The article discusses US President Donald Trump's recent visit to Saudi Arabia, where he welcomed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House. The prince was greeted with a lavish ceremony, including a flypast of fighter jets and a display of military might. However, the visit also highlighted the complexities of US-Saudi relations, particularly when it comes to issues like human rights and Middle East policy.
The article notes that Trump's affinity for autocrats and his willingness to set aside traditional alliances in favor of pragmatic diplomacy have led to a shift in US foreign policy priorities. The visit was seen as an attempt by Trump to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia and secure significant investments from the kingdom, including a $1 trillion promise of economic support.
However, critics argue that the visit ignores the concerns of many Americans who are critical of Trump's handling of human rights issues, particularly in Saudi Arabia. The article notes that the US intelligence community has concluded that Prince Mohammed was involved in the 2018 murder and dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist who was killed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
The article also highlights the potential risks of normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia, particularly given the kingdom's human rights record and its involvement in the Yemen civil war. The author notes that the US has a long history of supporting democracy and human rights in the region, and that abandoning these values could have significant consequences for the country's reputation and influence.
Overall, the article suggests that Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia marked a significant shift in US foreign policy priorities, one that prioritizes pragmatic diplomacy over traditional alliances and democratic values. The author argues that this shift has significant implications for the future of US relations with the Middle East and its allies in the region.
Some key quotes from the article include:
* "The White House welcome bestowed on the Saudi crown prince was the most lavish of the Trump presidency, and a gaudily clear statement of its foreign policy priorities." (Author)
* "It was billed as a mere working visit, but it was more extravagant than any previous state visit. The president greeted the prince on the south lawn, the White House's biggest stage. There were uniformed men on horses bearing flags and a flypast of fighter jets." (Author)
* "Trump declared that Khashoggi was 'extremely controversial' and not universally liked, as if those were grounds for being butchered... Trump reacted by humiliating Netanyahu during his visit to the White House in late September, forcing him to call his Qatari counterpart from the Oval Office in order to apologise." (Author)
* "The flow of huge amounts of money occurs in both public and private spheres. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE have together invested near $5bn in a fund managed by Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner." (Author)
* "There was no joy at all on the Palestinian file... I think Israel has a very free hand. They've got the hostages out, and they're still bombing Gaza." (Daniel Levy, president of the US/Middle East Project)
The article notes that Trump's affinity for autocrats and his willingness to set aside traditional alliances in favor of pragmatic diplomacy have led to a shift in US foreign policy priorities. The visit was seen as an attempt by Trump to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia and secure significant investments from the kingdom, including a $1 trillion promise of economic support.
However, critics argue that the visit ignores the concerns of many Americans who are critical of Trump's handling of human rights issues, particularly in Saudi Arabia. The article notes that the US intelligence community has concluded that Prince Mohammed was involved in the 2018 murder and dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist who was killed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
The article also highlights the potential risks of normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia, particularly given the kingdom's human rights record and its involvement in the Yemen civil war. The author notes that the US has a long history of supporting democracy and human rights in the region, and that abandoning these values could have significant consequences for the country's reputation and influence.
Overall, the article suggests that Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia marked a significant shift in US foreign policy priorities, one that prioritizes pragmatic diplomacy over traditional alliances and democratic values. The author argues that this shift has significant implications for the future of US relations with the Middle East and its allies in the region.
Some key quotes from the article include:
* "The White House welcome bestowed on the Saudi crown prince was the most lavish of the Trump presidency, and a gaudily clear statement of its foreign policy priorities." (Author)
* "It was billed as a mere working visit, but it was more extravagant than any previous state visit. The president greeted the prince on the south lawn, the White House's biggest stage. There were uniformed men on horses bearing flags and a flypast of fighter jets." (Author)
* "Trump declared that Khashoggi was 'extremely controversial' and not universally liked, as if those were grounds for being butchered... Trump reacted by humiliating Netanyahu during his visit to the White House in late September, forcing him to call his Qatari counterpart from the Oval Office in order to apologise." (Author)
* "The flow of huge amounts of money occurs in both public and private spheres. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE have together invested near $5bn in a fund managed by Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner." (Author)
* "There was no joy at all on the Palestinian file... I think Israel has a very free hand. They've got the hostages out, and they're still bombing Gaza." (Daniel Levy, president of the US/Middle East Project)
. I mean, come on, a flypast of fighter jets? That's just excessive 
. And what about Jamal Khashoggi's murder? It's like, how can you just gloss over that and move forward with investments and whatnot? 
I'm not sure what kind of foreign policy priorities Trump is trying to prioritize here, but it seems like he's more concerned with the benjamins than human rights issues 
. And let's be real, this visit is all about normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia and securing those sweet, sweet investments 
. It's a bit disconcerting that Trump is basically saying that democracy and human rights are overrated in favor of pragmatism 
. I'm not sure what the US has gotten itself into here... 
This whole thing with Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia is super weird. Like, what's up with the flypast of fighter jets? 
It's not like it's a welcoming ceremony or anything... more like an 'we're ready to defend you' vibe. 
And then there's the fact that Khashoggi got whacked in Istanbul and nobody seems too bothered about it 
It sounds like Trump just wants to play nice so he can get what he wants from Saudi Arabia 
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. Like, yeah, we all know Trump's not afraid to ruffle some feathers when it comes to human rights and stuff... but $1 trillion in economic support? That's just a huge ask 
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. Trump's all about pragmatism and getting what he wants 
and yet it seems like that's just been swept under the rug 
. And what's with the flypast of fighter jets?! It feels like we're more interested in showing off our military might than actually making progress on human rights issues 
. The article mentions how Trump's administration has a history of supporting democracy and human rights, but now it seems like that's being put aside for a quick buck 
this is getting crazy what's next? our country selling out to some oil rich kingdom just because they're willing to give us a few bucks? newsflash, $1 trillion doesn't buy you human rights 
how can trump justify welcoming prince mohammed into the white house after all we know about him? 
it's like trump is more interested in being friends with our enemies than standing up for what's right 
it was super lavish ceremony but like how can u ignore human rights issues and also 1 trillion promise is a lot 
and whats with all these investments from qatar and saudi arabia its like theyre trying to buy trump's favor 
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. I'm curious to see how this plays out in the long run...
. But at the same time, it feels like we need to have some tough conversations about what we're doing and why we're doing it. We can't just keep ignoring these kinds of issues and expecting everything to work out in the end.
. I'm all for pragmatic diplomacy, but what about human rights? It feels like we're trading our values for some sweet economic deal 
The US has always been about standing up for what's right, but it looks like Trump is all about pragmatism now 
. Not to mention the involvement in the Yemen civil war and all the human rights abuses going on there 
. I'm worried that if we start normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia, it could send the wrong message to other countries about what's acceptable 
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with a $1 trillion price tag... meanwhile, the Khashoggi murder case is just, like, totally water under the bridge 
? It's hilarious how the author glosses over Trump's awkward interactions with Netanyahu and his own son-in-law's shady investment deals 
. Oh, and I love how the article notes the concerns of many Americans about human rights in Saudi Arabia... but it's hard to see a whole lot of passion or outrage from our fearless leader, is it? 
. Trump's all about pragmatism now, but when it comes to human rights, he's more than happy to turn a blind eye 
. I mean, come on, need to make an entrance like that? Can't we just have a normal, respectful visit for once?