<p>Barack Obama recently cut short a visit to India to fly to Saudi Arabia to pay his respects to its new king, Salman. Officially, the visit was about reassuring a strategic ally at a rocky time in their relationship; one that Washington sees as vital in the fight against jihadism. Sarah Chayes is a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She believes the present moment offers a golden opportunity for the US to "fix" its relationship with Saudi Arabia.</p><br />She also says the US needs to understand that “its national security is better served by sticking to its principles, rather than sticking to whoever happens to lead a country that’s considered to be a strategic ally”.<br /><br />Visit our website:<br />http://www.france24.com<br /><br />Like us on Facebook:<br />https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English<br /><br />Follow us on Twitter:<br />https://twitter.com/France24_en
