Biden going 'back to the future' with 'zombie devotion to Arab dictatorships'
by Katherine Doyle, White House Reporter
July 16, 2022 03:39 PMJEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — President Joe Biden capped a four-day swing through the Middle East, insisting that the United States “is not going anywhere,” but as the president returned to Washington, the near-term outcomes of his ambitions were less certain.
After stops in Jerusalem and the West Bank, Biden flew to Jeddah to advance important American interests, he said Saturday, including a more integrated Middle East that would demand less U.S. military involvement. But he maintained that Washington would continue to have a role to play.
“A great deal has changed since I visited this region when I served as vice president,” Biden told a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council plus three at the Jeddah Ritz-Carlton, the purpose the president had ascribed to the visit.
Before landing in Saudi Arabia, Biden met with Israeli leaders in Jerusalem, where he sought to ease concerns over Iran while taking steps to help foster diplomatic and economic agreements between Israel and Saudi Arabia aimed at building a new front in regional cooperation.
In his remarks Saturday, Biden distilled a vision of greater "integration" and "interconnection” achieved through partnership, deterrence, and diplomacy. Earlier, a senior administration official previewing Biden’s speech characterized the president’s ambitions as part of “the Biden doctrine.”
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/biden-middle-east-back-to-the-future
