\n \n \n “. concat(self. i18n. t(‘search. voice. recognition_retry’), “\n
” s ” ” t. config. saAria. shownText “
“e. config. saAria. closedText”
Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy on Sunday called for a renewal of Washington’s ties with Saudi Arabia after the country and other members of the OPEC alliance cut output later this year, likely leading to a rise in the price of crude oil.
Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Murphy joined the growing number of Democrats who say the United States should, as he put it, “rethink” dating with the Gulf kingdom in light of the 2 million barrels announced on oil day. production cuts such as Riyadh’s human rights record.
OPEC’s upcoming restrictions, which begin in November, come after President Joe Biden visited Saudi Arabia this summer to seek, in part, to reduce domestic fuel costs before the midpoint.
But OPEC said the cuts announced last week were mandatory to help the foreign value of oil. The global market has been turned upside down due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and other forces.
MORE: White House ‘disappointed’ by OPEC resolution to cut oil production, will lose more US reserves
“We are here to remain a moderating force, to bring stability,” a Saudi minister said Wednesday. The cuts, the minister insisted, were due to “belligerence. “
Biden told ABC News on Thursday that he was not satisfied with the decision. And although he argued that it wasn’t primarily because of oil. . . It’s a sadness and he says there are problems. “
On CNN Sunday, Murphy said “it’s transparent that we didn’t get as much as we needed. “
“We tried to know that when the chips fell, when there was a global crisis, the Saudis would opt for us instead of Russia. Well, they didn’t. They chose Russia. They chose the Russians, to go up. “oil prices, which may have the possibility of fracturing our Ukrainian coalition. And that will have consequences,” Murphy said.
“We sell large quantities of weapons to the Saoudiens. I think we want to rethink sales,” he said. the presence of our troops in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia,” he said. “For years, we turned a blind eye as Saudi Arabia massacred journalists and engaged in major political repression. “
Beyond Rethinking U. S. RelationsWith Saudi Arabia, Murphy also took aim at Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country’s de facto leader, whom Biden met in July in negotiations that came under scrutiny as U. S. intelligence came under scrutiny. The U. S. Department of Defense assessed that bin Salman had approved the U. S. assassination. UU. Jamal Khashoggi, journalist at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
The prince has continued to claim he is not involved, though Biden said he raised the issue at his assembly this summer.
Hatice Cengiz, Khashoggi’s fiancee, sharply criticized Biden’s “heartbreaking” resolution to Saudi Arabia. During his 2019 presidential bid, Biden said he would turn the country into a “pariah. “
Murphy’s comments on Sunday follow calls from other Democrats last week for some kind of punishment after cutting oil production. A trio of House Democrats filed a bill to eliminate the U. S. military’s presence in Saudi Arabia.
MORE: What does OPEC oil mean for U. S. fuel prices?USA?
“Many have argued that we want to ‘arrange’ our appointments with our Gulf partners to win their cooperation in stabilizing global energy markets after Russia’s invasion, and President Biden has gone out of his way to do so, going so far as to meet personally with the Saudi crown prince in Riyadh, despite his role in the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. ” Reps. Sean Casten of Illinois, Tom Malinowski of New Jersey and Susan Wild of Pennsylvania said in a joint statement last week.
“It is time for the United States to start acting as the superpower in our relations with our Gulf consuming states. They have made a selection and will have to bear the consequences. Our troops and our military apparatus are needed elsewhere,” the trio said. Said. .
The White House, while disagreeing with the production cuts, is silent on how it plans to respond to OPEC, which is unofficially run through Riyadh.
“We will compare and consult a lot with Congress on a variety of issues in the background to this,” Brian Deese, one of Biden’s most sensible economic advisers, told reporters Thursday. “And beyond that, I don’t need to get ahead of possible communications from the administration. “
Murphy and other Democrats are calling for “consequences” for Saudi Arabia for the relief in oil production, which first gave the impression in abcnews. go. com