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Obama Seeks to Calm Saudis as Paths Split
(New York Times) David D. Kirkpatrick - With President Obama arriving in Riyadh on Friday, the rulers of Saudi Arabia say they feel increasingly compelled to go their own way, pursuing starkly different strategies from Washington in dealing with Iran, Syria, Egypt and the role of the Muslim Brotherhood in the region. Saudi Arabian officials are pursuing their own course to try to contain Iran, oust President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, and support the military-backed government that has taken over in Egypt. For Obama, a central goal of his visit is to reassure Saudi Arabia that Washington's commitment to its security will not be compromised by negotiations with Iran. In Egypt, Saudi Arabia has effectively replaced the U.S. as Cairo's chief benefactor, in tandem with the UAE. Riyadh encouraged the military's ouster of the Muslim Brotherhood from power and the subsequent crackdown on its supporters.