Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday said the U.S. and Saudi Arabia should maintain a “deep, important security relationship,” refuting criticism of Riyadh for its human rights abuses.
“They have been an important security partner, they should continue to be so and the [Biden] administration has got the wrong end of the stick,” Pompeo told “Fox News Sunday” host Shannon Bream.
Saudi Arabia has been heavily criticized for its human rights abuses following the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which the U.S. has tied to Riyadh, and the mass execution of prisoners.
Despite the concerns, President Biden visited oil-rich Saudi Arabia over the summer amid soaring gas prices in the U.S. and was seen fist-bumping Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
But last week, OPEC+, of which Saudi Arabia is a leading member, announced it would cut oil production by 2 million barrels, angering lawmakers and the Biden administration.
Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) tweeted last week that after the OPEC+ announcement, “all diplomatic options should be on the table, including the withholding of American military hardware & security assistance that Saudi Arabia, in particular, is so dependent on.”
Saudi Arabia is among the largest U.S. customers for foreign weapons sales.
Pompeo on Sunday laid the blame for the energy crisis on the Biden administration and said maintaining close ties with Riyadh means “putting the American people first.”
“And to put the American people first means a deep, important security relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as we have had for decades,” Pompeo argued.