Has the U.S.-Saudi "Special Relationship" Outlived its Usefulness?




Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates show

Summary: <strong>Motion: The Special U.S.-Saudi Relationship Has Outlived Its Usefulness</strong><br><br>In 1945, U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and King Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia met onboard the USS Quincy.  A close relationship between the two countries has been maintained ever since, with oil and military and intelligence cooperation at its foundation.  But the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. shale revolution, human rights concerns, and diverging interests in the Middle East, have all put strains on this relationship.  Has this special relationship outlived its usefulness, or is it too important to walk away from?