From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
House Speaker Ryan in Riyadh for security talks
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US House Speaker Paul Ryan is leading a Congressional delegation to the Middle East, meeting on Wednesday with Saudi King Salman in the first regional stop for talks centered on security.
A statement by Ryan’s office says his meetings in the Middle East “will focus on regional stability, the campaign against ISIS and terrorism, and Iranian aggression.”
Saudi Arabia is a member of the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. The kingdom and the US also cooperate on intelligence sharing related to extremist groups like al-Qaeda.
Saudi-US ties have since improved under President Donald Trump, whose first overseas visit as president was to Saudi Arabia in May.
State-run Saudi media showed Ryan meeting with King Salman after he was received at the airport in Riyadh by the head of Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council, a consultative body that is appointed by the monarch.
Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin, is traveling with five Republican members of Congress and one Democrat. The delegation includes Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (Republican, Texas), Intel Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (Republican, California), Reps. Vern Buchanan (Republican, Florida), Liz Cheney (Republican, Wyoming), Scott Taylor (Republican, Virginia) and Stephanie Murphy (Democrat, Florida).
Ryan is scheduled to visit the United Arab Emirates on Thursday.
— AP
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