According to the Washington Post, Biden is being sent to Saudi Arabia to pay respects after King Abdullah’s death:
Tributes from around the world poured in for Abdullah, a key Western ally. The White House announced that Vice President Biden would lead a U.S. delegation to Saudi Arabia in the coming days to pay respects to the king’s family.
It would been nice if the White House had been that thoughtful when Margaret Thatcher died last year:
No White House officials, though, were part of the presidential delegation sent last year to Thatcher’s funeral. For that, the White House sent former secretaries of State George Schultz and James Baker III — as well as the charge d’affaires to the U.K. and the former U.S. ambassador.