Tuesday, May 3, 2022

CIA Director Bill Burns Met Secretly With Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Last Month To Try And Mend U.S. - Saudi Ties

CIA Director Bill Burns met with Saudi Arabia's de facto leader Mohammed Bin Salman in the coastal city of Jeddah. A US official reportedly said, 'It was a good conversation, better tone than prior U.S. government engagement'  

Daily Mail: CIA director Bill Burns met secretly with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman last month to try and mend ties ahead of a potential Biden visit 

* Burns reportedly met with Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler in Jeddah in mid-April 

* 'It was a good conversation, better tone than prior U.S. government engagement,' an unnamed official told the Journal 

* It comes after a March report that MBS snubbed a call from President Biden 

* Riyadh had recently sided with Moscow when it refused a request from Washington to produce more oil in the wake of Russia's attack on Ukraine 

* Burns and MBS reportedly discussed the war in Yemen, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the renewed Iran Nuclear Deal negotiations 

* Relations between the US and Saudis are colder under Biden than under the Trump administration, with Biden not shying away from criticizing the kingdom 

The director of the Central Intelligence Agency made a previously-unannounced trip to Saudi Arabia last month where he met with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS), it was reported on Tuesday. 

 CIA Director Bill Burns' visit to the city of Jeddah occurred in mid-April, the Wall Street Journal reported, during a period marked by critically low relations between the Saudi and American governments.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: The US administration wants to avoid this .... Saudi, UAE leaders ignore Biden when he calls to talk gas prices: report (NYPost).

 CIA Director Bill Burns Met Secretly With Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Last Month To Try And Mend U.S. - Saudi Ties 

Biden’s CIA chief met with Saudi crown prince in April: report -- The Hill  

CIA Chief Met Saudi Crown Prince Last Month in Push to Mend Ties -- Wall Street Journal  

WSJ: CIA chief met with Saudi crown prince on secret trip -- Middle East Eye

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