Sputnik News- Washington is ignoring Saudi Arabia's major role in Sunni terrorism, California State University Professor Emeritus of Political Science Beau Grosscup told Sputnik. His opinion was echoed by Professor of neuroscience and political commentator John Walsh.





US President Donald Trump proved on�his visit to�Saudi Arabia that he was prepared to�turn a blind eye to�Riyadh�s support for�Islamists in�return for�lucrative oil deals, analysts told Sputnik.
"The arms deal signals that another US administration is willing to�ignore the Saudis� major role in�Sunni terrorism� in�return for�allowing the US to�buy Saudi oil in�US dollars," California State University Professor Emeritus of�Political Science Beau Grosscup said.


The Saudis had given strong support and protection to�Daesh terrorist group which killed nearly 3,000 people in�its destruction of�the World Trade Center and attack on�the Pentagon on�September 11, 2001, Grosscup recalled.


"After Trump�s visit, Saudi Arabia would continue its large investment in�the US economy and remain a major purchaser of�US arms purportedly to�defend itself against 'Iranian aggression,'" Grosscup pointed out.
"The US president�s speech and comments in�Riyadh also signaled "that the Trump administration remains committed to�supporting the Saudi�s effort defeat Yemen�s Iran-backed Shiite revolution by�terror bombing Yemen civilians into�starvation," he stated.


In Riyadh, Trump echoed the policy of�former President George W. Bush that "you are either with�us or the terrorists," Grosscup observed.
"Like presidents Bush and [President Barack] Obama before�him, Trump drew the world of�terrorism in�simplistic, bi-polar, and as�he said, �battle between�good and evil,� imagery. The problem is, while politically useful at�home, this imagery has no relationship to�reality," Grosscup said.


Trump ignored the fact that as�Wahhabi Sunnis, his Saudi hosts were the Muslim extremists he urged unity against, Grosscup noted.


Professor of�neuroscience and political commentator John Walsh told Sputnik that Trump�s demonization of�Iran during�his Riyadh visit stood out�as the main stumbling block preventing his goal of�restoring good relations with�Russia,
"Iran is the stumbling block to�President Trump's genuine desire to�get along�with Russia, obviously genuine since�he is willing to�pay such a high political price to�do so. And New Detente with�Russia is the most important thing Trump has promised," he noted.


However, Trump cannot expect Russia to�turn on�Iran, Walsh observed.


"So if that is his demand, then that is a deal breaker. [Secretary of�State Rex] Tillerson, it seems, would oppose such a deal breaker," he said.


However, Walsh recalled that in�Trump�s speech to�the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) during�the 2016 election campaign he promised not to�nullify the P5+1 nuclear agreement with�Iran but�to enforce it.