Hello, im darn jordan doe, top stories here on al jazeera report say that 2 of the likely front runners in the race to be britons next, Prime Minister have held talks, but neither former Prime MinisterBarak Johnson nor former finance minister rishi soon act up officially declared that candidacy. This is a bit of a mess at the moment, isnt it . You know, conservative turmoil fighting between the cells. You know, quick viruses, you know, 6 weeks ago i got cited boris. You know, flying blind to the queen, and hes going to make a comeback. He soon believe will a conservative just she resigned now and of a general election. I cant call it. I think its the government wants to get kind of the, the public on site. I think they made the right thing to say probably would be another general election. Wow if be the title, bloody math say fall. But with oh, they think you get all worked out in the short term, but it also takes out and be fine. In the, in the coming months, russian appointed officials in a ukrainian city of her son told old civilians to leave immediately as keiths forces advance and the region there wanting of an increase. Danger of shelling, sang thousands, have already left the house on region is one of 4 ukrainian territories. Moscow illegally annex. Last month. On the jump june, as more from keefe. There is effectively been a media blackout in place when it comes to the ukranian counter offensive. And what the ukranian forces are doing to try to recapture their san this has been in place for close to a week. Now, i can tell you that when watching media figures here, when hearing from certain politicians, there is a sense that these folks are indicating that they believe that the Ukrainian Forces are steadily advancing. That there is a belief here in ukraine that Ukrainian Forces will be successful in recapturing at least part of care. San. Meanwhile, the governor of russias belgrade regions as to civilians have been killed by shilling. 15000 people were left without electricity following the strikes on the region bordering ukraine. Keep has denied responsibility for several attacks carried out their mom. It var reports from moscow. We know that airports in that area are closed, have been closed for some time. Now. We know that lots of facilities have been affected, and if you days ago, only the showing was on a, an oil deport and also a power station. Their power plant caused a lot of damage, their civilians. How being asked also to leave that area during the last several months, but now it is getting worse and worse as days. Goals go by and as the Ukrainian Military push comes closer to the border, that town is only 40 kilometers away from the border with ukraine before the annexation. And also it is one hour drive from the 2nd largest city of khaki, which is still under ukraine. Control, so it is in the range of both artillery and also helicopter of times helicopter ukrainian helicopters where used to, to, to raid on that city. So that the russians at the same time that they are trying to take more territory within ukraine. Here in fight, this is seen very particularly as a very bad situation in terms of the nation armies capabilities to protect even the citizens who are inside the historical washing territory. Georgia maloneys been sworn in italys new Prime Minister. She now leads the countrys 1st far right government since world war 2. And then they have taken the reigns at a time of deep economic crisis. Italy struggles with high inflation, the national debt. An unusual scene played out to the Chinese CommunistParty Congress and beijing on saturday. During the closing session. For my president , whos in town was a school to out of the whole by 2 men who were sitting next to president sheesh and ping Chinese State media report. The former president was feeling unwell earlier communist Party Members of food that amendment to its charter that could give more power to president. She on sunday is expected to be confirmed as part leader for an unprecedented 3rd time. But those were the headlines. The news continues are now to 0 after the bottom line, stay to them so much bye for now. With hi, im Steve Clements and i have a question. Why is President Biden threatening to rethink relations with saudi arabia . Lets get to the bottom line. Ah, opec set off a firestorm in washington when it decided to slash Global Oil Production by 2000000 barrels a day earlier this month. The white house took it as an act of aggression by saudi arabia. President joe biden said there would be quote, consequences for what theyve done with russia, and the National Security council said its reviewing the entire future of relations between saudi and the us. Democrats in congress reacted with even more fury with some leading senators, demanding that the u. S immediately freeze all aspects of co operation with saudi arabia. Meanwhile, saudi arabia denied collaborating with russia to raise the price of oil right before americans said to the poles in their mid term elections. And saudi officials have been fighting back saying that politics had nothing to do with the decision. So as washington overreacting, is react over reaching or is saudi arabia, like many other countries around the world, recalibrating who its friends and allies in the world are slowly drifting away from the u. S. And warming up to russia and china. Today were talking with allie, she hobby, a saudi commentator and former head of the arabia, foundation washington, d. C. Hes the author of the saudi kingdom between the g hottie hammer and the iranian anvil. And daniel plaque, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise institute, where she focuses on u. S. Foreign policy towards the middle east. Thank you both for joining me alley. Let me to start out with you right now. It is rare that weve seen a Foreign Policy tizzy of the sort that weve seen after the decision by opec to cut 2000000. 00 barrels of a barrels of oil a day and a lot of anger at the saudis. Because there was this notion that there had been a deal after President Biden strip. Tell us, from your perspective, what just went down. Well, its a horrible misunderstanding, really, because yes, there was a deal. There was an understanding that saudi arabia would do its best to stop or going to 200. 00. And in effect, they did that by incrementally increasing production over the summer. So the saudi understanding was that our job is to make sure, and its also in saudi interest to make sure that the price of oil does not get into the re, a ridiculous level that has multiple negative impacts on everybody, concerned producers and consumers. But that did not mean that saudi arabia cannot protect the price of its primary commodity, which it lives on and allow it to fall. And i think thats where the misunderstanding came in, because when you know, im co and the saudi, all authorities and opec started to see demand destruction. And the recession coming up and the need to reduce production to keep the price where it was really or that is what they did. And markets have proven them to be right. I mean, the price did not shoot up. In fact, its dropped a little bit, but it stayed there on the 90. 00. But so, you know, if you are a believer, marcus, and i think america taught us all to believe in markets. Yeah. Markets spoke really and, and the confirm the wisdom of the saudi decision. Well, i want to jump to to danny minute, but been on, on the issue. The price value of other factors in place. You have, you know, that game of thrones line winter is coming. Is out there, you also have a russian weapon, ization of energy, cutting off supplies of gas and fuel to, to many european nations. So you have other factors that have driven that price of fuel in energy up. You have protests around the country. So at what point do the saudis think us a price is sustainable for them versus say, Eastern Europe . No, look, the saudi and opec approach is to try and keep the price in the 9200 dollar range that serves everybodys interests, including the u. S. Channel industry, which needs that price to invest. Now, if things again, this is a dynamic process, so nothing is carved in steel. If in the next couple of months, you know, the market turns demand increases, china stops, its long. Its corporate policies. Then the opec will react, and, and sundry has said that it is not going to allow prices to shoot up. But at the same time, its not going to allow prices to collapse. And i mean, the kingdom lives on the price of oil. Its so much more important for it than it is for anybody else, let alone america, which is a, you know, a net exporter itself. So thats where people are so surprised by the reaction. Reaku is daniel plat. What i basically was taught essentially, that saudi arabia was americas ally in the closet. We didnt talk about it a lot. It was sort of there. We kind of turned a blind eye to human rights issues now and then because at the end of the day to back stop american Foreign Policy around the world. Saudi arabia would help with pakistan, would help here help there. And so there was a structural bit of the relationship that was deep beneath what we could see above. And im just wondering whether as you look at whats begun to unfold, is that coming undone and is it good that its coming undone . Well, i think that the idea behind what youre talking about is coming undone. This notion that there is a compact between the United States and saudi arabia. We underwrite your security, you underwrite our Energy Security and then you know, we just all pretend to be best friends and look away when, when you misbehave on, on the human rights front or on the religious front or on the support for terrorism from which was a very long and problematic period, but the realities of the relationship havent changed at all. You know, its merely the mythology that surrounds the relationship that has changed the realities. Are we by energy, saudi arabias cells, energy. And thats not going to change for a long time. The other factor here is, you know, we look at the neighborhood, right . Who are we choosing among exactly here . You know that we prefer the iranians. The saudis have have been the most important country in the gulf region for a very. Busy long time theyve been important to us. Iran is not going to supplant them. Notwithstanding the hopes of people from the Obama Administration or re treads of the Obama Administration in the bud an administration. And so, you know, we can talk about how they let us down, are they lied to us. We can talk about how we wish that they behave better and didnt murder dissidence in their counselors. But thats not going to alter the fundamental realities of the relationship. You know, you just mentioned iran, danny, and one of the things that i was able to break a very minor story that became big on twitter was that the United States with canceling a u. S. G c. C. Meeting. It was an integrated working group on integrated air and missile defense, you know, focused on iran was scheduled for october 17th and us officials were not going to show up to that. I found the word that had been cancelled the white house later said, oh, its not been cancelled. Were just eventually going to postpone it. But part of this is the dynamic of how iran is seeing this tension in the gcc and tension, particularly between Saudi Arabian, the United States. From your perspective is this, you know, frustration that joe biden is now expressing a lot of particularly Democratic Senators and members of congress. Is iran just enjoying the show . Well, you know, again a, we have the problem in washington, dc of pretending to ourselves that everything is a bilateral conversation. You know, saudi arabia, youve disappointed us for the last time. And therefore, were not going to come to this, this important defense conference. It run, youre busy murdering men, women and children wantonly in the streets and, and, and, but were going out, are you to you . What does that is that area . What does matt about the oil and gas we still are mad at you. We run about, you really go Nuclear Program and, and you terrorism in and your failure to come to come back to the j. C p. O, a with us. This is, this is Foreign Policy as if its high school, unfortunately, and foreign poultry isnt high school. We it would be wonderful if we were surrounded by only the best people who did only the nicest things that is not the reality of the world. And the button administrations willingness to sort of it to, to try to constantly course correct, based on who was nice to me yesterday is an extraordinarily dangerous thing to do because as you say, steve, correctly, the iranians read this. But its not just the iranians, the russians read, this is fell, these rallies, read this, and all of them make decisions based on how they believe the most important country in the world. The most important leader in the world is going to act on any given day alley. Lets listen to President Biden for a moment. We have a short clip. It is a disappointment, and it says that there are problems. So weve had a president ial statement alley, she hobby, that there are problems is not like saying this is, you know, that this has to be dealt with. And weve had a folks around muhammad been so long, the crown prince of south salary. But we, you know, all referred to him as m b s. And you know, these folks, they to have said, hey, if america saying their problems, there can be problems. How do you know how to we gone from the fist bump up from ambia and joe biden . Meeting in saudi arabia recently to where were at now and, and what are your observations of the equities that are in danger . Well look, i think there was a mistake in the thinking behind the visit of President Biden, to jetta i. It was an important visit. It was good, it happened, but i think he took so much political flack from his left that he felt that he had to come to jetta and make statements. So, you know, from the 1st bombed to his press conference right after the meeting, he threw a bit of cold water on what could have been a complete reset. Now that did create a bit of bad blood, but still not enough to make saga ravia consciously want to play in domestic american politics, which is what the democrats think is happening now. I mean, the democrats think that this decision had something to do with the upcoming elections. And as you know, the saudi government came up and said that, you know, there was a request to delay the opec meeting till after the election. Now, you know, saturated doesnt want to get involved in american domestic politics, and frankly, the republicans have also been warmer to saudi arabia than the democrats over the years. So why on earth with saggy radia, you know, do get, get into a trap like that. But still, so they didnt, you know, delay an important meeting or to accommodate you. S domestic political requirements. Now the vitamin this ration got very upset about that, but i think it was unwise of them to expect that and, and that has created, you know, unfortunate bad blood. And what that does is it just confirms to saudi leaders, the wisdom of the policy that theyve been pursuing, and the last few years to diversify their strategic partnerships. Because you have to remember in 2020. So ive really got into an oil war with russia. And the increased production and the price of oil was brought down to below 0 and american politicians from congress to governors to the president went ballistic. And they threatened to withdraw the so called, you know, protection and on deliveries. And they encourage saudi arabia to go back and cooperate with the russians. And in effect, thats what happened. And a price of all brought back up. So on one side, you have the american ministration, asking you to cooperate with russia. On the other side, theyre asking you to break off with russia because an invasion of ukraine. Now, you know, this is the strategic relationship for saudi arabia. Its not in this because they like russia or dislike russia. Its in it because russia is the 2nd largest producer of oil on earth and to manage the market, they need to coordinate with the russians. Its as simple as that. And whether mr. Walton is in power or not, that will continue when we now know, or were told any way that the u. S. Government asked saudi arabia did to delay this decision by a month and that was not done. Do i mean that to me i get, get you back into what, what danny just said is maybe we need to take the fig leaf off this relationship and just real realized, its going to be far more transactional than it had been in the past. Maybe was transactional in the past, but there was a predictability in that, that made when we dont have any more history to this. All. So theres over a decade now of american politicians saying we are exiting the region. Were losing interest in the region. We are. 1 pivoting to asia, so you know, if, if your best friend keeps on telling you that, you know, he doesnt want to be your best friend anymore. Its going to impact the way you look at it. So yes, a has been building relations with china with russia, but also with the u. K. In with france and with brazil and with south africa, the South African president is in the kingdom at the and theyre talking military. 2 procurement from south africa, so theyre opening up strategic relationships with multi part because a monogamous relationship with america, given the american political system is not something that any country can rely on re, danny, what would you be advising the Joe Biden Team to do right now that its not doing a very generous of you and thank you for the compliment. They look into the Joe Biden Team, isnt necessarily going to take advice from me. But i think there are plenty of people who are saying the same thing. Y