"The full details of the defense arrangement, which comes alongside a commitment to sell F-35s and other advanced technology, were not disclosed. But the tone of the document and the related agreements made it clear that the Trump administration has taken a giant step forward toward a formal commitment to defend the Saudi regime in a crisis, militarily if necessary."
"Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, immediately raised concerns about the strategic agreement: "President Trump's reported offer of a US security commitment to Saudi Arabia without the Senate's advice and consent is very troubling. Committing US troops to defend another country is one of the most important decisions we can make as a nation.... Bypassing Congress on commitments of this scale sets a dangerous precedent.""
"It is particularly ill-advised for the United States to make the kind of commitment described by Senator Shaheen to a government run by Mohammed bin Salman. From his role in directing the murder of US-resident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi to his brutal war in Yemen, which left nearly 400,000 people dead, he has shown himself to be a repressive, erratic leader who cannot and should not be relied on as a security partner."
The strategic defense agreement commits the United States to a formal security guarantee for Saudi Arabia and includes planned sales of F-35s and other advanced technology. Reported details indicate a readiness to defend the Saudi regime militarily in a crisis. The reported offer bypassed congressional advice and consent, which would set a dangerous precedent for committing US troops without Senate approval. Saudi de facto leader Mohammed bin Salman has directed the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, led a brutal war in Yemen with nearly 400,000 deaths, enforced blockades and increased executions, undermining his reliability as a security partner and amplifying strategic and moral risks.
#us-saudi-relations #defense-agreement #mohammed-bin-salman #human-rights-abuses #congressional-oversight
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