Saudi Arabia's King Salman to skip meetings in the U.S.


Saudi Arabia's King Salman will not attend meetings with President Obama at the White House or at a summit at Camp David this week, the state-run Saudi Press Agency announced on Sunday, and Arab officials believe it's due to the king being upset over U.S. relations with Iran.
On Friday, White House spokesman Eric Schultz said that King Salman would be there to "resume consultations on a wide range of regional and bilateral issues," but instead, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, the Saudi interior minister, and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, defense minister, will attend. A senior administration official told The New York Times King Salman is set to call Obama on Monday to explain why he's not coming.
Secretary of State John Kerry met on Friday in Paris with officials from the countries invited to the summit — Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman — to talk about what they expected from the meeting. Administration officials said the Gulf nations want a defense treaty in which the U.S. agrees to defend them if they came under external attack, which would be hard to get since such treaties have to be ratified by Congress. Obama is set to offer a presidential statement, a source said, but that would not be binding and future presidents would not have to honor it. The Arab nations also want to purchase more weapons from America, but the U.S. has restrictions in place on what arms defense firms can sell to Arab countries, to make sure Israel keeps a military edge in the region.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
5 torch-carrying cartoons about Lady Liberty’s rough week
Cartoons Artists take on dark nights, Lady Lineup, and more
-
Could Democrats lose the New Jersey governor’s race?
Today’s Big Question Democrat Mikie Sherrill stumbles against Republican Jack Ciattarelli
-
‘Porsche’s luxury credentials are now hanging by a thread’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump DOJ indicts New York AG Letitia James
Speed Read New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted as Trump’s Justice Department pursues charges against his political opponents
-
Judge blocks Trump’s Guard deployment in Chicago
Speed Read The president is temporarily blocked from federalizing the Illinois National Guard or deploying any Guard units in the state
-
Trump urges jail for Illinois, Chicago leaders
Speed Read The Texas National Guard begin operations in the Chicago area
-
Bondi stonewalls on Epstein, Comey in Senate face-off
Speed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi denied charges of using the Justice Department in service of Trump’s personal vendettas
-
Court allows Trump’s Texas troops to head to Chicago
Speed Read Trump is ‘using our service members as pawns in his illegal effort to militarize our nation’s cities,’ said Gov. J.B. Pritzker
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in Oregon
Speed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats