This is John Batcher, a conversation with Hudson fellow Haseen-Hakani, former ambassador from Pakistan to the United States,

about the Saudi Arabian presumptions of who is a friend, who is not, who are my allies, who is not, raising questions

about the U.S.

Is the U.S. a trustworthy ally? Is the U.S. a leader the way it was once upon a time?

The Ambassador raises these questions in light of the facts on the ground right now about the trouble in the Gulf, the trouble in the

Red Sea, the trouble across Euro-Asia. Who do the Saudis look to? Everyone? No one? It's an open question. Here's the

Santa Connick commenting on Allies. Who are the Saudi allies, who are the US allies in the region.

More of this tonight.

Well, let's be honest.

If when you use the term its allies, are you referring to I mean it's a region which has felt

for a while that the United States is no longer a reliable ally the United States only gets involved on its own terms without trying to

understand the perspective of its partners. Now that attitude is very deeply entrenched in the region.

People think that they cannot rely on the US.

And so therefore, when you cannot rely on your principal security

provider of many decades, then you start looking around and of course at the same time you also need to continue to do business.

So yes, the short answer to your question is that they do all look are all looking at different

permutations and combinations in the global order the longer answer would begin with

the sentence the question should not so much be facing countries in the Middle East or elsewhere

who are a little disappointed in U.S. leadership, but towards the US.

What does the US want?

Is it willing to be the global leader

that it was in the 50s and 60s?

...