US nears $100bn arms deal for Saudi Arabia in time for Trump's visit
NB: Those who thought a Trump administration would be an answer to Islamic terrorism should think again. The American economy and polity are now inextricably linked to perpetual war; and arms sales are a crucial mode of maintenance of US world hegemony. In September 2015, the Pope commented on this commerce in blood in a speech to American lawmakers. The latest arms deal is part of a long-standing commitment to the poisonous Kingdom of Saud. The U.S. is the largest arms
supplier in the world, with domestic manufacturers selling more than $23.7
billion in weapons in 2014 to nearly 100 different
countries. Under Obama weapons sales surged
to record levels, in large part due to huge shipments to Gulf States & Saudi Arabia. The sales to Saudi Arabia include cluster
bombs and other munitions being used to hit densely
populated areas, schools and even a camp for displaced people in
Yemen. And a healthy chunk of those arms sales, especially to Israel and
Egypt are heavily subsidized by the U.S. taxpayer. DS
The United States is
close to completing a series of arms deals for Saudi Arabia totaling
more than $100bn, a senior White House official said on Friday, a week ahead of
Donald Trump’s planned visit to Riyadh. The official, who
spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the arms package could end up
surpassing more than $300bn over a decade to help Saudi Arabia boost its
defensive capabilities while still maintaining US ally Israel’s qualitative
military edge over its neighbors.
“We are in the final stages of a series of
deals,” the official said. The package is being developed to coincide with
Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia. Trump leaves for the kingdom on 19 May, the
first stop on his maiden international trip. Reuters reported last
week that Washington was pushing through contracts for tens of billions of
dollars in arms sales to Saudi Arabia, some new, others already in the pipeline,
ahead of Trump’s visit.
Toward the end of the
Obama administration, the US was
preparing to halt some planned arms sales to Saudi Arabia over
concerns of high civilian death tolls in the kingdom’s bombing campaign in
Yemen. In December, Obama
administration officials were quoted as saying that the “systematic, endemic
problems in Saudi Arabia’s targeting drove the US decision to halt a future
weapons sale involving precision-guided munitions”. The United States has
been the main supplier for most Saudi military needs, from F-15 fighter jets to
command-and-control systems worth tens of billions of dollars in recent years.
Trump has vowed to stimulate the US economy by boosting manufacturing jobs. The package includes
American arms and maintenance, ships, air missile defense and maritime
security, the official said. “We’ll see a very substantial commitment ... In
many ways it is intended to build capabilities for the threats they face.”
The official added:
“It’s good for the American economy but it will also be good in terms of
building a capability that is appropriate for the challenges of the region.
Israel would still maintain an edge.”
While in Riyadh, the
official said Trump would attend three major events: a series of meeting with
Saudi officials, a separate session with leaders of the six-nation Gulf
Cooperation Council and a lunch with Arab and Muslim leaders, 56 of whom have
been invited, to discuss combating extremism and cracking down on illicit
financing.
Trump will discuss how
to counter the threat from Islamic State militants, the war in Yemen and
threats of ballistic missiles and maritime shipping in the Red Sea, the
official said. US navy commanders
have accused Iran of jeopardizing international navigation by “harassing”
warships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Gulf Arab states are optimistic
about Trump whom they see as a hawkish leader opposed to their adversary Iran. A major part of the
agenda with Gulf leaders will be the Syrian civil war amid calls for “de-escalation
zones” in Syria to provide a safe haven for Syrian refugees. Besides Saudi Arabia, Trump’s
first foreign trip will also include visits to Israel, the Vatican,
Brussels for a Nato summit and Sicily for a Group of Seven summit.
see also
Adam Johnson - NYT’s ‘North Korea Nuke Claim Spreads Unchecked by Media // Trump:
The Madder he Gets, the More Seriously the World Takes Him: Robert Fisk
Saudi Arabia Fixated on Iran When Sunni Extremists Are Real Threat
The great historian of early Islam - links to her outstanding essay on Mohammed
The religious persecution of Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd (1945-2010)/ Interview: My life fighting intolerance/ Mahmoud Mohammed Taha & the Second Message of Islam
Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd's Legacy (Library of writings)
Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd's Legacy (Library of writings)
Mahmoud Mohammed Taha was a Sudanese religious thinker and leader executed for apostasy at the age of 76 by the regime of Gaafar Nimeiry. (See his Court statement)
Jacques Camatte: The Wandering of Humanity
