Posted on 04/08/2023 11:23:47 AM PDT by elpadre
CIA Director Bill Burns made an unannounced trip to Saudi Arabia this week where he reportedly aired Washington's frustrations over Riyadh's opening to Iran and Syria through mediation brokered by US rivals China and Russia.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a US official confirmed the trip to Al-Monitor. “Director Burns traveled to Saudi Arabia where he met with intelligence counterparts and country leaders on issues of shared interest," the US official said.
The official did not disclose the exact day of the trip but said that Burns discussed intelligence cooperation, especially in the area of counterterrorism. The CIA director met the country's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. Start your PRO membership today.
The report revealed that the US spy chief expressed displeasure over Riyadh's ongoing rapprochement with both Tehran and Damascus.
"Burns expressed frustration with the Saudis, according to people familiar with the matter. He told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that the US has felt blindsided by Riyadh’s rapprochement with Iran and Syria," the WSJ said.
Saudi Arabia has agreed to restore diplomatic ties with Iran in a deal brokered by China last month. On Thursday in Beijing, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met with Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and agreed to reinstate consulates and embassies as well as flights between the two countries.
On Syria, Russia is mediating between Riyadh and Damascus in an attempt to restore consular ties that broke off in 2011 following Syrian President Bashar al-Assad brutal crackdown on protests. Saudi Arabia is mulling an invite to Assad to the Arab League summit that Riyadh will host next month.
The United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Oman, Algeria and Jordan have all resumed diplomatic ties with Assad, whose government remains under heavy US sanctions.
Read more: https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2023/04/cia-director-visited-saudi-arabia-aired-frustration-over-iran-syria-thaw#ixzz7yJcOWybm
The rich rewards of the outstanding presidency of Joe Biden.
Welcome to $5 gas
We must ask the Zeepers to appeal to Saint George Washington Zelensky to aid Biden’s failing diplomacy.
Most of the world is finished the "liberal world order" and all of its hypocrisy.
CIA “frustrated” over Iran/Saudi hostilities ending and Syria wrapping up.
That about says it all.
Disgusting.
Biden needs to double down on the gay and tranny perversion. Keep shoving it down their throats. Because it was worked so well.
Incredible. Obama and Biden turn their backs on our traditional friends in the Middle East to court Iran and we’re surprised the Saudi’s are untrue.
I recall when Petraeus visited Ankara, Turkey, in an unmarked CIA plane. And then all hell broke loose. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
1973 Yom Kipper war.
I would like to think this is more Israel’s problem. They played both Bush’s in Iraq.
I doubt we will ever know all the details, but Obama's support of Muslim Brotherhood, Mohammed bin Salman's public criticism of Obama/US foreign policy while defense minister, the subsequent international lawfare and media campaign to punish (and remove?) Mohammed bin Salman, over the Khashoggi muder, and his cozying up to China, shows that MBS is not a friend of the US Deep State.
Burns is grasping to hold on to a relationship with Saudi Arabia.
Reaping what we’ve sowed.
“Zeeping what we sowed...”
IIRC...We have maybe 4 bases in Saudi Arabia.
Wait....isn’t that what Biden wants...less fossil fuels? The da thinks he can have it both ways.
They would have to hire locals to sit as an audience because the Americans wanted the bribe but wanted to pretend Arabs wanted to pay $10,000 a minute to hear about gay rights.
It was insulting.
Bribery's part of Arab culture - as it is in many parts of the world... But to force Arabs and others to play stupid games to make it look like our people aren't 'on the take' is nuts. We have the dirtiest people in the world working in democrat administrations.
Did this CIA dude sign the letter saying Hunter's laptop was Russian disinformation? Maybe the world - like MAGA traditional Americans - are sick of the heavy handed thugs running 'intelligence'... Oh, and Israel's getting tired of their crap too.
On the one hand I can certainly blame Joe Biden and particularly his domestic and international “green” policies.
However, the whole thing shows how much the alliance with Saudi Arabia was always bought and paid for by the U.S., and never created a true friendship. We were “allies” by mutual convenience and not much more.
Try $10 gas.
“The report revealed that the US spy chief expressed displeasure over Riyadh’s ongoing rapprochement with both Tehran and Damascus.”
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Yeah I bet he’s upset about that. We are on the verge of losing any influence in that region because thanks to our idiot neocons. The Saudis have been cozying up to Russia & China lately. Many of the non-western nations have also begun moving towards BRICS.
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