New US ambassador to Saudi arrives in Riyadh after two-year gap
The new US ambassador to Saudi Arabia, retired general John
Abizaid, arrived in Riyadh on Thursday, an embassy statement said, filling a
position vacant since President Donald Trump took office more than two years
ago.
Washington has not had an ambassador in Riyadh since January
2017, a 27-month period in which US-Saudi ties have become increasingly
complicated over issues including the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a US
resident and Washington Post columnist, at a Saudi consulate in Turkey.
Trump nominated Abizaid, who led US Central Command during
the Iraq war, for the position in November 2018. He was approved by the Senate
in April.
“Saudi Arabia and the United States work together every day
to protect the security of our two countries, promote prosperity and economic
development, and build the people-to-people ties that keep our relationship
strong,” the statement quoted Abizaid, 68, as saying.
Many in Washington have called for a tougher stance against
the Saudis on matters such as the imprisonment and alleged torture of women’s
rights activists and other dissidents, and the killings of civilians by
aircraft from the Saudi-led coalition in the Yemen War.
But Trump has expressed reluctance to push too hard on
Riyadh. He cites its multibillion-dollar purchases of US military equipment and
investments in US firms, as well as its role as an important regional
counterbalance to Iran, arch-rival of US ally Israel.
