President Trump’s arms deal with Saudi Arabia was already highly controversial because of the number of civilians being killed by the Saudis with US-made and -provided bombs. Yet the controversy may well grow from here.
That’s because the US isn’t just sending billions of dollars worth of arms to the Saudis. The Trump Administration is also allowing armsmaker Raytheon to transfer highly sensitive US weapons technology to Saudi Arabia, to make many of the bomb parts in Saudi Arabia.
The technology transfer will allow the Saudis to produce many of the most important parts, and in time, produce their own version of the Raytheon Paveway smart bombs. This would in the long run remove Congressional oversight from the arms transfer, by making the Saudis self-sufficient in the smart bombs that have been killing thousands of civilians in Yemen.
The arms transfers are to be done through a false “state of emergency” declaration by President Trump, so as to circumvent Congressional oversight. The House is planning hearings on the matter, however, and the Senate has 22 votes of disapproval lined up.
It is expected that the Senate Democrats are uniformly behind these votes against the sale, along with Democrat-leaning independents and at least three Republicans (Sens. Paul, Graham, and Young). Passing the resolutions would require only one more Republican to switch sides, and that could easily happen with mounting concerns about not just arms transfers, but arms technology transfers.
Raytheon is trying to downplay the significance of all of this, insisting that US technology transfers happen all the time, and making parts of arms sales in the purchasing country are not that rare. This is true, but the secretive nature of what the Saudis are buying, and how controversial it was to sell it to them at all, makes this a bigger deal.
King Salman and King Trump shook hands, what business do any of us have on the specifics beyond that? Maybe Salman will cut out the middleman next time and just make the deals with the real boss: the head of Raytheon’s board of directors.
For a guy that bashed the Saudis during his campaign, Trump certainly has changed his tune and continues to bend over for these butchers. MSAGA.
But he’s friends with the Saudi royal family. Personal loyalty & profit above all in the TRUMP regime.
And then when it backfires, we will call them cheaters! Our corporations went to China drooling, nit just big market, cheap labor, no pesky environmental refs. The idea was, these inferior people will soon be managed by our corupt miney and influence, and tge “demicracy” will take hold. It was inconceivable that China’s ststem of collective management at tge top of party pyramid would last. And then, once China was “democratized” by corporate greed, next stop Russia, surrounded on all sides. We were outsmarted every step of the way, corporations allowed to profit to the point of forgetting that American economy was suffering. Saudis are taking a page from Turkey play book. For years, Turkey had been shifting their economic focus to the East while keeping up the pressure on EU to join. Over time, the most ardent liver of the West realized that Turkey was just a cannon fodder for NATO plans, and the process of strengthening ties with Russia and China began. Now Turkey has F-35 plants and is buying S-400 defence system from Russia. Saudis have started this journey in June 2017 when MBN was deposed. King Salman took 2000 strong delegation to Moscow and signed over 40 deals. MBS was in Russia many times. Dealings with both Russia and China are kept secretive. We do know that Saudis have opened a small arms manufacturing plant of Russian weapons. We know they are in talks on nuclear power plant. Trump is merely trying to make Saudis buy our consulting sevices and integrator expertise— not offering nuclear anything. The reason? We have no — zero — corporate know how in building power plants. Saudis will buy eventually S-400 using Turkey model, that is, codeveloping with Russia a new model that Saudis can eventually sell. This is all based on Russian-Indian model in developing missile technology — heavy Brahmos missile (name short for two rivers, Brahmaputra and Moscow). All Rayethon is trying to do is compete in this new model of trade.
But Saudi Arabia is having stronger commercial interests in Russia and China. It supplies only 9% of US oil needs. Main customer is China. This is the main cause of unending war in Yemen. Egypt, Sudan and Saudi Arabia want control of Bab El-Mandeb, the straights that control traffic between Red Sea and Indian Ocean, that is, Asia. US wants to have Saudis and Sudan oil shipments under constant threat should US get control of the straights. Egypt does not want to go around Africa to trade with Asia. Same games played in Straights if Hormuz. Many more countries’s oil and other trade is in danger. For all the appearances, Saudi-US relationship is fake, getting tenser in spite of Trump’s playing good cop, trying to tie Saudis to US interests.
But the house of cards may be unravelling. UAE has apparently not done its job, and blamed Iran for sabotaging ships. Blamed state actor — which could be Missad of course. Suddenly we are pissed off at UAE — compainjng of human rights in South Yemen! As if the workd forgot the mercenaries we supplied so they will do just that in their effort to control the South. Nobody is being obedient.
Last ditch effort — Useael and US meeting Russia. Let us imagine the scenarios. One, we will go after Syria and Lebanon unless you deliver Iran to us. Or, we will give you — name the promise— if you deliver Iran to us.
Or potential answers. From yesterday’s news, both China and Russia will defend Iran. It is possible that Israel’s incursion into Syria ir Lebanon is topic of conversation. Russia has a growing clout in Israel, and given its current relationships with Arab world — Israel may want a deal.
Dealing has begun in earnest. Or war is coming. Chinese defence minister said laconically”
“Talk?
Welcome!
War?
Ready.
Bully ys?
No way.”
It seems that everyone is aware of the gamble US is taking — except US population. And dies anyone know if our cities are protected? For a narcissistic political class, this us just insignificant detail.