Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Thursday and reaffirmed the US military’s commitment to the “defense” of Saudi Arabia.
The conversation comes after President Biden announced he was ending US support for Saudi Arabia’s “offensive” operations in Yemen, leaving room to support Riyadh militarily if it can be framed as defensive.
Austin condemned attacks inside Saudi Arabia that are launched by Yemen’s Houthis. “The Secretary condemned the recent Houthi cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia and expressed his commitment to assisting Saudi Arabia in the defense of its borders,” The Pentagon said in a statement on the call.
The reality of these cross-border Houthi attacks is that they wouldn’t be happening if not for Saudi Arabia’s aggression in Yemen. Since 2015, the US has backed Riyadh’s vicious bombing campaign and helped enforce a land, sea, and air blockade on Yemen. The siege has led to mass starvation. The UN is now warning that if conditions don’t change, 400,000 Yemeni children under the age of five will starve to death.
Austin also mentioned the change in US policy on Yemen. “Secretary Austin reiterated recent changes in US policy toward the Saudi-led Coalition in Yemen.” As part of Biden’s Yemen policy, the president appointed a special envoy who is seeking a diplomatic solution to end the conflict.
Despite Washington’s efforts to end the war in Yemen, the US military presence in Saudi Arabia seems set to continue. The Trump administration sent troops to Saudi Arabia in 2019, the first time US forces were deployed to the country since 2003. Now, the US is looking to establish new bases in western Saudi Arabia. The idea is that western areas are not in the range of Iran’s ballistic missiles.
Gen. Frank McKenzie, the head of US Central Command, discussed these western locations on Thursday, although he downplayed the idea that they would be permanent bases. “We are not looking for new bases. I want to be clear on that,” he said. “What we would like to do, without shutting down these [current] bases … is to have the ability to go to other bases to operate in a period of heightened risk.”
it seems like just yesterday saudi hijackers were crashing passenger jets into new york city. now we defend them.
And that’s the “official” story.
If the US puts bases in KSA, the Saudis will be a de-facto ally of the US (if they aren’t already) which means that, if the US or Israel attacks Iran, Iran can respond by attacking KSA’s oil infrastructure and its ability to sell its oil, or transport through the Strait of Hormuz, and without directly attacking the US or Israel – which their Russian allies and benefactors would not permit.
Moreover, attacking KSA – withou attacking US – would not produce the hoped-for outrage among Americans that would needed for the Biden administration to conduct war against Iran. Americans know the Saudi Arabia’s is a corrupt, murderous, unelected government that supports terrorism (even if they don’t know their own government is too). Nevertheless, oil prices would soar through the roof which would benefit Iran and Russia. The UAE and Qatar would stand down and profit also. This might also set the stage for the Houthis to mount a campaign against KSA. The fragile Saudi Royal Family might just flee to Switzerland.
All this could mean the end of the US dollar as the primary world’s reserve currency.
Sell them more ineffective Patriot missile systems, and keep the current 20 US bases with 50,000 troops around the Gulf. They make rich targets for Iran missiles.
So is this like a treaty? Are we now obligated to defend Saudi Arabia because Austin said so? Scary shit.
Its all part of the US protection racket. Doing the same with Taiwan now
Could anyone confirm if this is real?
Translate: US wants more bases inside Saudi Arabia. Just as the missile attack in oil facilities resulted in helping by installing bases, now US wants more to “deter” Iran, as if we are not occupying Iraq and “deterring” Iran already.
US Reaffirms Commitment to ‘Defend’ Saudi Arabia but not America?
The war in Yemen has nothing to do with Yemen. Just being in a wrong place at a wrong time. As US is in a vindictive mood, trying to reclaim the “too-of-the-table” spot, Yemen continues to be the tool for imposing our will on region on the confluence of Red Sea and Indian Ocean. Shutting down Al-Mandeb Straits is potentially more devastating then a closure of Suez Canal. It could cripple Saudi Arabia — already under threat of Straits of Hormuz closure. It likewise would cripple Egypt by rendering Suez Canal worthless, and severely damaging Egypt’s and Sudan’s Asia trade. Everything would have to be redirected through Gibraltar Straits. It will then be found that global warming is causing environmental damage to said Straits — too bad for anyone in the Middle East, Red Sea or Mediterranean needing access to Asia.
If that all sounds too far fetched — think again. Why this vicious war FOR Yemen? To secure Straits. Or to control them at the expense of others. US is occupying Iraq, does not want to leave Syria, has bases in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, probably in Oman. And wants a base on the coast of South Yemen. With UAE, controlling Straits of Hormuz, and with South Yemen, controlling Bab Al-Mandeb Straits.
Saudis do not want to end war until UAE is dislodged from South, but publicly this is war on Houthis and Iran. This narrative is stupid and as thin as a tissue paper, but audience is even stupider, so who cares. The war in Yemen starting 2915 through 2017 was simple. Saudi Arabia getting control over unified Yemen — with US bases controlling Straits. After 2017 till today, Saudi Arabia no linger trusts US and vice versa — thus no more deal on Straits. UAE was called in by US to dislodge Saudi supporters from the South — and deliver South to US. Saudis and their imaginary “legitimate” Yemen mercenary army lost badly to UAE, that mived into Aden, up the coast to Mocha, and threatened Hodeidah — but Houthis stopped them.
UAE became nervous challenging Saudis and signaled withdrawal — just to find a slew of accusations in Western media about prisons they run in Yemen, and all sorts of unsavory stories to dent their gilded image. UAE left Aden, where Saudi sponsored “legitimate” government has a deal with Southern Council (secessionists), but there is STILL no deal on South.
In the meantime, Saudis continue war in Houthis in the name of restoring unified, “legitimate” government. While the real objective is — control of South and Arabian side of the cursed straits.
US offer to protect Saudi Arabia by occupying it is as genuine as Saudi war on Houthis.
US is in war with Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Egypt over keeping Straits out of any big power control.
But it is turning into big power conflict, with China getting base un Djibouti , where US base is already stationed. Sudan is giving naval base to Russia in Port Sudan on Red Sea to service ships and submarines. Freedom of navigation through Straits will soon be tested. Clearly, Russia is adding weight to Saudi, Egyptian and Sudan argument.
If all actors, Houthis are the only ones with clear agenda. They want to regain the freedom if the firmer North Yemen. Their country. Houthis diid nit come from anywhere — they LIVE there.
Southern secessionist want the same, but they are thorn between Saudis, UAE and US, and are three different former sultanates.
If we are to give such an open-ended guarantee, then we ought to have more control over what trouble they get us into exploiting that guarantee.
Yemen and Iran conflicts are both examples.
Of course, the same should be true of Israel, and it most emphatically is not done with them.
We are the Arabs.
We are the Arabs.
Is the US going to protect Saudi Arabia? or does this protection mean that we are going to just protect the “House of Saud” In other words, what does the USA do if there is a civilian revolution to transition to democracy? Does the US help fight and suppress a Saudi popular revolt?
In the first version of Roosevelt’s DOG-Plan Saudi Arabia was assigned to Germany’s sphere of influence! Some time later it was added to our sphere of influence. We are still stuck up to our neck in DOG-doo.
>White House says Biden will only deal with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman directly not MbS (who is wanted for murder)
> Austin spoke by phone with Saudi Minister of Defense His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
>Austin expressed his commitment to assisting Saudi Arabia in the defense of its borders against violent extremists (enemies of the peace-loving Saudis and US /s).
>Will Austin be carrying a rifle or what on the border?
>White House says Biden will only deal with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman directly not MbS (who is wanted for murder)
> Austin spoke by phone with Saudi Minister of Defense His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
>Austin expressed his commitment to assisting Saudi Arabia in the defense of its borders against violent extremists (enemies of the peace-loving Saudis and US /s).
>Will Austin be carrying a rifle or what on the border?