According to Pentagon officials, the US has begun negotiations with Saudi Arabia on the question of cost-sharing for the ever-growing US military presence in the Saudi kingdom. Talks began with the arrival of US radar and air defense systems.
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley met with the Saudi crown prince this week and brought up this matter. Milley was presenting the US presence as aimed squarely at Iran, and deterring Iran from attacking the Saudis.
Gen. Milley also intended to give the impression that this was not a short-term mission, either, saying the US wants to maintain this presence in the region as part of America’s overall regional footprint.
The US commitment of thousands of troops, warplanes and missiles into Saudi Arabia is potentially an expensive proposition, and the administration has been keen in those cases to push for the host country to help defray the costs. It is not clear how much the presence is costing the US so far, and it is unclear how much the US is seeking from the Saudis.
All of this talk of long-term presence and cost-sharing is also likely to portend yet more US deployments into Saudi Arabia, as the administration continues to talk up Iranian “threats” and the need for a US presence in the area.
An important part of the negotiations is that the Saudis don’t have to money to pay for it.
I found Isa Blumi’s book on Yemen and interviews with ‘Around the Empire’ very educational in that respect and I recommend them.
“Cost sharing” seems to be the main issue in the MAGA game plan. Never mind about never ending quagmires if we can shake down some protection money while being mired in another one.
It seems these recent deployments are in response to the U.S.’s abject failure defending against those Houthi drone/missile attacks on Saudi oilfields. Saudi Arabia probably has angrily questioned U.S. commitment to their defense. I expect “cost sharing” will be off the table at least for a time. The “Iran threat” at least allows American officials a plausible explanation to their electorate/donors. Recall Saudi Arabia still has the option to sell oil in other than petrodollars if their defense requirements aren’t being met.
All these footprints at taxpayers’ cost. Whoever voted for this?
The US has to have oil. It’s either Iran or Venezuela. They are the only ones with big enough reserves to justify the sh!t show that it will take to grab them. Iran is first, because it is hardest and will drain the most of the adversaries resources. Unfortunate part of this thinking is that the US will not win against Rus-Chi-Ran in the long run. Initially yes, but they’ll have to wipe out half the indigenous population to take it and the other half will become insurgents that eventually kill every foreigner that shows up. Better turn all your boys into trannyies so the army won’t take them. Our guys will glow in the dark before this one is done. Uh-rah!