Reuters reported on Monday that the Biden administration is considering lifting a ban on the sale of “offensive” weapons to Saudi Arabia as President Biden is preparing to visit the country.
Sources told Reuters that the decision hinges on whether Riyadh makes progress toward ending its war in Yemen, where a ceasefire has been holding relatively well. The report said that the Biden administration wants the ceasefire to stick.
In February 2021, Biden said he was ending support for Saudi Arabia’s “offensive” operations in Yemen, a policy that included a ban on offensive weapons sales. But it was later revealed that US contractors were still maintaining Saudi warplanes that were bombing Yemen, and the Biden administration approved a sale of air-to-air missiles to the Kingdom in November 2021.
The administration insisted that the air-to-air missiles weren’t offensive arms since they couldn’t be used to bomb Yemen, but critics argued they could be used to enforce the blockade, which includes restrictions on flights in and out of the country. The administration also approved a $500 million arms sale to maintain Saudi helicopters, including Apache and Black Hawk attack helicopters, and moved forward a potential $23.7 million sale to upgrade Riyadh’s missile defense systems.
Biden did freeze a sale of precision-guided bombs to Riyadh that was approved by the Trump administration, which is the type of munitions the Saudis will likely seek if the restriction is lifted. Amnesty International said that the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen used a US-made precision-guided munition to bomb a migrant detention center in January. According to the Yemen Data Project, the strike killed at least 91 civilians.
The Reuters report said that the Saudis have been asking the US to lift the restriction on weapons sales. But so far, the discussions about expanding arms sales to the Saudis are in their early stages, and a US official said that there are currently no talks with the Saudis about the issue “at this time.”
The issue is likely to be discussed when Biden visits Saudi Arabia next week. One of his main objectives will be to get Riyadh to increase cooperation with Israel. Although full normalization isn’t expected, Saudi Arabia could take a step in that direction by allowing Israeli flights in its airspace or by quietly increasing military cooperation to counter Iran.
The US has rewarded other Arab nations for normalizing relations with Israel with major arms deals. The Trump administration approved a potential $23 billion weapons sale for the UAE that includes F-35s, drones, and missiles. Biden briefly paused the deal, but Secretary of State Antony Blinken said later that the administration intends to go through with the sale.
Next election I will be voting BIDEN OUT.
Donna, NOW is the time for a viable third-party candidate!
Any suggestions, Thomas?
The People’s Party, perhaps. http://www.peoplespartyofamerica.org/
Good article NoName. It certainly is indicative of how unfairly we are “represented”.
If I’m the Thomas you’re asking, I’m unaware of any “viable” third party candidates for the presidency and precious few for lower office.
After the Perot scare in 1992, the duopoly went into overtime to make it even more difficult for anyone not approved by the RNC and DNC to get within a hundred miles of the Oval Office.
Yup, the very same Thomas.
I voted for Perot and that “giant sucking sound” certainly came to pass, taking the wrecking ball to many American cities.
Hmmm, I was indeed hoping you’d have a suggestion or two 😟
I carried petitions for Perot and voted for him. That was before I became a libertarian.
I was a die-hard Democrat at the time, Thomas.
I guess I grew up.
The potential for backlash here seems tremendous…
Biden gives me cause/pause to wonder if he isn’t potentially loading the dice for conflict…
Never dance with the devil in the pale moonlight…
The US is fast becoming a disreputable arms dealer.
(What’s his buddy Israel gonna think of all this mischief?…)
Is this all to shakedown Iran?…
I’ll throw this in for good measure: ARMAGEDDON…
The great tribulation begins before Armageddon. When tribulation begins we will know it. At the moment we are in the beginning of sorrows which precedes the great tribulation.
Thank you Mardasee.
They have to sell the faulty F-35 to someone with money.
US is run by lobbyists from Israel, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine….
Best strategy against Saudi Arabia, is to normalize relations with Iran
but since Israel doesn’t approve, it ain’t gonna happen.
Don’t forget, it is good business, think about the profits the industry makes, and how much they will donate come the next election campaign.
“The administration also approved a $500 million arms sale to maintain Saudi helicopters, including Apache and Black Hawk attack helicopters”
Hard to call anything with “attack” as part of its name to be anything but “offensive”.
“Biden did freeze a sale of precision-guided bombs to Riyadh that was approved by the Trump administration, which is the type of munitions the Saudis will likely seek if the restriction is lifted. Amnesty International said that the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen used a US-made precision-guided munition to bomb a migrant detention center in January. According to the Yemen Data Project, the strike killed at least 91 civilians.”
Only 91? That is only slightly more than the 81 that were mass executed on a glorious day in the kingdom. But hey, if they play nice with Israel and pump a little more oil out of the ground uncle Joe will gladly get on those crinkly old knees and have at it.
Wars, everything ByeDone DOES is “offensive”.
There wasn’t any ban to begin with…!
The more likely construction of this “bargaining” would have the Yemen factor merely fronting for the real terms, viz., Riyadh has cut relations with Iran, enforce the blockade, and formally and actively ally with and accept Israeli leadership in the war against Iran.
This is terrible, I hope they open up the oil taps and a least really give us something in return for our humiliation.
Or, as Caitlin Johnstone noted, MbS should be ashamed to meet with ByeDone.