Biden news today: MBS hits back at President over Jamal Khashoggi murder

President Joe Biden posed for a “family photo” with the Saudi crown prince, hours after the 2 males exchanged harsh phrases over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The pictures present the president shoulder to shoulder with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman together with different leaders from the Middle East on Saturday, on what marked the final day of his four-day journey to the area.

Also within the pictures had been: Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa; Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi; Jordan’s King Abdullah II; Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani; Kuwait’s Crown Prince Meshal al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah; Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa Kadhemi; United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan and Asaad bin Tariq al-Said, a particular consultant for the Sultan of Oman.

The so-called “family photo” comes after Friday’s assembly between Mr Biden and MSB the place the US president mentioned he confronted the Saudi crown prince over his position within the loss of life of Khashoggi.

The assembly itself was a supply of controvery, significantly given Mr Biden’s statements throughout his 2020 White House race that he would make Saudi Arabia a “pariah”.

The president immediately sparked additional backlash when he greeted MSB with a pleasant fist-bump at the beginning of the assembly.

President Joe Biden departed Saudi Arabia on Saturday marking the tip of his controversial Middle East journey.

The president waved as he boarded Air Force One at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.

The White House launched a quick assertion sharing the small print of a gathering between President Joe Biden and King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain in Jeddah on Saturday.

“The President underscored the United States’ appreciation for the longstanding strategic partnership with Bahrain, including its hosting of the U.S. Navy Forces Central Command/5^th Fleet,” the White House mentioned.

“The two leaders affirmed their commitment to strengthening defense, security, economic, commercial, and people-to-people ties. “President Biden commended Bahrain’s expanded ties with Israel through the Abraham Accords and the Negev process. The two leaders discussed mutual efforts to foster regional integration and deepen security cooperation.”

The assembly marked one among a number of conferences Mr Biden held with Middle East leaders throughout his four-day journey.

President Joe Biden met with Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Jeddah on Saturday the place the 2 leaders mentioned efforts to advance the partnership between the 2 nations and work collectively in “addressing regional and international challenges”.

Following the assembly the White House launched an announcement revealing Mr Biden had introduced plans to enter into a brand new memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Jordan.

“President Biden announced the intention of the United States to enter into a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) for assistance for Jordan, in which the United States plans to make a commitment to support the provision of no less than $1.45 billion per year in U.S. bilateral foreign assistance to Jordan, beginning in FY 2023 and ending in FY 2029,” the assertion learn.

“One of the most significant bilateral instruments of its kind, the MOU represents a major U.S. political commitment to Jordan’s stability and the durability of the partnership.

“The MOU is designed to address Jordan’s extraordinary needs, supports King Abdullah II’s economic reform program, and ensure the long-term strength of the close partnership between the United States and Jordan.”

President Joe Biden has formally invited UAE President Sheik Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to go to the US by the tip of 2022.

“Challenges you face today only make it a heck of a lot more important we spend time together,” Mr Biden instructed his UAE counterpart.

“I want to formally invite you to the States.”

The two leaders met on Saturday as a part of Mr Biden’s final day in Saudi Arabia. The UAE president took workplace in May.

President Joe Biden promised that the US “will not walk away” from the Middle East as he celebrated the withdrawal of American troops from the area.

Speaking at the Gulf Cooperation Council on Saturday, Mr Biden insisted that the US was not abandoning a “vacuum” that may very well be stuffed by the likes of China, Russia or Iran.

“We will not walk away and leave a vacuum to be filled by China, Russia or Iran,” he mentioned.

“We will seek to build on this moment with active, principled, American leadership.”

Mr Biden mentioned that lots had modified since he final visited the Middle East when he was vice chairman within the Obama administration.

“Around the world, we’re seeing efforts to undermine the rules-based order: with China’s increasingly coercive actions in the Indo-Pacific and beyond; with Russia’s brutal and unprovoked war against its neighboring Ukraine; and with Iran’s destabilizing activities.  Here in the Middle East, we’ve also seen critical changes,” he mentioned.

“For the first time since 9/11, an American President is visiting this region without American troops being engaged in combat — in a combat mission in the region… today, I am proud to be able to say that the era of land wars in the region — wars involving huge numbers of American forces — is not underway.”

US forces proceed to focus on terrorists within the area with the US navy killing the chief of Islamic State in Syria Maher al-Agal in a drone strike earlier this week.

“We maintain both the capacity and the absolute determination to suppress the terrorist threat wherever we find it,” mentioned Mr Biden.

“We’re going to continue our counterterrorism efforts working with a broad coalition of countries, including everyone around this table. And we will turn our attention and our resources to supporting our partners, strengthening our alliances, and building coalitions to solve the problems facing this region and the world — and the world today.”

President Joe Biden and Biden and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi have vowed that the 2 nations would work collectively to make sure ISIS can by no means resurge.

The two leaders met on Saturday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in a bilateral assembly throughout the Summit of the United States and the Gulf Cooperation Council and Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan.

The White House launched an announcement following the assembly, saying that “the two leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to the strong bilateral partnership between Iraq and the United States under the Strategic Framework Agreement and their determination to continue security coordination to ensure that ISIS can never resurge”.

The two leaders additionally consulted on a spread of regional points and agreed “that the relationship between the US and Iraq is based on a shared interest in Iraq’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, security, and stability and committed to bolstering the bilateral partnership for the benefit of their two nations”.

“They also reaffirmed the importance of forming a new Iraqi government responsive to the will of the Iraqi people and their respect for Iraq’s democracy and independence,” the White House mentioned.

“President Biden underscored the importance the United States places on a stable, united, sovereign, and prosperous Iraq, to include Iraq’s Kurdistan region.”

President Joe Biden is spending the final day of his controversial Saudi Arabia journey assembly with the leaders of Iraq, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The president first met Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, Egyptian President El Sisi and UAE President Sheik Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan individually earlier than attending the Gulf Cooperation Council summit.

Russian officers visited Iran on at least two separate events to look at drones that they’re contemplating utilizing for its struggle on Ukraine, in response to the White House.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan mentioned on Saturday that US intelligence reveals a Russian delegation visited an Kashan airfield in central Iran on June 8 and July 5.

During the go to, the Iranian navy confirmed them the Shahed-191 and Shahed-129 drones.

CNN first reported the incidents together with a satellite tv for pc picture of the UAVs in flight at the airfield whereas a Russian delegation transport aircraft was on website.

Mr Sullivan mentioned the visits recommend “ongoing Russian interest” in procuring the “attack-capable” UAVs or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

“We have information that the Iranian government is preparing to provide Russia with several hundred UAVs, including weapons-capable UAVs,” Mr Sullivan mentioned.

“We assess an official Russian delegation recently received a showcase of Iranian attack-capable UAVs.

“We are releasing these images captured in June showing Iranian UAVs that the Russian government delegation saw that day. This suggests ongoing Russian interest in acquiring Iranian attack-capable UAVs.”

He added: “To our knowledge, this is the first time a Russian delegation has visited this airfield for such a showcase.”

The Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman fired back at President Joe Biden when he was confronted concerning the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, in response to a report.

A supply acquainted with the controversial assembly between the 2 leaders instructed CNN that MBS responded by mentioning the US navy abuse of prisoners at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib jail and the loss of life of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.

The supply mentioned that MSB instructed Mr Biden that the 2 incidents mirrored badly on the US.

Back in 2004, graphic pictures emerged from the Abu Ghraib jail exhibiting US navy personnel torturing and sexually abusing Iraqi prisoners captured and held there at the beginning of the US invasion of the nation. The pictures finally led to the conviction of 11 US troopers.

Meanwhile, Abu Akleh was shot and killed back in May whereas she was overlaying an Israeli navy operation within the West Bank.

The US has come beneath fireplace for its response to her loss of life, with the journalist’s household and Palestinian officers urging officers to carry Israel to account.

On Friday, Mr Biden visited the West Bank alongside Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas the place he insisted that the US was dedicated to gettign a “full and transparent accounting” of her killing.

The Saudi crown prince raised the 2 incidents after the US president instructed him he believes he’s accountable for ordering the murder of Khashogg – one thing that US intelligence has proven. MSB denied accountability.