By Judi McLeod ——Bio and Archives--January 28, 2015
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"Sometimes we need to balance our need to speak to them about human rights issues with immediate concerns we have in terms of counterterrorism or dealing with regional stability," Obama said in a CNN interview that aired in advance of Obama's arrival in Riyadh. (DailyMail) “The president and first lady Michelle Obama stepped off their plane in Riyadh airport's modern VIP terminal and onto a red carpet, where they were greeted by new King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud. A few dozen Saudi officials paraded past the Obamas after a military band played both countries' national anthems. “Not much is heard of the ‘Stars & Stripes’ in fundamentally transformed America anymore. but it can be heard in Saudi Arabia. It’s okey-dokey to chew gum at national military parades in India, but apparently never okey-dokey to chew gum when meeting the king of Saudi Arabia, where human rights abuses need never be a worry to the traveling elite. While ‘Snow Job & the Seven Meteorologists’ began working to try and stampede the masses into collective stay-at-homes, and ground all business to a halt over the weekend, Obama was figuratively speaking, killing two birds with one stone-- including making his first You-Tube about oil on Air Force One. In other words, even as ‘Juno’ was about to dump the same amount of snow as usually gets dumped on the long-suffering northeast, Obama & Company were getting ready for their next Global Warming Snow Job.
“Some of the all-male Saudi delegation shook hands with Mrs. Obama while others gave her a nod as they passed by Mrs. Obama wore full-length clothing but no headscarf, as is typical for many Western women in Saudi Arabia, despite the strict dress code for Saudi women appearing in public. (DailyMail) “During his four-hour stop in Saudi Arabia, Obama was to hold his first formal meeting with Salman, and then attend a dinner with other Saudi officials at the Erga Palace. (DailyMail) “Obama suggested that during those conversations, he would not be raising U.S. concerns about Saudi Arabia's flogging of blogger Raif Badawi, who was convicted of insulting Islam and sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes. “Guess canapes and caviar don’t go down the gullet as smoothly when blogger floggings are being discussed. And those paying their respects to Saudi Arabia’s new king, reads like the Who’s Who of hypocrisy;
“Secretary of State John Kerry was joining Obama in Riyadh, along with former Secretaries of State Condoleezza Rice and James Baker III, both of whom served Republican presidents. Former White House national security advisers Brent Scowcroft, Sandy Berger and Stephen Hadley also made the trip, as did Sen. John McCain, the Arizona republican who is a frequent critic of Obama's foreign policy in the Middle East”. (DailyMail)For those who still look to the CIA and top U.S. military brass as the cavalry, CIA Director John Brennan and Gen. Lloyd Austin, commander of U.S. Central Command, which overseas military activity in the Middle East, were also there. America’s tribute to the newly-crowned Saudi king is a peek into the crystal ball of two more years under Obama:
“Obama acknowledged that the U.S. willingness to pursue close ties with Saudi Arabia despite human rights abuses often makes America's allies uncomfortable. (DailyMail) "The trend-line is one that I will sustain throughout the rest of my presidency," Obama said, "and that is to make the case to our friends and allies that if they want a society that is able to sustain itself in this day and age, then they're going to have to change how they do business."We now all know why ‘Snow Job & the Seven Meteorologists’ went so far out of their way to frighten people to obsess over the coming biggest blizzard in all of history: They wanted all the blowback to be focused on ‘Juno’ and not the cozying up of their president to Saudi Arabia and its new king.
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