U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry Was Unsuccessful In Reassuring Saudi Concerns Over U.S. Policy In The Middle East

Analysis: Saudis Unconvinced By Kerry's Show Of U.S. Goodwill -- Angus McDowall, Reuters

RIYADH (Reuters) - If Secretary of State John Kerry visited Riyadh to reassure top Saudis that their anger over U.S. Middle East policy is unfounded, he has more work to do.

King Abdullah, who is 90 this year and rarely meets visiting officials, mustered a full complement of senior princes to sit in on Monday's talks with Kerry. Such a lineup marked both his high regard for the old alliance with the United States, and his ire at Washington's recent actions.

Saudi leaders fear President Barack Obama's administration has stopped listening to its Arab ally, particularly on Syria's civil war and the nuclear dispute with Iran. This risks handing regional supremacy to their chief rival, Tehran, they believe.

Read more ....

My Comment: U.S. and Saudi strategic vision and policy are now at odds with each other when it comes to issues like Syria and Iran .... and this is something that Secretary of State John Kerry could not resolve in one meeting. Bottom line .... the Saudis and their allies in the Middle East now understand that there is a fundamental split between what they want and what Washington wants .... and I predict that as a result they are now going to fundamentally shift their foreign policy (and support) away from the U.S..