US needs to fundamentally rethink ties with Saudi Arabia: Analyst
Press TV has conducted an interview with James Jatras, a former US Senate foreign policy analyst, and Michael Lane, the founder of the American Institute for Foreign Policy, to discuss US-Saudi relations.
Jatras believes the United States needs to conduct a “fundamental rethink” of its relationship with Saudi Arabia, which he says is undoubtedly the world’s biggest supporter of terrorism.
“Unfortunately, what is counterbalanced against that is a tremendous amount of money and influence, frankly corruption, not only that they [the Saudis] employ half a dozen of the biggest PR and media firms and lobbying firms here in Washington but spend billions of dollars, peddling influence with arms sales, with endowments to universities,” he says.
“They [the Saudis] have a lot of politicians in their pockets who will defend the Saudi royals’ interests against those of the American people,” he adds.
Jatras further argues that in terms of regional politics, Washington needs the Saudis as a counter-balance to Iranian influence, which is a very much overblown concern in American politics.
Lane, for his part, says the United States and Saudi Arabia’s relations are “at a very historic low,” adding that Washington and Riyadh are in a situation where they still need each other to implement their agendas in the Middle East.
He also says that President Barack Obama has really no choice but to try and keep a working relationship with Saudi Arabia going, adding that his recent trip to Riyadh is to keep things more or less stable between the two countries for the next several months.
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