Trump's $110 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia was all smoke and mirrors, defense expert argues
The centerpiece of President Trump's friendly trip to Saudi Arabia was the signing of arms deals purportedly worth $110 billion now and up to $350 billion over 10 years. On Monday, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency reported that the State Department had signed off on a chunk of that deal, $1.4 billion worth of "possible" military sales to the Saudis — $662 million for radar systems, ammunition, trucks, and technical support, and $750 million for military training programs. The key word is "possible," argues Bruce Riedel, a veteran former CIA officer and current senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. For the most part, "there is no deal. It's fake news." Riedel explains:
Moreover, Riedel adds, even if the Saudis agreed to buy $110 billion worth of weapons, they couldn't pay for them, given the low oil prices. The Saudis are struggling to make payments on a huge 2012 deal negotiated by then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates, he said, and that only went through because the Obama administration also signed a big deal with Israel. Saudi Arabia will buy billions worth of munitions, because "the Royal Saudi Air Force needs more munitions to continue the air bombardment of the Arab world's poorest country," Yemen, Riedel says, but "you will know the Trump deal is real when Israel begins to ask for a package to keep the Israeli Defense Forces' qualitative edge preserved."
Riedel isn't the only skeptic of the new Saudi arms package, though clearly all parties involved believe talking it up is good for business. You can read his entire argument at the Brookings Institution.
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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