From my op-ed in the April 14 Washington Times:
President Trump can take a large share of the credit for a deeper, more fundamental shift in Middle East geopolitics than the Iran conflict.
It’s the extraordinary transformation of the Saudi-U.S. alliance, which in large part helped bring us to this historic moment.
It is now a matter of public record that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been privately urging the president to destroy the Iranian regime. This level of direct, strategic coordination between the men reflects a partnership that has matured far beyond the long-standing, if informal, agreement in which the U.S. provides security guarantees for a stable global oil supply.
***
In December 2019, a Royal Saudi Air Force trainee opened fire at Naval Air Station Pensacola, killing three American sailors and wounding eight others. Investigators later found that he had ties to al Qaeda, raising serious questions about whether the Saudis properly vetted him before sending him to the U.S. for training.
In the immediate aftermath, Mr. Trump told reporters that he had spoken with King Salman and that the king was “very, very devastated” over the shooting and would “be involved in taking care of families and loved ones.” It was a solemn pledge between heads of state.
Still, it was never fulfilled.
***
If the country is serious about a relationship with the U.S. that extends beyond a transactional oil-for-security arrangement, then it needs to show that American lives matter, especially as U.S. service members fight to bring stability to the region.
The next time Mr. Trump speaks with the crown prince, he should remind him of Saudi Arabia’s moral obligation to the Pensacola families and survivors. It is time for the kingdom to call off its attorneys, fulfill the king’s promise and finally make these families whole.
Click here to read whole op-ed in the Washington Times (paywall).
