Syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer blasted the Obama administration after news broke Monday that Saudi King Salman will be skipping out on the White House’s upcoming summit of Arab states at Camp David.
Appearing on “Special Report” Monday, Krauthammer told host Bret Baier that the Salman’s decision to not attend the summit is “a loud statement” from the gulf states as part of “a rejection” of the U.S.’s potential deal with Iran. Salman was also supposed to attend a bilateral meeting at the White House next Wednesday, which he will also be missing out on.
BRET BAIER: Just moments ago a the White House put out a statement saying that President Obama had a call with King Salman and where the king expressed his regret “in not being able to travel to Washington this week.” Charles?
CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: This isn’t about geriatric travel problems. This is a loud statement from the gulf states. You don’t have to be an expert, you have to be 11 or older to understand what this statement is. It’s not about Yemen. This is about Iran. This is a rejection of the agreement the United States is about to embark in Iran by the states who are going to be very badly affected by it and who strongly object to it. The reason that the state leaders aren’t coming is because what the United States is offering in return for acquiescing to an Iran deal that does what Obama said to make Iran a successful regional power, which is anathema to all the gulf states. The result of that would be a terrible blow against security of the gulf states and they are saying they will not be bought off with an agreement from the United States, even if it were a written agreement, it wouldn’t be worth the paper it’s written on, given the history of this administration carrying out the promises and the threats it makes.
BAIER: So that was my question — yes or no, do they get a security agreement deal?
KRAUTHAMMER: They are going to get nothing that’s worth anything.
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