Amid Tensions, Saudi Envoy Meets Bush Father, Cheney

[Robbien]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Amid serious strains in U.S.-Saudi relations, the Saudi ambassador to Washington met former President George Bush on Wednesday and will meet Vice President Dick Cheney on Thursday, U.S. officials said.

The meetings coincide with efforts by Saudi Arabia, long a close U.S. ally and major oil supplier, to halt a slide in relations amid American concerns about links between some Saudis and attacks on the United States.

Prince Bandar bin Sultan had lunch with Bush -- father and close confidant of the current president -- in Kennebunkport, Maine, where the family has long had a vacation home.

Bush spokeswoman Jean Becker confirmed the meeting but said it was private, declining to provide further details. The former president has had a long relationship with Bandar, the veteran envoy in Washington, and worked closely with Saudi Arabia when he presided over the U.S.-led 1991 Gulf War.

Cheney's spokeswoman Jennifer Millerwise said Bandar would meet the vice president on Thursday in Wyoming. She gave no further details

http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=3347585

[Greyskye]

1. WTF?

What the hell is Bush the First doing meeting with the Saudi's? Can you just imagine the howl that would go up from the 'liberal' media if anyone from the former administration did that these days?

[Robbien]

2. WTF is right

When Reuters released this story, only MSNBC picked it up. No mention in any other online paper. None.

[BrotherBuzz]

3. Something's afoot...

Is Poppy pulling dimson's bacon out of the fire for the final, final time?

[Algorem]

4. Deciding if it should be on 9-11 again or another day?

Nah.Couldn't be.

[catzies]

5. Dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=86282