Biden defends decision to visit Saudi Arabia, says rights are on his agenda
NBCSep 09, 2022
The Facts
In a Washington Post op-ed published Sat., US Pres. Biden discussed his administration's actions and policies in the Middle East to date and defended his decision to visit Saudi Arabia.
Biden is scheduled to travel to the Middle East between July 13-16 in an attempt to promote peace in the region and convince oil-exporting states like Saudi Arabia to increase production to offset skyrocketing gas prices.
The Spin
Republican narrative
Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia is just another example of his administration's hypocrisy and political opportunism. MBS has been directly linked to the killing of Khashoggi, and visiting the kingdom without first getting human rights commitments will only send a message to its leaders that there are no consequences for egregious rights violations.
Democratic narrative
Recent geopolitical events have forced Biden's hand. His main foreign policy priority has been diplomacy, and there's little to suggest that this has changed. With the Middle East's countless political problems, and the long and historic relationship between the US and Saudi, Biden is wise to rely on realpolitik to advance US interests in the region and the world more broadly.
