I of course do not care about protocol and do not observe it. But this picture from today's meeting between the two is interesting. Last time the two met, it was a disaster (there was a long article on that by Elsa Walsh in New Yorker last year), and the Crown Prince was offended so many times by Bush, especially when the latter led him in Christian prayers during dinner or lunch. This one is another classic. You would think that some people in the White House would brief Bush about cultural issues and habits of the Middle East. It is highly offensive in the culture for a host to greet his guest with his legs open like that, especially if he is younger than the guest. But who cares?