Biden Meets With Saudi Crown Prince
Summary from the AllSides News Team
President Joe Biden traveled to Saudi Arabia Friday and met with controversial Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The meeting came amid questions about how Biden will handle relations with the country, which has a history of human rights violations — most notably journalist Jamal Khashoggi's 2018 murder by agents of the Saudi government. In a Washington Post (Lean Left bias) op-ed about the trip, Biden said his "views on human rights are clear and long-standing, and fundamental freedoms are always on the agenda." He also argued that the Middle East's "waterways are essential to global trade," and called the region's energy resources "vital for mitigating the impact on global supplies of Russia’s war in Ukraine."
Biden and Salman greeted each other with a fist bump prior to the meeting. After Khashoggi's murder, Biden called for consequences for the Saudi government and said in 2019 that the Saudi government has "very little social redeeming value." Before Biden's trip, White House officials said he would aim to minimize contact, including hand shakes, to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Biden did reportedly shake hands with others on the trip, including bin Salman's father.
The meeting was the top story from sources across the political spectrum Friday afternoon. Many outlets on both the left and the right focused on the fist bump and Biden's past comments about Saudi Arabia and Khashoggi's murder. One article from NBC News focused on Saudi dissidents who said they felt betrayed by Biden's visit.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Left
Biden meets with Saudi crown prince amid tensions over Khashoggi murderPresident Joe Biden arrived Friday in Saudi Arabia where he met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a controversial sitdown he had earlier insisted would not take place.
The crown prince greeted Biden as he arrived at the royal palace where the two leaders exchanged a fist bump, but no handshake.
Biden has alternated between handshakes and fist bumps throughout the four days of his Middle East swing after the White House said he would “minimize contact” during the trip as a Covid precaution.
Ahead of the meeting with the crown...
From the Left
Biden fist bumps MBS after arriving in Saudi ArabiaPresident Biden shared a fist bump with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after arriving in the Gulf kingdom for a high-stakes visit.
Why it matters: Biden once vowed to make the kingdom a "pariah," and U.S.-Saudi relations have been strained over a number of issues, including the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
U.S. intelligence concluded MBS was responsible for Khashoggi's murder — an allegation Saudi Arabia denies.
State of play: Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia is aimed at recalibrating U.S. relations with the Gulf kingdom.
It will include a bilateral meeting with...
From the Right
Biden Greets Saudi Crown Prince with Fist BumpPresident Biden was seen greeting Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman on Friday with a fist bump during his trip to the Middle East.
The greeting came amid speculation over whether Biden would shake the hand of bin Salman, who approved the 2018 operation that killed journalist Jamal Khashoggi, according to U.S. intelligence assessments. Khashoggi, who was a Washington Post columnist, was killed after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to collect documents for his wedding.
While campaigning in 2019, Biden called Khashoggi’s death “flat-out murder” and called for consequences.
“There’s very little social...
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