A group of oil-producing nations declared they were cutting output, which is likely to increase gas costs in the United States. As a result, a trio of Democratic legislators want to withdraw all American soldiers from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Democratic Reps. Tom Malinowski of New Jersey, Sean Casten of Illinois, and Susan Wild of Pennsylvania made the announcement on Wednesday night that they were introducing a bill to withdraw all American troops and military hardware from the two oil-rich countries. Malinowski previously served in the State Department under President Obama.
The lawmakers said in a statement that “Saudi Arabia and the UAE’s drastic cut in oil production is a hostile act against the United States and a clear signal that they have chosen to side with Russia in its war against Ukraine, despite President Biden’s overtures to both countries in recent months.”
“To safeguard their security and oil reserves, both nations have historically relied on an American military presence in the Gulf. We do not see any justification for continuing to give this service to nations that are actively fighting against us via American troops and contractors “Added they. “They should look to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin for their protection if Saudi Arabia and the UAE wish to support him.”
About 3,000 American soldiers are stationed in Saudi Arabia and 2,000 in the United Arab Emirates, numbers that have increased recently to assist shield both nations from missile attacks by Yemeni rebels who are supported by Iran. The Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile defense systems are also part of the American military presence.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and a few other like-minded oil-producing countries, including Russia, agreed on Wednesday that they will cut back on their daily oil output by 2 million barrels. Saudi Arabia is regarded as the group’s de facto head.
After reaching a height of more than $5 a gallon on average during the summer, gas prices in the United States have been on the down. Part of the increase can be attributed to restrictions on Russian oil imposed in response to its invasion of Ukraine. Because of the OPEC decision, Americans are worried that gas prices will rise once more. GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan predicts a rise of between 15 and 30 cents per gallon.
The “Strained Partnership Act,” a measure sponsored by House Democrats, would mandate the removal of all American personnel and equipment from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates within 90 days of its adoption. The bill language states that the missile defense systems will be moved to another location in the Middle East, “with the principal goal of defending United States Armed Forces.”
The three legislators declared in their statement that “it is time for the United Governments to begin acting like the superpower in our interactions with our client states in the Gulf.” “They should accept the results of their decision since they made it. Other places require our military personnel and supplies.”
When the Trump administration attempted to put pressure on Saudi Arabia over oil output in 2020, Senate Republicans filed a measure that is identical to the one they have now.
After President Joe Biden, who during his presidential campaign vowed to turn Saudi Arabia into a “pariah” over its killing of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi, attempted to mend fences in an effort to persuade the kingdom to increase oil production in an effort to counteract the effects of the conflict in Ukraine, OPEC decided to cut production. In July, he visited Riyadh and exchanged fists with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
In their statement, Malinowski, Casten, and Wild noted that “many argued that we had to’repair’ our relationship with our Gulf partners to win their cooperation in stabilizing the world’s energy markets in the wake of Russia’s invasion, and President Biden made every effort to do so. He even went so far as to meet the Saudi Crown Prince personally in Riyadh, despite his role in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. With a smack in the face that will harm American consumers and jeopardize our national interests, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have now responded to our overtures.
In addition to the House bill, a number of senators who are Democrats, including Illinois’ Dick Durbin, who is the second-ranking Democrat in the chamber, have called for a review of U.S.-Saudi relations in the wake of the OPEC decision. Durbin stated that it is “time for our foreign policy to imagine a world without their alliance.”
