Tag Archives: Saudi Arabia

The Hill reports: President Trump on Friday said he spoke with King Salman of Saudi Arabia after U.S. officials said that a Saudi national was suspected of opening fire at a naval air station in Pensacola, Fla., killing three people and injuring several others. “The King said that the Saudi people are greatly angered by the barbaric actions of the …

The Washington Post reports: The DOJ  has charged two former Twitter employees with spying for Saudi Arabia in a case that raises concerns about the ability of Silicon Valley to protect the private information of dissidents and other users from repressive governments. The charges came a day after the arrest of one of the former Twitter employees, Ahmad Abouammo, a …

Quartz reports: US Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin and presidential son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner plan to attend this year’s “Davos in the Desert,” a Saudi Arabian economic conference the US and many others skipped last year after Saudi security agents murdered Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi. According to a federal procurement filing reviewed by Quartz, the State Department recently …

Reuters reports: In a press conference Friday evening, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford announced the US would be sending “hundreds” of US troops, as well as additional air defense capabilities, to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. “The president has approved the deployment of US forces which will …

The Independent reports: Twitter suspended the account of former Saudi royal court adviser Saud al-Qahtani on Friday, nearly a year after he was sacked over his suspected role in the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The social network also separately removed accounts linked to Saudi Arabia’s “state-run media apparatus” and others in the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, …

Business Insider reports: Only 13 percent of Americans would support the US military joining Saudi Arabia in a conflict as part of a response to a recent attack on two major Saudi oil fields, a new Insider poll of US adults shows. The poll asked participants “what, if any, role do you think the US should take in a response …

CNN reports: Iran’s foreign minister has raised the specter of “all-out war” in the event of US or Saudi military strikes and that Saudi Arabia would have to fight “to the last American soldier.” Javad Zarif told CNN that Iran hoped to avoid conflict, adding that the country was willing to talk to its regional rivals Saudi Arabia and the …

The Hill reports: House Republican Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) said on Wednesday the U.S. should consider a “proportional military response” against Iran, among other potential actions, over its suspected involvement in drone attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil supply. The position from Cheney comes as Republicans such as Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) are calling on President Trump to pursue additional …

USA Today reports: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is heading to the Middle East Tuesday as the Trump administration again sent mixed messages about how the U.S. would respond to the crippling attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure. Pompeo has blamed Iran for Saturday’s strikes on the Abqaiq oil processing plant and a key Saudi oil field, where an estimated …

The Hill reports: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Tuesday urged President Trump to take “decisive action” against Iran after attacks on Saudi oil facilities the U.S. thinks Tehran likely was responsible for. “The problems with Iran only get worse over time so it is imperative we take decisive action to deter further aggression by the Ayatollah and his henchman,” Graham …

Reuters reports: President Donald Trump on Monday declared Tehran was likely behind strikes on Saudi oil facilities, but that he wanted to be sure and he hoped to “avoid” war. “It is certainly looking that way at this moment,” he told reporters when asked if he believes Iran carried out the attack. Trump said “we pretty much already know” but …

CNBC reports: Global oil prices spiked 20% when markets reopened on Monday, after a weekend attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities suspended the production of 5.7 million barrels a day. That amounts to roughly 5% of the world’s total daily crude oil production. State-run oil company Aramco said in a statement that work was underway to restore production. The U.S. …

Roll Call reports: Replying directly to Trump on Twitter, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) slammed the president for, in her view, seeking marching orders with regard to a potential strike against Iran following the attack on a Saudi oil plant. “Trump awaits instructions from his Saudi masters,” Gabbard wrote. “Having our country act as Saudi Arabia’s bitch is not ‘America First.’” …

The Independent reports: Donald Trump has been warned he cannot declare war without congressional support following the bombing of Saudi Arabian oil facilities. The strikes, which destroyed half of the kingdom’s oil production capacity, were claimed by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. On Sunday night Mr Trump said the US was “locked and loaded” and believed it knew who was …

The Christian Post reports: On the eve of the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, a delegation of American evangelical leaders met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss the state of religious freedom and the battle against extremism in the kingdom. The timing of the visit drew the ire of critics on social media who noted that …

ABC News reports: A longtime Trump insider has been pushing a proposal to build dozens of nuclear power plants in Saudi Arabia while seeking to avoid restrictions on the transfer of U.S. nuclear technology and has at times stood to profit from the effort, according to an investigative report by the House Oversight Committee. The 50-page report, which relied on …

CBS News reports: President Trump met with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman on Saturday while they were in Osaka, Japan, calling the crown prince a “friend of mine.” Mr. Trump called bin Salman “a man who has really done things in the last 5 years in terms of opening of Saudi Arabia.” Mr. Trump did not answer questions about …

The Hill reports: President Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman posed next to each other for a photo of world leaders on Friday at the Group of 20 Summit in Japan, exchanging pleasantries in the process. Trump and the crown prince could be seen making conversation and smiling as they stood next to each other for the “family …

The Guardian reports: The report from Agnes Callamard, the UN special rapporteur, sets out in forensic detail concerns about the behaviour of Saudi Arabia, both before and after the murder of the dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi. It also details the potential threats posed to journalists and academics by the kingdom’s use of intrusive spyware. This is a threat the Guardian …

Reuters reports: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has blocked the inclusion of Saudi Arabia on a U.S. list of countries that recruit child soldiers, dismissing his experts’ findings that a Saudi-led coalition has been using under-age fighters in Yemen’s civil war, according to four people familiar with the matter. The decision, which came after a fierce internal debate, could prompt …