Robert O’Neill, the Navy SEAL who fatally shot terrorist Osama Bin Laden, slammed President Joe Biden’s plans to visit to Saudi Arabia next month.
“15 of 19 hijackers on 9/11 were from Saudi Arabia. But I’m sure if we send our president to kiss their ass, they will give us a sweet deal on oil,” O’Neill tweeted.
During a trip to the Middle East scheduled for next month, Biden plans to make his final stop in Saudi Arabia in an effort to repair relations with the oil-rich kingdom after vowing in 2020 to make Saudi Arabia “the pariah they are.”
“From the earliest days of our administration, we made it clear that U.S. policy demanded recalibration in relations with this important country, but not a rupture,” an administration official said last week. “And that is because we have important interests interwoven with Saudi Arabia.”
John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, said last week that oil production “absolutely … is going to be part of” Biden’s meeting with Saudi officials, adding that the president is “looking forward to, again, a wide scope of discussions.”
Kirby continued, “And obviously, look, human rights is something we bring up with partners and friends and folks all over the world every time we meet. It’s a key component of the president’s foreign policy. He believes that foreign policy has to be rooted in our values. Obviously, human rights will come up as a part of that discussion.”
National Economic Council Director Brian Deese defended Biden’s decision to meet with officials from Saudi Arabia.
“What’s behind this is a very simple proposition, which is when it is U.S. interest for the president to engage with a foreign leader, he will do so,” he told “Fox News Sunday” host Shannon Bream.
“The reality is we are a net exporter of oil, but more important than that for the immediate term is what we can do to increase supply,” he continued. “As you said, supply came down precipitously during Covid; we want to see that come back and come back online. In the near term, the companies have a very powerful market incentive. Prices are high, and their profit and profit margins are high, and what we are encouraging is that they take those and put those profits to work to increase production.”
The trip to Saudi Arabia to discuss oil production comes after Biden threatened to use “emergency powers” against American oil companies if they don’t increase production.
Biden also canceled oil and gas drilling leases in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the Keystone pipeline and — prior to the 2020 election — vowed to completely end oil production.
“No more subsidies for fossil fuel industry. No more drilling on federal lands. No more drilling, including offshore. No ability for the oil industry to continue to drill, period, ends,” Biden said at the time.
