Saudis deny visa to Jerusalem Post Washington bureau chief

YankeeFan · Mar 25, 2014

President Obama is heading to Saudi Arabia, on what the NYT calls a "fence-mending" trip, and has been called upon by members of Congress to press human rights concerns while there.

But, before he can even get there to mend any fences, or press any human rights concerns, the Saudis have denied a visa to a Jewish American journalist, who was planning on covering the visit:

Seeking to mend a frayed relationship with a major American ally in the Middle East, President Obama plans to travel to Saudi Arabia in March for a meeting with King Abdullah, an official with knowledge of the planning said Friday.

Mr. Obama, the official said, will seek to reassure the king of American support after a tense period in which the Saudis and other Persian Gulf allies of the United States have grown increasingly frustrated with American policies toward Iran and Syria.

Saudi officials have deep reservations about the interim nuclear deal that the United States and other major powers struck with Iran. They worry that it could presage a broader shift in American alliances from the Sunni monarchs in the gulf toward the Shiite mullahs in Iran.

Saudi Arabia has also been frustrated by Mr. Obama’s unwillingness to do more to support rebel forces in Syria. The Saudis have funneled weapons and other equipment to the rebels, in part because they view the civil war there as a proxy battle between Sunni Arabs and Shiite Iran, which is an important backer of the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad.

These frictions have occurred during a long period in which American ties with Saudi Arabia have loosened, in part because of reduced American dependence on Saudi oil and in part because of the upheavals of the Arab Spring, which have tested American alliances.

In particular, Mr. Obama’s decision in 2011 to withdraw its support for Egypt’s embattled president, Hosni Mubarak, rattled the Saudi royal family, which feared similar popular unrest in its country.

Mr. Obama will add the stop in Saudi Arabia to a trip to Europe that will include a nuclear security summit meeting in the Netherlands, a summit meeting of the United States and the European Union in Brussels, and a meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/01/world/middleeast/obama-is-said-to-plan-fence-mending-trip-to-saudi-arabia.html
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On his upcoming trip to the Gulf, President Obama should confront the leaders of Saudi Arabia about that country’s “serious human rights violations,” 52 Members of Congress and over a dozen non-governmental organizations wrote to the president Tuesday.

“The government of Saudi Arabia has repeatedly engaged in systematic human rights violations targeting women, religious minorities, and peaceful political reformers. Your meetings with King Abdullah and other officials will be an opportunity to publicly integrate human rights concerns, as defined by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, into the U.S.-Saudi relationship,” the letter stated.

The letter was signed by a broad bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Trent Franks (R-AZ), Jim McGovern (D-MA), Frank Wolf (R-VA) and John Lewis (D-GA). NGOs on the letter included Amnesty International, International Christian Concern, Human Rights Watch, Christian Solidary Worldwide – USA, and the National Organization for Women.

Even symbolic gestures by the president on human rights could have a meaningful effect in Saudi Arabia, the letter stated. The lawmakers and organizations are calling on Obama to do things such as meet with the activists who are fighting against the ban on women driving and the families of imprisoned human rights activists, such as Mohammad al-Qahtani and Abdullah al-Hamid.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/03/25/congress-obama-must-press-saudi-arabia-on-human-rights.html
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The White House expressed "deep disappointment" on Tuesday over Saudi Arabia's decision to deny an entry visa to The Jerusalem Post's Washington bureau chief who was planning to cover President Barack Obama's visit to the desert kingdom this week.

Riyadh on Monday denied a visa to Michael Wilner, The Jerusalem Post’s Washington bureau chief. Wilner, who was the only journalist denied access to the president’s trip, despite firmly-worded requests from US National Security Advisor Susan Rice and assistant to the president Tony Blinken to Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the US, Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir.

"We are deeply disappointed that this credible journalist was denied a visa," US National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said on Tuesday. "We will continue to register our serious concerns about this unfortunate decision."

Rice and Blinken separately expressed extreme displeasure at the delay and the prospect of a denial, The Jerusalem Post has learned. Members of the National Security Council were made aware of the matter after US officials coordinating the trip failed to reach their Saudi counterparts.

Journalists attending the trip were required to submit visa forms to the White House, and not directly to the Saudi embassy. The Kingdom held Wilner’s passport for two weeks, though their embassy's website claims turnaround for visas within 24 hours.

Saudi Arabia does not typically grant journalist visas, and suspended tourist visas in 2010. In 2011, the Kingdom issued a statement denying that they did or had ever denied Americans entry based on religion.

http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Saudi-Arabia-denies-visa-to-Post-correspondent-covering-Obama-trip-346369
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Saudis deny visa to Jerusalem Post Washington bureau chief

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