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Obama in Riyadh amid Increasing US-Saudi Tensions

President Obama is in Saudi Arabia today at a tense moment in USSaudi relations. The long-standing alliance is based on oil and security concerns, but now is being frayed by diverging goals in Middle East conflicts, by Obama's recent reference to the Saudis as "free riders" and renewed calls from Congress to allow Americans sue them for 9/11.

By Barbara Bogaev • Apr 20, 2016 • 10m Listen

President Obama is in Saudi Arabia today at a tense moment in USSaudi relations. The long-standing alliance is based on oil and security concerns, but now is being frayed by diverging goals in Middle East conflicts, by Obama's recent reference to the Saudis as "free riders" and renewed calls from Congress to allow Americans sue them for 9/11.

President Barack Obama is greeted by officials upon his arrival at King Khalid

International Airport for a summit meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia April 20, 2016.

Photo: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

We hear more about the growing tensions from Ben Hubbard, Middle East correspondent for the New York Times, and Fred Wehrey, senior associate in the Middle East Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.