Obama, Saudi king expressed strong support for Lebanon

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OBAMA KING SALMANU.S. President Barack Obama and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud released a joint statement expressing “strong support” for Lebanon following a meeting on Sept. 4 at the White House.

President Obama invited the Saudi king to the U.S. to discuss the Iran nuclear deal and its wider effect on the Middle East.

“I’m happy to come to a friendly country to meet a friend,” Salman said. “We want to work together for world peace.”

The statement said the two leaders supported Lebanon’s “sovereignty, security and stability,” adding that military support for the Lebanese Armed Forces would help “resist extremist threats.”

The two leaders also called on Lebanon’s parliament to elect a new president — a role they believe is of “critical importance.”

The meeting comes five months after the first shipment of Saudi-funded French arms arrived in Lebanon.

The $3 billion Saudi Arabian grant is aimed at helping bolster the Lebanese army over the next four years with new transport vehicles, tanks, warships, and communication equipment.

In June, the U.S. State Department announced its approval of a possible sale of six A-29 Super Tucano aircrafts to Lebanon, at an estimated cost of $462 million.

According to Riad Kahwaji, CEO of the Dubai-based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, Lebanon would pay for the aircrafts using another $1-billion Saudi grant.

The DC-visit is the king’s first to the United States since ascending to the throne in January 2015, and comes after the United States agreed to a nuclear deal with Iran in July.

“The relationship has grown deeper and stronger over the past seven decades in the political, economic, military, security, cultural and other spheres of mutual interest,” said a statement by the White House press office.

Speaking after the meeting between Obama and Salman, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said Obama had assured the Saudi king that the agreement prevents Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, has a robust and unprecedented inspections regime that includes inspections of all sites… and that has provision for snap back of sanctions should Iran violate the terms of their agreement,” he added.

Under those conditions, al-Jubeir said, Saudi Arabia was satisfied that the deal would contribute to security and stability in the Middle East.

“Now we have one less problem for the time being to deal with, with regards to Iran,” al-Jubeir said.

The foreign minister said he hoped Iran would use the windfall from the lifting of sanctions for its own development rather than engage in what he termed as “nefarious activities in the region”.

Gulf states fear that lifting sanctions could allow Iran to extend its support for militant groups and actions across the region they consider destabilizing.

Yemen

The Saudi foreign minister also said assurances had been given to President Obama that efforts would be made to relieve the humanitarian situation in Yemen.

The US has backed a Saudi-led coalition’s attempts to restore the government in Yemen, in its campaign against Houthi rebels.

Human rights activists and humanitarian organisations have criticised Mr Obama’s decision to support the coalition air campaign in Yemen, which has killed hundreds of civilians since March, and the naval blockade that has caused severe shortages of food, fuel and medicine.

Mr Obama pressed King Salman to ensure humanitarian organizations were given unrestricted access to Yemen, where the Saudis are leading a coalition against the Houthi rebel movement.

“We share concerns about Yemen and the need to restore a function government that is inclusive and that can relieve the humanitarian situation there,” Mr Obama said after the meeting.

‘Missile deal’

US-Saudi ties are said to have been strained by Mr Obama’s unwillingness to take military action against Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, and his support for a nuclear deal that the Saudis fear will ultimately allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons.

In May, King Salman skipped a summit of Gulf Arab leaders at Camp David, which was widely interpreted as a snub for the US president.

The Obama administration has vowed to make certain that Iran abides by its commitments under the nuclear deal and to do everything it can to “counter Iran’s destabilising activities” in the Middle East once the country’s estimated $56bn (£37bn) of frozen assets are released.

In an effort to reassure its Gulf allies, the US has been working with them to develop a ballistic missile defence system, provide special operations training, authorise arms transfers, strengthen cyber security, engage in large-scale military exercises, and enhance maritime operations to halt illegal Iranian arms shipments.

“We are determined that our Gulf friends will have the political and military support that they need,” Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday.

Senior administration officials told the New York Times that the Pentagon was finalising a $1bn arms agreement that would provide weapons for the Saudi military for the campaign against the jihadist group Islamic State and the Houthi rebel movement in Yemen.

The deal primarily comprised missiles for US-made F-15 fighter jets, the officials said.

BBC/ YL

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43 responses to “Obama, Saudi king expressed strong support for Lebanon”

  1. Anti ISIS Avatar

    Bullshit, Bullshit, Bullshit and more bullshit.

    1. Hind Abyad Avatar

      How can people of the Middle East live 6 decades of War…meantime Israel is building it’s Empire ‘from the Nile to the Euphrates’.
      http://michaelharrison.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/From-the-Nile-to-the-Euphrates.pdf

      1. Jews are united
        Arabs are divided
        that simple really Hind, same applies to a family that loves one another vs a family that hates one another, often in life we get exactly for what we deserve.

        1. Hind Abyad Avatar

          Jews are not united. Amos Oz Calls Perpetrators of Hate Crimes ‘Hebrew neo-Nazis’

          http://www.haaretz.com/news/israel/1.589849

          1. Good morning Hind, being jewish does not mean being perfect ,special or chosen, people are people. Jews are capable and have the technology to blow up synagogues ,behead fellow Jews or put them in cages and set them on fire but they don’t!! they have HIGH standards and Arabs have LOW standards, they are progressive and less violent, much much much less!! and they have a functioning democracy and functioning government that does a better job serving and protecting its citizens, sorry Hind Arabs have a lot to learn but they think they already know everything.

          2. Hind Abyad Avatar

            You misunderstood my bad English…i am in NO way defending Arabs, but, the philosophy of Pharisaic Talmud and real Jewish values will never meet (except in the word Jew), they have the power in the Knesset, Jews who disagree with them are considered self-hating Jew..
            (and they killed Rabin).

            “In 1948, Rabin underlined the cruelty of the operation as mirrored in the reaction of his soldiers. He stated during an interview (which is still censored in Israeli publications to this day) with David Shipler from the New York Times on October 22, 1979:

            “Great Suffering was inflicted upon the men taking part in the eviction action. [They] included youth-movement graduates who had been inculcated with values such as international brotherhood and humaneness. The eviction action went beyond the concepts they were used to. There were some fellows who refused to take part. . . Prolonged propaganda activities were required after the action . . . to explain why we were obliged to undertake such a harsh and cruel action.” (Simha Flapan, p. 101)”

          3. Hind, I love you and your English, what I understand is that you care about the plight of the Palestinaian people and I respect you for that, whether we agree on everything or not is secondary to me as we are always exchanging with respect to one another 🙂 compassion is a beautiful thing and I am sure that fair and good hearted Jewish people exist as the same exists in Arab culture, the difference is neither good or evil can spread without followers and I doubt that jewish citizens or culture would allow a religious or a political figure to stay in power with this much blood shed 4 years later. again it is a standard issue and I maintain that they have a higher one.

          4. racist bigot

          5. Hind Abyad Avatar

            bibi bigot

          6. The daft mare parroting as usual.

          7. Hind Abyad Avatar

            You must suffer from Tourettes..

          8. Hind Abyad Avatar

            Real Jews always had a higher standards than Arabs, depending which “Arabs”…
            i’m waiting for the Arab Einstein..
            http://observer.com/2014/08/ny-times-runs-ad-from-holocaust-survivors-condemning-israel-attacking-elie-wiesel/

          9. Great article thanks,
            so I went to a home show yesterday and to my surprise there was an exhibit for bird rescue, I met an amazing lady that dedicated her life to taking unwanted birds and she had a donation box so I took some money to put in the box and she told me to stop and put it partially in my pocket instead and Immediatly an African congo grey comes down off his perch and runs across the table and reaches the bill out of my pocket and for a moment I though he was shredding it but instead he folded it and inserted it in the donation box slot, other people approached the booth and the little thief reacted the same as soon as he saw money lol, I will send you pictures a little later 🙂

          10. Aren’t you a good “Samaritan”! Lmfao.

          11. Hind Abyad Avatar

            Have to see that, what an amazing animal story…:)))

          12. Hind Abyad Avatar

            An elderly Jewish man Art collector wished to see my Roy Liechtenstein huge poster..
            He had a big happy smile ..’look at the date it’s my birthday’…(not the year)..

          13. As you stated … Real Jews … not the fake ones, also known as Zionists and who take cover under Judaism.

          14. Racist bigot

          15. Get your fact straight and try rational thinking rather than swallowing information you’re fed.

            The barbarian Arabs (Muslim Brotherhood) you’re talking about have been on your people’s (the Zionists) payroll since the early 1900s.

            ps – stop pretending to be Jewish – you’re not. You’re a Zionist.

          16. Hind Abyad Avatar

            He’s not Zionist nor Jewish.

          17. I see.

            Evangelical American then?

          18. Hind Abyad Avatar

            Lebanese Christian best guy i know.

          19. I see.

            Best guy you know.

            Worst kind of Lebanese that can be.

            Likely a Lebanese Forces supporter.

          20. 5thDrawer Avatar

            And WHY NOT support the Lebanese Army??
            You probably love Nastyrallah’s Friday Monologues. You live to Resist Life.

          21. Who talked about the Lebanese Army? I said Lebanese Forces – as in the crippled Zionist thug Samir Geagea.

            You seem butt-hurt with Nasrallah. Is it because you support the M14? The same M14 who’s Master, Saudi Arabia, funds and supports Al-Qeada, ISIS and the rest of the Muslim Brotherhood bunch.

          22. 5thDrawer Avatar

            Not my problem the whole ‘country’ doesn’t think it is. Pack of FatHeads, basically.
            From Nasty to Looney Aounie. Just inhale .. you’ll get the drift.
            But you surmise a lot from a conversation about a very nice hobby … why shouldn’t I?

          23. Wow, wow, what happened here?

            How did you pass from being comprehensible to this comment?

            Did you eat, sniff or inhale something you should not have?

          24. 5thDrawer Avatar

            I got up too early. And as your name suggests, that’s the end.

          25. Your comment from 30 mins ago to the one from 10 mins ago is about a light year apart in comprehensibility.

            We’ll blame it on the waking up too early.

            Have yourself a nice breakfast and a nice day.

          26. cook2half Avatar

            BOO!!

          27. Hind Abyad Avatar

            Geagea should be in prison not in the goverment

    2. You know those two well don’t you lol.

  2. Hind Abyad Avatar

    President Johnson to Mr. Eshkol, Prime Minister of Israel: “You are asking me to guarantee your borders, what borders do you want me to guarantee?” June 22 1968.

    ‘From the Nile to the Euphrates’ http://michaelharrison.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/From-the-Nile-to-the-Euphrates.pdf

    1. Israel have no borders..because they want to take all..if they can.

  3. King Aziz really good leader.Some times even monarchy have nice leader…even in democracy some times..it,s have bad leader.I guess monarchy is better next to dictatorship.Wahabi or not it is his business…when he did good thing people must respect him..religion is individual right.Even so it is only 15% Wahabis in Saudi and also in Isis.And it is still make sense as Muslims.Majority of them are Sunnis.

    1. What good did he do? On his trip to America now he bought out the four seasons hotel and had it refurbished in gold to suit him for his stay. Meanwhile there are millions of refugees spilling into Europe and saudia arabia qatar and uae have not taken a single person. They have plenty of room and plenty of money. Yes your Aziz and monarchs are very good people aren’t they. If you really knew your religion you should know that monarchy haram in Islam isn’t it? But yes you have become like all the sheep out there worship those with money. Good boy.

      1. Where’s the proof

        1. New.com.au

      2. Hind Abyad Avatar

        “Everything is gold,” says one Four Seasons regular, who spied the deliveries arriving at the hotel. “Gold mirrors, gold end tables, gold lamps, even gold hat racks.” Red carpets have been laid down in hallways and even in the lower parking garage, so the king and his family never have to touch asphalt when departing their custom Mercedes caravan.

        http://www.politico.com/story/2015/09/four-seasons-king-salman-visit-red-carpet-213324#ixzz3kzfLwEXO

        King of Saudi Arabia makes grandest of entrances in DC, booking every room in the luxurious Four Seasons hotel for meeting with Obama

        http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3223163/King-Saudi-Arabia-books-room-Four-Seasons-hotel-Washington-D-C-trip.html

    2. Why not 16%

    3. Hind Abyad Avatar

      Yemen Burns, Salman Lives Large. “Salam aleykoum”

      [Yemen] is seen as part of Saudi-Iran [rivalry], it’s part of this grand game,”. “We are forgetting that there are 25 million people who have been completely cut off…. So we have completely depersonalized this, and it is just seen as a pawn in a chess game, and I think that’s the tragedy.”
      http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/09/04/yemen-king-salman-saudi-arabia-houthi-war-four-seasons-hotel-georgetown-washington/“

      1. They need to discuss and debate on religion..not war…but it,s not easy to bring a country and people to the top of civilization,It is too late for Arab to achieve civilization and educate their people .Separation religion with religion is only the cause of Arab chaos and wars.They are not understand how civilization would save their country..religion,oil and and wealth..till now they are not understand.So they must prepare for wars in order to plant peace..one side of them must be a winner..or they will kill each others to the end of times.

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