The crash in crude oil prices that began in 2014 has left the country with a gaping budget deficit. The government has been borrowing abroad to cover domestic spending, which spiralled upward when oil prices were high. And costs are believed to have soared on the war in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia has backed the beleaguered president, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. When oil prices came back down to a more reasonable level, they were burning capital faster than they were breathing." CIA Director Mike Pompeo's first trip abroad was to Saudi Arabia, where he was given an award.

Source: New Zealand Herald April 22, 2017 03:33 UTC