Obama Turns to Key Saudi Ally

President Obama called for an “immediate” and “meaningful” transition in Egypt in a phone call Wednesday with Saudi King Abdullah, one of the U.S.’s key allies in the region. The White House also said it remained committed to peace and security in the region. The Egyptian uprising has caused panic on the part of many other leaders in the Middle East, including King Abdullah, and the White House has been in near-constant contact with allies in the region. Meanwhile, Obama’s advisers remain firmly split. One faction, led by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and National Security Adviser Thomas Donilon, wants to put Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman in power. But others, led by National Security Council members Ben Rhodes and Samantha Power, are put off by Suleiman and prefer a more radical shakeup.