Kerry lauds Saudi Arabia's role in Middle East stability

Seeking to bridge multiple policy rifts with Saudi Arabia, US Secretary of State John Kerry hailed the kingdom's role as "the senior player" in the Middle East on Monday.

Speaking to employees at the US Embassy in Riyadh ahead of meetings with Saudi Arabia's king and foreign minister, Kerry said Saudi Arabia had assumed the Arab leadership mantle from Egypt, which is currently distracted by major domestic uncertainty. He said strengthening the US-Saudi partnership is critical to Mideast security and stability and cementing tentative political transitions around the region.

Saudi officials have expressed unhappiness with Washington's actions in Syria, its cautious warming with Iran and stance on Egypt's political turmoil, something Kerry has acknowledged in the past but played down as differences in "tactics" rather than in the end goal.

"Right now, we have some very important things to talk about to make certain that the Saudi Arabian-US relationship is on track, moving forward and doing the things that we need to accomplish," Kerry told the embassy staffers. He listed a number of key areas, including Syria, Egypt and Iran, but also mentioned the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the broader effort to tamp down "nihilism" that leads to extremist violence.

The Saudis have complained that the United States did not follow through on its threat to punish Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with military strikes for his government's use of chemical weapons. Last month, the Saudis won but turned down an elected seat on the UN Security Council, saying the body had proved itself largely meaningless because of its inability over two years to address the crisis in Syria. The Saudis also have watched with increasing nervousness as US President Barack Obama has approved a cautious opening with their archrival Iran.

Eager to soothe the frustration, Kerry was effusive in his praise of the Saudis, noting a slow, but steady domestic transformation with new emphases on education and health. He did not specifically refer to recent protests against restrictions on women being able to drive but noted that people who live in the country can see that "there are things that are changing".

"It doesn't happen overnight, it takes time," he said.

On the regional strategic issues of particular interest to the United States, Saudi Arabia is now the major Arab power, Kerry said.

The Associated Press

(China Daily 11/05/2013 page12)