Biden personally said he would just never interact with and never talk to prince mohammed. Yet there he was on friday night, meeting with mohammed bin salman in souti arabia. So when everybody finds out that this trip is happening, the big question is, is biden actually going to go and shake the hand of this prince whom he had vowed to isolate and ostracize and punish for his connection to these grievous human rights violations? The entire interaction is incredibly brisk, appears, to me at least, quite chilly. And then they both turn andPrince mohammed leads him into the palace.
In the past, President Biden has called Saudi Arabia a “pariah” for its human rights abuses and said that he would never meet with its de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
But Mr. Biden’s first trip as president to the Middle East included talks with the prince. What prompted the change in course?
Guest: Ben Hubbard, the Beirut bureau chief for The New York Times.
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