Saudi Arabia Moves In

World | Fri, Jan 23, 2009 at 6:44:27 pm PST

Our friends the Saudis wasted no time putting the thumbscrews on our new hopenchange President: Obama discusses Gaza with Saudi ruler.

WASHINGTON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Friday asked Saudi King Abdullah for support in halting weapons smuggling into Gaza and underscored the importance of U.S.-Saudi ties in his first talks with the Arab ruler since becoming president, the White House said.

Obama spoke to Abdullah during a series of phone calls with foreign leaders, including British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the White House said in a statement.

The call to Abdullah coincided with the publication of an article by Prince Turki al-Faisal, a former Saudi intelligence chief and ambassador to the United States, warning Obama the United States was putting Saudi ties at risk with its stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In an article on the Financial Times website, Turki said former President George W. Bush had left a “sickening legacy” in the Middle East.

“If the U.S. wants to continue playing a leadership role in the Middle East and keep its strategic alliances intact — especially its ‘special relationship’ with Saudi Arabia — it will have to drastically revise its policies vis-a-vis Israel and Palestine,” Turki said.