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Obama meets King Salman on Saudi Arabia visit

Riyadh - Obama, during a roughly 24-hour stay in the Saudi capital, planned to attend the GCC summit focused on regional stability, Iran and counterterrorism.

Reassuring an anxious ally, President Barack Obama sat down Wednesday for a meeting with King Salman as he opened a trip to Saudi Arabia shadowed by the kingdom's deep opposition to his Iran nuclear deal and skepticism about his approach to Syria.
Obama, during a roughly 24-hour stay in the Saudi capital, planned to attend a Arabian Gulf summit focused on regional stability, Iran and counterterrorism - including the fight against Daesh and Al Qaeda.
Under crystal chandeliers, King Salman greeted Obama in a grand foyer at Erga Palace, where the two walked slowly to a reception room as the small of incense wafted. The two offered polite smiles as they sat down side by side for pictures at the start of their two-hour private meeting.
"The American people send their greetings and we are very grateful for your hospitality, not just for this meeting but for hosting the GCC-US summit that's taking place tomorrow," Obama said, referring to the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council summit.
King Salman offered similarly gracious words for the president, who is paying his fourth trip here for face-to-face meetings and photos with royal rulers since becoming president.
"The feeling is mutual between us and the American people," the king said through a translator.
In addition to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain are participating in the regional summit. In addition to Daesh, the talks are also expected to address the Saudi-led military campaign against Shia rebels and their allies in neighboring Yemen.
Concerns about Daesh extremists were also on the agenda for Obama's meeting late Wednesday in Riyadh with Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and a key Emirati leader, the White House said.
US Defense Secretary Ash Carter and CIA Director John Brennan were among the officials accompanying Obama. Carter, meeting with defense ministers from the Gulf nations Wednesday, pressed them to provide more economic and political support to Iraq in a preview of themes Obama was expected to emphasize.
Stepping off of Air Force One earlier at King Khalid International Airport, Obama was greeted by Prince Faisal bin Bandar Al Saud, the governor of Riyadh. Ahead of Obama's arrival, Saudi state television showed the king personally greeting senior officials from other Gulf nations arriving at the King Salman Air Base.
Mustafa Alani, a security analyst at the Gulf Research Center, said the Saudi decision not to dispatch a high-level delegation to greet the president was unusual and intended to send a clear
US officials have expressed hope the latest meeting will build on last year's Camp David summit though they acknowledge differences remain between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.
Obama's recent comment that the Saudis and Iranians should "share the neighborhood" roiled officials in Riyadh.
Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's defense minister, said ahead of Obama's visit that the Gulf and the U.S. must work together to confront challenges including terrorism, instability and what he described as Iranian interference into regional countries' affairs.
After departing Riyadh on Thursday, Obama will travel to London and Hannover, Germany.