Saudi Arabia severs diplomatic ties with US over response to conflict in Syria

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...Syria.html

It's a misleading headline... I think they are pivoting away from the US, but not severing diplomatic ties. Nevertheless, an impressive accomplishment by our president.

So we don't fight their wars for them and they take their ball and go home. Saudi Arabia has enough money to hire their own mercenaries to accomplish what they want to accomplish. They must not think very much of Obama.

John Kerry does some foreshadowing...

Saudi Arabia severs diplomatic ties with US over response to conflict in Syria | Mail Online

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...Syria.html Wrote:Kerry said he told the Saudi minister no deal with Iran was better than a bad deal. 'I have great confidence that the United States and Saudi Arabia will continue to be the close and important friends and allies that we have been,' Kerry told reporters.

It appears a bad deal with Iran is in our future.

This boils down to Saudi Arabia's hatred of Iran and is mere political posturing than any definite strategic shift.

I think it reflects the strategic incoherence of American policy under Obama, but you're largely correct. America has not been a reliable ally in many regards for a long time, but I don't think anyone in the region can discern any logic behind American policy at the current time. We've consistently done damage to those who we claim as friends in the region, so it should be no surprise that the house of Saud is determined to say "these guys aren't our friends anymore".

(10-23-2013 04:42 PM)I45owl Wrote:  I think it reflects the strategic incoherence of American policy under Obama, but you're largely correct. America has not been a reliable ally in many regards for a long time, but I don't think anyone in the region can discern any logic behind American policy at the current time. We've consistently done damage to those who we claim as friends in the region, so it should be no surprise that the house of Saud is determined to say "these guys aren't our friends anymore".

Disagree. I find it more on the fact that we didn't fight a war on their behalf again. Being the Saudi's and Isreal's army the past few decades has done for more harm to US/foreign countries relations than Obama has... and it pains me like hell to defend Obama on something.

(10-23-2013 05:50 PM)ClairtonPanther Wrote:  

(10-23-2013 04:42 PM)I45owl Wrote:  I think it reflects the strategic incoherence of American policy under Obama, but you're largely correct. America has not been a reliable ally in many regards for a long time, but I don't think anyone in the region can discern any logic behind American policy at the current time. We've consistently done damage to those who we claim as friends in the region, so it should be no surprise that the house of Saud is determined to say "these guys aren't our friends anymore".

Disagree. I find it more on the fact that we didn't fight a war on their behalf again.

That's more or less what I said. But, the on-again, off-again rhetoric in support of the Syrian rebels did more harm than a coherent, principled policy of saying "it's not our affair".

(10-23-2013 05:50 PM)ClairtonPanther Wrote:  Being the Saudi's and Isreal's army the past few decades has done for more harm to US/foreign countries relations than Obama has... and it pains me like hell to defend Obama on something.

I think you will have a very hard time defending Obama in this case. Chance the Gardner may have bumbled his way towards a policy that you (and more or less I) would've chosen, but the decision tree to get there doesn't look anything like what either of us would've used.

Note also that I said nothing of whether our policies have been good or bad for US interests, only that we're hurting friendly Arab governments more than we're helping them.

I am sure I am more likely to believe than many others here that supporting rebels with arms and/or money may have been the way to go, but I direct involvement there has always been a losing proposition.