Soddy Arabia...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
n diplomats and military officials refused to meet with a bipartisan delegation of senior congressional staffers who visited the Middle Eastern country last week, an unusual snub that suggests increased tension between the U.S. and a key ally. The delegation was comprised of "high level" staff from three House committees: Intelligence, Homeland Security, and Armed Services.
"Everyone on the trip definitely took it as a snub," one of the staffers who went on the trip, speaking on condition of anonymity
... for fear of being murdered...
, told the Washington Examiner. The staffer said that the delegation asked to meet with representatives of Saudi Arabia's Foreign Affairs Ministry and Defense Ministry during the week-long trip, but the Saudis denied both requests.
The rejection is especially unusual because the Saudis paid for the delegation's visit, but did not allow them to talk to their most natural counterparts in the Saudi Arabian government. The aide, who has visited the country multiple times on such delegations, said every previous trip featured a meeting with at least one of the two ministries.
The snub stems from Saudi anger over what they see as President B.O.'s weak response to the Syrian civil war and U.S. attempts to get a nuclear deal with Iran, according to the staffer. The Iranian negotiations are most troubling to the Saudis, according to the aide, saying they think Obama is being "shortsighted" in his strategy for preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.
Gulf Arab states have been watching with grave concern Obama's hopes to negotiate an end to Iran's nuclear program, even as the regime gets closer to obtaining a weapon. Many, especially Saudi Arabia, see Iran's ambitions as an existential threat.