Biden's Unpersuasive Defense of His Saudi Trip

There is no good reason to strengthen a relationship that is in dire need of being downgraded.

Joe Biden took the unusual step of defending his upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia in a strange op-ed that did not really explain why he was going to Saudi Arabia:

As president, it is my job to keep our country strong and secure. We have to counter Russia’s aggression, put ourselves in the best possible position to outcompete China, and work for greater stability in a consequential region of the world. To do these things, we have to engage directly with countries that can impact those outcomes. Saudi Arabia is one of them, and when I meet with Saudi leaders on Friday, my aim will be to strengthen a strategic partnership going forward that’s based on mutual interests and responsibilities, while also holding true to fundamental American values.

I give Biden credit for finally offering an explanation for why he is taking this trip, but the reason for the trip is not much clearer now than it was before. If the Saudi government were willing and able to advance U.S. interests, it might make sense for Biden to meet with their leadership, but since there is not much that they can or will do it doesn’t make sense for the president to go there. Invoking Russia and China is a distraction. Biden expects us not to notice that Saudi-Russian relations are closer than ever and further cozying up to the Saudis does nothing to help the U.S. “outcompete” China. Bringing up these other issues just underscores how frequently useless the Saudi government is to the U.S.

The “partnership” with Saudi Arabia has been a bad one for a long time, and indulging their government has implicated ours in terrible crimes against Yemeni civilians. When a “partner” has little or nothing to offer, but demands ever-increasing shows of support, that is a sign that the “partnership” is unhealthy and imbalanced. There is no good reason to strengthen a relationship that is in dire need of being downgraded.