The White House scrambled on Monday to counter perceptions that the Saudi king’s absence from a summit later this week could undermine U.S. efforts to assure Gulf states it remains committed to their security against Iran. King Salman’s abrupt decision to skip the U.S. hosted regional talks shows how Gulf rulers, displeased by what they see as U.S. indifference to Iranian meddling in the Arab world More here
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Arab leaders skip summit with Obama
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman dropped a political bombshell this week by announcing that he will skip a summit with US President Barak Obama scheduled for Thursday at Camp David, sending lower level officials instead. Other Gulf Cooperation Council countries soon made similar announcements in a move which many analysts called a collective and calculated snub of Obama. However, Administration officials downplayed the significance of the announcement as well as the deep disquiet many Arab leaders have openly displayed at the White House’s handling of negotiations with Iran and other regional crises.
