Biden news today: Mohammed bin Salman responds to the president on the murder of Jamal Khashoggi

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has said “unrealistic” emissions policies will lead to “unprecedented” inflation, with more investment needed in fossil fuels and clean energy technologies.

Mohammed bin Salman spoke at the Gulf Cooperation Council on Saturday about global oil demand as gas prices continue to rise.

He pointed out that “adopting unrealistic policies to reduce emissions by excluding the main sources of energy will lead in the coming years to unprecedented inflation, increase in energy prices, increase unemployment and exacerbate serious social and security problems.”

He added that the “geopolitical situation” and the pandemic meant that the transition to sustainable energy sources required a “realistic and responsible” approach.

His comments come after Biden told reporters that Mohammed bin Salman had agreed to boost oil production in Saudi Arabia – a move that would lower gas prices for Americans – during their controversial meeting on Friday.

Mohammed bin Salman said Saudi Arabia cannot significantly increase its oil production, after President Joe Biden met with the crown prince in efforts to tackle extremely high gas prices in the United States.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in the Gulf Cooperation Council on Saturday that his oil-rich country was almost at the limit of its oil production and could not produce more than 13 million barrels per day.

According to the US Energy Information Administration, Saudi Arabia currently produces about 10.2 million barrels of crude oil per day.

His comments come after Biden told reporters that Mohammed bin Salman had agreed to boost his oil production – a move that would lower gas prices for Americans – during their controversial meeting on Friday.

President Joe Biden discussed food security and energy disruptions with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as they met face to face for the first time.

The two leaders met in Jeddah on Saturday where they talked about climate change, the revival of the Palestinian peace process and the operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

The Renaissance Dam has been at the center of the ongoing confrontation between Egypt and Ethiopia for years.

Cairo said the construction of the massive dam on the Nile River could limit water access to Egypt. Egyptian officials said Sisi spoke of his desire to reach a legally binding agreement on the dam’s operation.

The White House said Biden congratulated El-Sisi on Egypt’s 27th presidency^{The tenth} The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 27) in Sharm el-Sheikh last November and its role in tackling the climate crisis.

“The two leaders affirmed their countries’ support for the Global Methane Pledge (GMP) and the new GMP Energy Path, to which Egypt has joined in the oil and gas sector,” the statement read.

The two leaders reaffirmed the new US-Egypt Partnership on Adaptation in Africa, which the US and Egypt will co-lead, and which focuses on delivering concrete initiatives that improve people’s lives and help build resilience in the face of climate change. The leaders committed to convening the meeting of the US-Egypt Joint Climate Working Group as soon as possible.”

The meeting marks a further thaw in relations between the two countries after the two leaders clashed in the past over human rights issues.

Relations began to improve after Egypt made efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza in May 2021.

On October 2, 2018, Jamal Khashoggi – A Washington Post Journalist and outspoken critic of the Saudi government – was murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

US officials said the murder was carried out by a team of intelligence agents linked to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – known as MBS – before dismembering his body with a bone saw.

The Saudi government initially denied any involvement in the killing before claiming that officers killed him by mistake while trying to extradite him to Saudi Arabia.

US intelligence agencies later concluded that Mohammed bin Salman had ordered his killing.

Mohammed bin Salman has always denied any responsibility — a denial he continued to hold when he met face-to-face with President Joe Biden on Friday.

An American lawyer who defended murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi has been detained in the UAE, sparking further controversy over President Joe Biden’s trip to the Middle East.

Asim Ghafoor, a US citizen and civil rights attorney from Virginia, was arrested at Dubai airport on Thursday as he was traveling to Istanbul for a family wedding, according to the organization Democracy in the Arab World Now (DAWN).

The human rights organization said Mr. Ghafoor is now being held in a detention center in Abu Dhabi on charges related to a money laundering conviction in absentia.

Dawn said in a statement on Friday that Mr. Ghafoor had no prior knowledge of any convictions.

independentRachel Sharp has the full story:

President Joe Biden came under fire on Friday when the camera caught him greeting the Saudi crown prince with an informal fist.

US intelligence found that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – also known as MBS – was responsible for ordering the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Watch the embarrassing meeting between Biden and Mohammed bin Salman below:

President Joe Biden posed for a “family photo” with the Saudi crown prince, hours after the two men exchanged harsh words over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Pictures show the president alongside Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman along with other leaders from the Middle East on Saturday, the last day of his four-day trip to the region.

As shown in the pictures: King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. King Abdullah II of Jordan; Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Kuwaiti Crown Prince Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi. The President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Asaad bin Tariq Al Said, a special representative of the Sultan of Oman.

The so-called “family photo” comes after Friday’s meeting between Biden and MSB in which the US president said he confronted the Saudi crown prince over his role in Khashoggi’s murder.

The meeting itself was a source of contention, especially given Biden’s comments during the 2020 White House race that he would make Saudi Arabia a “pariah.”

The President immediately provoked a backlash when he greeted MSB with a friendly fist at the start of the meeting.

President Joe Biden left Saudi Arabia on Saturday at the conclusion of his controversial trip to the Middle East.

The president waved as he boarded Air Force One at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.

The White House issued a brief statement sharing details of a meeting between President Joe Biden and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in Jeddah on Saturday.

The President affirmed the United States’ appreciation for the long-standing strategic partnership with Bahrain, including its hosting of the US Naval Forces Central Command/5^{The tenth} The White House said.

The two leaders affirmed their commitment to strengthening defense, security, economic, commercial and people-to-people relations. President Biden praised Bahrain’s expanded relations with Israel through the Ibrahim Agreements and Operation Negev. The two leaders discussed mutual efforts to promote regional integration and deepen security cooperation.

The meeting was one of many that Biden held with Middle Eastern leaders during his four-day trip.

President Joe Biden met Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Jeddah on Saturday, where the two leaders discussed efforts to advance the partnership between the two countries and work together in “addressing regional and international challenges.”

After the meeting, the White House released a statement revealing that Biden had announced plans to enter into a new Memorandum of Understanding with Jordan.

President Biden announced the United States’ intention to enter into a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to assist Jordan, as the United States plans to commit to supporting the provision of at least $1.45 billion annually in the United States. Bilateral foreign assistance to Jordan begins in fiscal year 2023 and ends in fiscal year 2029.”

The MoU is one of the most important bilateral instruments of its kind, and represents a key US political commitment to Jordan’s stability and the continuity of the partnership.

“The MOU is designed to meet the exceptional needs of Jordan, support King Abdullah II’s economic reform program, and ensure the long-term strength of the close partnership between the United States and Jordan.”