The Saudi government has the power to grant or deny visas according to its own discretion, and the Saudis indicated last month that participation in this year's Hajj should be restricted.

VOA: standard.2009.07.23

"Earlier this year, the sort of strident sort of criticism that you heard coming out of the White House certainly indicated that there was displeasure with the disfunction of the government in Kabul,".

VOA: standard.2009.08.03