclear deal.
Biden has also been looking for ways to help drive down the
price of oil and gas as his administration faces ongoing
pressure to do more to lower the price of fuel heading into the
midterm elections.
NBC News reported Thursday that Biden was expected to visit
Saudi Arabia and Israel this month, citing five sources with
knowledge of the matter.
The White House never publicly confirmed those travel plans. But
sources told NBC News that the Biden administration had informed
other countries that the visits were happening in late June, and
that the White House and State Department were preparing for the
visits.
Biden, asked by a reporter on Friday morning about reports of
trip to Saudi Arabia, said a stop was possible but that was not
sure whether Im going.
I have been engaged in trying to work with how we can bring
more stability and peace to the Middle East. And there is a
possibility that I would be going to meet with both the Israelis
and some Arab countries at the time, including, I expect, would
be Saudi Arabia, would be included in that if I did go, Biden
said. But I have no direct plans at the moment. Were looking
at it.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/white-house-
postpones-biden-trips-saudi-arabia-israel-rcna31951