By Matt Spetalnick and Angus McDowall WASHINGTON/RIYADH (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama will seek to ease Saudi concerns that he is neglecting an old ally when he visits Riyadh on Friday, months after top Saudis objected to what they saw as a growing rapprochement between Washington and their rival Iran. Rifts over Middle East policy came to a head last year when Washington worked with other powers to ease sanctions on Iran in exchange for concessions on its disputed nuclear programme, and backed away from air strikes on Tehran's ally Syria. Senior figures in predominantly Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia - which competes for influence in the region with Shi'ite Muslim power Iran - warned in October and **vember there might be a "major shift" away from Washington and Riyadh might "go it alone".
03-25-2014, 04:30 PM
Obama aims to soothe Saudi fears with Riyadh visit
By Matt Spetalnick and Angus McDowall WASHINGTON/RIYADH (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama will seek to ease Saudi concerns that he is neglecting an old ally when he visits Riyadh on Friday, months after top Saudis objected to what they saw as a growing rapprochement between Washington and their rival Iran. Rifts over Middle East policy came to a head last year when Washington worked with other powers to ease sanctions on Iran in exchange for concessions on its disputed nuclear programme, and backed away from air strikes on Tehran's ally Syria. Senior figures in predominantly Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia - which competes for influence in the region with Shi'ite Muslim power Iran - warned in October and **vember there might be a "major shift" away from Washington and Riyadh might "go it alone".
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