Pt. I: Saudi Arabia: Deconstructing Obama’s Actions + The Permanent Government’s Foreign Policy
Pt. II:Obama Leading a High-Powered Delegation to Saudi Arabia
NEW DELHI — President Obama will take a bipartisan delegation of prominent current and former officials with him when he flies to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to offer his condolences on the death of King Abdullah, the White House announced.
Joining the president will be his Republican opponent from 2008, Senator John McCain of Arizona, and several veterans of past Republican administrations, including two former secretaries of state, James A. Baker III and Condoleezza Rice, and two former national security advisers, Brent Scowcroft and Stephen J. Hadley.
Also meeting up with Mr. Obama in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, will be senior figures from his own administration, including Secretary of State John Kerry; John O. Brennan, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency; and Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, the head of the United States Central Command, the military unit that oversees Middle East operations.
WOW!!!
What a heavy duty lineup!!! Must be something really important going on!!!
The new king, Salman of Saudi Arabia, moved swiftly after the death of his predecessor, King Abdullah, to name successors in one of the Arab world’s richest and most influential nations.
Oh.
Same old same old.
But…wait a minute!!!
The White House said several Democratic members of Congress would be part of the delegation as well, including some who were already traveling with the president as part of his three-day visit to India, which ends on Tuesday. Those to join him for the trip to Riyadh include Senator Mark Warner of Virginia and Representatives Nancy Pelosi and Ami Bera of California and Eliot Engel and Joseph Crowley of New York.
The heavyweight delegation, hurriedly assembled over the past couple of days, underscores the importance that the United States places on its relationship with Saudi Arabia, not just for its ample supplies of oil but also for its leadership in the region and its assistance with intelligence and counterterrorism.
In addition to paying respects to the family of King Abdullah, who died Friday, Mr. Obama plans to meet with his successor, King Salman. In part, the goal of the trip is for the president and his team to take King Salman’s measure and, quietly at least, assess his health. King Salman, 79, has had at least one stroke and lost some movement in one of his arms.
UH oh!!!
He’s even older than HRC!!! Plus he can’t jerk off real well anymore…wore out his jerkoff hand, apparently. A real requirement for any U.S. asset.
While Mr. Obama has met King Salman before, they do not have a notable relationship. But American officials were encouraged that Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, the interior minister, was named deputy crown prince, signaling a next generation of leadership, because he has a long history of working with the United States on counterterrorism issues. Mr. Bin Nayef has met with Mr. Obama at least twice.
Phew!!! Great!!! At least Deputy Dawg seems to be in line wif de west.
In keeping with that, Mr. Obama’s delegation includes a number of current and former officials who have worked with Mr. Bin Nayef and his colleagues on terrorism issues, including Mr. Brennan; Lisa Monaco, the president’s counterterrorism adviser; Joseph W. Westphal, the ambassador to Riyadh; Samuel Berger, a former national security adviser to President Bill Clinton; and Frances Fragos Townsend, a former counterterrorism adviser to President George W. Bush.
Gee.
Which one is the CIA asset? Brennan for sure. More than one? Probably. How…predictable.
Mr. Obama is only scheduled to spend four hours on the ground in Riyadh, long enough for a meeting and a dinner at a palace, before heading back to Washington.
Plausible denial, of course. How much trouble could he get into in four hours? But…how long are his “companions” staying? Hmmm?
—snip—
“It will be a chance for us to make sure that we’re in good alignment going forward where we have overlapping interest,” said Benjamin J. Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser to Mr. Obama. “I think you saw the king send a signal that he’s committed to continuity in terms of Saudi Arabia’s approach to those issues. But again, I think we’re well placed to continue cooperation.”
“I think you saw the king send a signal that he’s committed to continuity in terms of Saudi Arabia’s approach to those issues!!!???”
Plausible denial once again. It could just as easily have been a signal that he needs to go take a piss and since he’s having trouble with his hand he needs some help getting those robes up and outta the way.
Whadda buncha marooons!!!
What a sick game we are playing.
WTFU.
Please!!!
AG