CIA director Bill Burns (L) and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R). Al Drago/Pool via REUTERS; Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS
Antiwar.com: CIA Director Tells Saudis the US Was Blindsided By Iran Normalization
Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to reopen their embassies on Thursday after their foreign ministers met in China
CIA Director William Burns visited Saudi Arabia earlier this week to express frustration over Riyadh’s surprise normalization deal with Tehran that was brokered by Beijing, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
According to the Journal, Burns told Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that the US “has felt blindsided” by Riyadh’s rapprochement with Iran as well as Syria, two nations under crippling US economic sanctions.
Following the deal with Iran, Saudi Arabia is poised to normalize with Syria. Riyadh is expected to invite Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to an Arab League summit it’s hosting in May. The Biden administration is against regional countries upgrading ties with Syria as it prefers to keep the country isolated as US policy is to prevent reconstruction.
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WNU Editor: You would think that America's intelligence agencies with their massive budgets and tens of thousands of personnel would have noticed that Beijing was brokering a peace agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, but apparently they did not.
But what is telling about CIA Director William Burns visit to Saudi Arabia to tell the Crown Prince that the administration is displeased with the Iran - Saudi peace agreement and soon to be rapprochement with Syrian President Assad, is that he was the one who was sent to give the message.
It was not President Biden or Vice President Harris in a phone call. It was not US Secretary of State Blinken or Secretary of Defense Austin. It was certainly not National Security Adviser Sullivan. They sent the CIA Director William Burns to meet the de-facto ruler of one of America's critical allies. I think the reason why he was chosen to give this message is that he is probably the only one that the Saudis still respect and are on speaking terms.
ReplyDeleteEx-FBI agents accuse top CIA, FBI officials of 9/11 coverup; CIA said to use Saudis, others for illegal domestic spy operations
https://www.floridabulldog.org/2023/04/ex-fbi-agents-accuse-top-cia-fbi-officials-9-11-coverup-cia-domestic-spying/
What an incompetent bunch of idiots running this country. I bet they had plenty of resources chasing phantom white supremacists in the military, Trump supporters, Trump himself and moms at school board meetings.
ReplyDeleteB.Poster
DeleteThe “Woke” revolution is like sociological rabies. Unfortunately it’s gotten to the brain and death is all but certain. The rest of the world knows to stay away from the rabid eagle, which is on the cusp of being cornered in Ukraine and on the global stage
ReplyDeleteBiden ruined USA's relation with Saudi Arabia with his public shaming of Saudi Arabia over the Saudi murder of Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi. I sure hope it was worth it, Biden.
ReplyDeleteKushner and zillions and still?
ReplyDeleteThe Saudis no doubt reminded him that America is a declining world power who likely won't exist in 5 years. In contrast China and Russia are major powers who are going to be here for a very, very long time. Smart people plan and accordingly.
ReplyDeleteIf the editor and you are correct, then it will be a rough near future. I would take sending the CIA boss there as a sign that things are not well. The Saudis are tired of the American meddling. Of course they did not tell the Americans. That would have been stupid.
ReplyDeleteIf they did, then the Americans would have tried to squash the deal and dictate to the saudis on what to do. Just like the Americans do to the Ukrainians.
Do we think the world is blind? No, they are watching, They see the way the US handles/interfers with its "friends" example... Ukraine.
That is why the Saudis are trying to leave the US out of thier affairs as much as possible.
Poster!
ReplyDeleteRussia a major power? stop dwelling in the past or in Putin's wet dreams
B poster is right one this one.
ReplyDeleteRussia and china are major powers. whether or not you or I like it.
What!? Russia surely is not, China might be but give it a few years. America will also survive, I suspect even become stronger once we stop poring money into everything else. Woke crowd is like a intifada; it does not last because it’s self defeating.
DeleteThe intelligence agencies did notice what was going on, but are more concerned with terrorizing their own countrymen instead.
ReplyDeletethe Saudis are too rich to be bought off. our corrupt clown gubment is bought off by pharma, the techies, the Military industrial complex and whoever is pushing this scam that man made global warming is causing the Oceans to boil.
ReplyDeleteSaudi ruling family was installed by the brits, now another family -the original candidate once- may be installed, or houtis may win, or the rebel family forming qatar returns to holy lands they fleed.. there are known knowns and knowns unknowns between US and the saudis.
ReplyDelete7:51
ReplyDeleteAlways depends on what Metrics you are using.....