AFP, RIYADHSaudi Arabia yesterday sought to distance itself from a student who carried out a fatal shooting at a US naval base as it seeks to repair its image of being an exporter of Muslim extremism. The Saudi Arabian military student reportedly condemned the US as a “nation of evil” before going on a rampage on Friday at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida, killing three people and wounding eight. The hashtag “Saudis stand with America” gained traction on social media after Saudi King Salman telephoned US President Donald Trump to denounce the shooting as “heinous” and pledge cooperation with US officials to investigate the incident. Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir also expressed his “deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences” over the shooting. The incident is unlikely to affect Washington’s close relations with Riyadh, with both governments seeking military and diplomatic cooperation to counter Shiite power Iran.
