Iran A Topic During Obama's Meeting With Mid-East Leaders
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- President Barack Obama attended the Gulf Cooperation Council summit while in Saudi Arabia Thursday.
The president met with leaders from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates.
The focus of the summit was to discuss solutions to the pressing issues in the region, such as counter-terrorism measures, fostering regional stability, and easing tensions between the Gulf countries and Iran.
Accompanying President Obama was Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, Secretary of State John Kerry, National Security Advisor Susan Rice, and CIA Director John Brennan.
Just a day before Obama was met by a small delegation minus the usual pomp and ceremony that is usually given to world leaders. Nor was his arrival shown on Saudi state television.
Senior Saudi officials made clear that relations with the US will only improve after President Obama leaves office.
The Saudis are particularly angry about the Iran nuclear deal and they believe that only the next president - whether it's Hillary Clinton or even Donald Trump - will be able to restore Saudi Arabia's status as America's key ally in the Middle East.
Saudi leaders also flatly reject President Obama's description of them as free riders, too reliant on American military power. Most importantly, they say, the US shouldn't be alienating them because they need Saudi Arabia's support to defeat ISIS and AL Qaeda.
