Falcon powers – The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing US and Saudi officials, that President Joe Biden’s administration is about to put the finishing touches on a treaty with Saudi Arabia that would commit Washington to helping defend the kingdom, as part of a deal aimed at pushing diplomatic relations between Riyadh and Israel.
The potential agreement, which has been the subject of extensive correspondence between US officials and others for weeks, is part of a broader package that will include the signing of a civil nuclear deal between Washington and Riyadh, as well as steps towards the establishment of a Palestinian state and an end to the war in Gaza, where ongoing ceasefire efforts for months have failed to bring peace.
Approval of this treaty, which the Wall Street Journal said will be called the Strategic Alliance Agreement, will require a two-thirds majority vote in the US Senate, which will be difficult to achieve unless the agreement stipulates the normalization of relations between Israel and the kingdom.
US and Saudi officials quoted by the newspaper said the draft treaty was loosely modeled on the mutual security agreement between the United States and Japan.
The newspaper mentioned that the draft treaty provides for Washington to be able to use Saudi territory and airspace to protect American interests and its partners in the region, in return for the United States’ commitment to assist in the defense of Saudi Arabia in the event of an attack.
The newspaper quoted officials as saying that the treaty also aims to strengthen the ties between Riyadh and Washington by preventing China from building bases in the kingdom or continuing its security cooperation with Riyadh.
