Saudi King Salman Refuses Obama's Invitation to Camp David Summit: A Slap in the Face for Obama

President Obama invited leaders of the Arab Persian Gulf countries to a Camp David summit on Thursday in order to "sell" them the nuclear deal that he is fashioning with Iran. There has been much speculation concerning the military hardware that Obama is preparing to transfer to these countries in order to allay their anxiety over the arrangement with Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei. However, as reported by Helene Cooper in a lead New York Times article entitled "Saudi Arabia Says King Won’t Attend Meetings in U.S.":

"Saudi Arabia announced on Sunday that its new monarch, King Salman, would not be attending meetings at the White House with President Obama or a summit gathering at Camp David this week, in an apparent signal of its continued displeasure with the administration over United States relations with Iran, its rising regional adversary.

As recently as Friday, the White House said that King Salman would be coming to 'resume consultations on a wide range of regional and bilateral issues,' according to Eric Schultz, a White House spokesman."

An "apparent signal" of Saudi displeasure? Make that a slap in the face for Obama.

Meanwhile, as Obama continues to insist upon reaching agreement with Iran by June 30, regardless of the concession that he will be forced to make, Iran's Fars News Agency is reporting that "US and French warships and military aircraft changed their direction in the Gulf of Aden on Saturday night after being warned by an Iranian flotilla to keep distant."

In addition, as reported by The Times of Israel in an article entitled "Iran Kurds riot after foul play suspected in woman’s death":

"Iranian Kurds rioted in the city of Mahabad last week after a 25-year-old woman fell to her death in an incident in which foul play was suspected. In the ensuing skirmishes, police killed at least two demonstrators, Kurdish media reported.

The demonstrations were held Thursday after Farinaz Khosravani, 25, a chambermaid in the city’s Tara Hotel, fell to her death Monday from the fourth floor of the hotel. Unconfirmed reports indicated that an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps soldier reportedly threatened or attempted to rape her, according to Kurdish media accounts quoted in the Israeli press.

. . . .

A Channel 2 report called the outbreak of violent demonstrations a 'Kurdish intifada' and posited that the protests might break out into a 'Kurdish Spring' akin to the Arab Spring which began after a Tunisian man lit himself on fire in 2011."

What does the Obama administration have to say about the rioting and Iranian oppression of its Kurdish minority? Nothing. It could stand in the way of the nuclear deal with Khamenei and Obama's legacy.

In a nutshell, American prestige and influence in the Middle East have reached a nadir.