Anger at the Saudi government’s murder of Jamal Khashoggi had many in
the US Congress saying that they intend to limit arms sales to the
kingdom. The Trump Administration appears to be ignoring that, however,
and continuing with Saudi arms deals.
The State Department has notified Congress that Saudi Arabia will be
receiving major upgrades to their Patriot PAC-3 missile defense systems,
including an improved guidance system. The upgrades are expected to be worth $195 million.
The State Department says that the approval is in keeping with President
Trump’s announcement that the US will remain a “steadfast partner” to
the Saudis irrespective of what happened to Khashoggi.
This has been the president’s position, and his supporters are citing
missile fire from neighboring Yemen. Whether Congress will react to this
remains to be seen, but the administration seems to be betting they
won’t.
It’s possible, with a defensive missile system, that Congress will defer
the conflict over arms sales to the Saudis for something bigger and
more offensive-minded. Many senators have promised to hold up future
deals.
Saudis could not wait for something like that to happen. Just dieny them weapons.
And they will start shopping elsewhere. Have their wish lists already. Just sniffing around Russian opportunities. Close allies, Bahrein and UAE — are all agog with the prospect of using the new, largest Russian special ops training polygon in Chechnya. Chechnya’s president Kadyrov is a frequent guest in Gulf, being hosted by princes kf the Gulf world. He is right up their alley. Strong leader, Moslem, intelligent, charismatic— with excellent English language skills, and experienced with fighting his own Islamic cults. Chechen fighters went to Syria as military police. But now, Chechnya also has its own private security company, and business is in sight throughout Gulf.
MbS has met Kadyrkv twice just last year, it will not be unusual for training contracts to evolve into some weapons shopping.
Governments’ foreign policy is determined by national interest – Realpolitik. But the shortcomings of such policies are ignored. Power (manifested as interest) has been present in every conflict of the past – no exception. It is the underlying motivation for war. Other cultural factors might change, but not power. Interest cuts across all apparently unifying principles: family, kin, nation, religion, ideology, politics – everything. We unite with the enemies of our principles, because that is what serves our interest. It is power, not any of the above concepts, that is the cause of war.
The pattern of history is clear: every civilization/nation eventually gets the war it is trying to avoid: utter defeat. Leaders and decision-makers delude themselves, thinking they can avoid their fate.
https://www.ghostsofhistory.wordpress.com/
I guess the neocons don’t have a problem with this. Or should we believe that they are making Trump do this also? Peace president my ass.
Defense and offense are sides of the same thing… the Saudis won’t need missile defense if they stop attacking their neighbors, but that seems unlikely. Give them enough hammers, and they’ll find heads to whack. Let’s urge Congress to say NO.
“Anger at the Saudi government’s murder of Jamal Khashoggi had many in the US Congress saying that they intend to limit arms sales to the kingdom”
That’s pretty much saying all the poor folks dying in Yemen due to violence and sanctions are basically irrelevant.
Thanks capitalism ! The poor have been commoditized and now their deaths are a mere by-product of the sausage making process.
What the empire projects outward in foreign policy, soon gets projected inwards as domestic policy.
The US sells seriously high tech stuff the Saudis probably couldn’t learn to use, because they’ve got the petro-dollars to pay for it. That’s standard.
It isn’t even a problem, since it can’t kill any of the people the Saudis are abusing.
Yeah, but it’s a fake outrage; everybody’s just looking for leverage. Obama killed US citizens abroad without due process and without any consequences. The Saudis can definitely do the same to theirs.