In 2020, before rising gas prices were campaign ammunition, Republicans were inflamed by low gas prices. The GOP accused the Saudis of oil dumping during the coronavirus crisis and were pushing legislation to pull U.S. troops and military technology from Saudi Arabia. The allegation was the Saudis were out to shut down U.S. oil producers by making them produce at a loss. Now, in the aftermath of last week’s OPEC announcement that production quotas are being cut by 2 million barrels a day, it is Democrats in the House and Senate drafting legislation for the same outcome.
It doesn’t matter that OPEC is already way below production quotas and may well be using the announcement to cover up falling volume in their only source of income. What does matter is the picture transmitted around the globe of a beaming Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud of Saudi Arabia shaking hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
If the Saudis are going to help fund Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with a plan to drive up oil prices, there should be consequences to help clarify for the Saudis how dangerous it can be to test the United States when the stakes are this high.
In truth, the wealth accrued in Saudi Arabia is backed up by the investment and security guarantees of the United States. U.S. knowhow was crucial to finding and extracting Saudi oil, and without the U.S. Navy securing global waterways, the Saudis would never get a drop of oil out of the country.
President Biden put his faith in Saudi Arabia on the line by visiting the repressive Middle Eastern kingdom recently and engaging in a friendly fist-bump with MBS. Now MBS risks his relationship with Mr. Biden and leads Saudi Arabia into alliance with Mr. Putin, who is reviled as a war criminal.
The bipartisan agreement, albeit at opposing intervals, that Saudi Arabia is an ungrateful and feckless friend to America is supported by MBS’ gesture that appears to side with Mr. Putin in his unjustified and flagrantly brutal invasion of Ukraine. It will be bad news for Saudi Arabia if the two political parties in the United States come to that conclusion simultaneously.
First Published October 13, 2022, 4:00 a.m.
