Obama in Saudi Arabia, and 9/11 Looms Large

President Obama landed in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday morning at a time when relations between the two countries are especially dicey. Here's a look:

• USA Today digs into five big issues, most notably a bill in Congress that would allow families of 9/11 victims to sue the Saudis. Friction over how to deal with Iran is also a problem.
• Tensions have gotten worse in recent years "under the more assertive King Salman and his ambitious son." The Guardian explains.

• Another "delicate" issue: Before he left, Obama supported the idea of releasing 28 confidential pages from the 9/11 Commission suggesting that Saudi officials in the US had some role in the attack, reports the New York Times.
• The Washington Post takes a deeper dive into the long-simmering allegations that the Saudis were involved.
• Despite the tensions, "there is little chance the President’s sojourn in Riyadh will bring any significant changes to America’s long-term alliance with Saudi Arabia," according to an analysis at Time.
• From a more international perspective, al Jazeera notes that the wars in Syria and Yemen will be high on the agenda of a defense summit Thursday.
• The Intercept has a critical analysis: "Obama is making his fourth trip to Riyadh, having presided over record-breaking US arms sales to Saudi Arabia while offering only muted criticism of the kingdom's human rights violations."
• Along those lines, the Washington Post editorial board wants Obama to speak up for imprisoned blogger Raif Badawi.

(More Saudi Arabia stories.)