Sunday, June 2, 2013

Saudis, Gulf states 'unnerved by US pivot away from Middle East' | The Times of Israel

US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel is greeted by Saudi Arabia's Deputy Minister of Defense Prince Fahd bin Abdullah, left, upon his arrival at King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh, on April 23, 2013. (photo credit: AP Photo/Jim Watson, Pool)

WASHINGTON – In a bid to calm regional concern that the United States is withdrawing from a troubled Middle East, the Obama administration is working to strengthen ties with several Persian Gulf states, according to experts.
Many of America’s staunchest regional allies believe the Obama administration is seeking to focus less on the Middle East and its troubles and more on other regions with greater geopolitical clout, like East Asia. Several Middle Eastern countries have read American behavior — the so-called strategic “pivot” to Asia, cuts in the defense budget, and the unwillingness to intervene in Syria — as signs of growing American reluctance to shoulder the burden of regional security.Saudis, Gulf states 'unnerved by US pivot away from Middle East' | The Times of Israel

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