Saudis dishing out lavish gifts to buy clout in US: Analyst

Saudi Arabia's monarchs are “bestowing” lavish gifts upon US President Barack Obama and his associates in a bid to buy more influence in the White House, an American political analyst says.

According to the latest annual accounting report by the US State Department, the former Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and other high-ranking Saudi officials showered the Obamas with more than $1.3 million in gifts throughout 2014.

The report, released last week, noted that the Saudi king had sent Obama a couple of gold wristwatches, one of which valued at $18,400 and the other with a price-tag of $67,000.

Obama’s wife, Michelle, also received two expensive jewelry sets priced at $560,000 and $570,000.

The former king, who died earlier this year, had also given Obama’s daughters, Sasha and Malia, jewelry sets with a price-tag of $80,000.

The report also hints at expensive gifts given to Obama’s aides by Saudi officials, including a $5,370 “white gold wristwatch with link bracelet” for National Security Adviser Susan Rice and several $8,170 wristwatches for her male colleagues.

“These extravagant gifts that the Saudis like to bestow upon the American leaders and their children and wives and associates, certainly they are trying to buy influence,” Steven Kelley, a former CIA/NSA contractor, told Press TV on Monday.

Kelley added that the gifts are bound to influence the decisions that will later on be made by these individuals, since “with this administration particularly, you really do not know what they are capable of.”

US law stipulates that the president hand over everything he gets from other world leaders to the National Archives or other institutions for the purposes of storage or display. In case he wants to keep anything, he has to pay the fair market value for it and take it with him when leaving office.

However, Kelley believes there are people who are willing to pay what it takes for the government officials to keep their gifts, so that they can later on ask for favors in return.

“I would not be surprised if they try to make an argument for keeping much of this loot,” the analyst said. “Certainly, [with] Obama’s salary, there is no way even in a several years’ salary, he could pay for this; although there is a good chance that other people seeking to gain influence will pony up the tab.”

Obama enjoys a yearly salary of $400,000 and rakes in a lot more from his book sales and various investments, according to reports.

Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton during her tenure as the former secretary of state, was also known “to have taken a large amount of jewelry,” which explains why she has made certain decisions throughout her political career, Kelley added.

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