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Why Does President Trump Stick by Saudi Arabia?

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was in Saudi Arabia this week. Why does President Trump stick by the controversial Kingdom?

Donald Trump’s first foreign trip as US president was to Saudi Arabia - and this week his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited the Kingdom. Despite increased strains on the relationship, including the controversial war in Yemen and the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the Trump Administration has shown no signs of breaking with Riyadh. Is this fully explained by the trade in oil and arms – or are other factors at work? How important is a shared antipathy to Iran? Are human rights always expendable when trade and strategic interests are in the mix? And why and how did the two countries become so entwined?

This week Celia Hatton asks a panel of experts what is keeping the United States and Saudi Arabia close.

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53 minutes

Last on

Sat 19 Jan 2019 04:06GMT
Â鶹ÊÓƵAV World Service

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Photo

President Trump shakes hands with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office. Credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images.

Contributors

Panellists:

Safa al AhmadÌý- Saudi journalist and documentary film maker

Reem DaffaÌý- Executive Director, SAPRAC
Ìý
Simon HendersonÌý-ÌýDirector at the Washington Institute

Gregory GauseÌý- Professor, Texas A&M University


Also featuring:

Caroline BainÌý- Chief Commodities Economist at Capital Economics

Shahad Al MohaimeedÌý- Saudi refugee

Broadcasts

  • Fri 18 Jan 2019 09:06GMT
    Â鶹ÊÓƵAV World Service
  • Sat 19 Jan 2019 00:06GMT
    Â鶹ÊÓƵAV World Service
  • Sat 19 Jan 2019 04:06GMT
    Â鶹ÊÓƵAV World Service

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