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06-09-2017, 04:07 AM
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US defence expert says $110 bn deal with S Arabia is fake
WASHINGTON: The Trump administration's much touted arms deal with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been challenged and termed as bogus by a k**wn defence expert and a former intelligence official.
"It's a fake news," wrote Bruce Reidel, Director of the Brookings Intelligence Project. "There is ** 0 billion deal. Instead, there are a bunch of letters of interest or intent, but **t contracts." Reidel has served at the Central Intelligence Agency and later as senior adviser on South Asia and the Middle East to the last four presidents of the United States. In an article posted this week, he clarified about the deal saying that "many are offers that the defence industry thinks the Saudis will be interested in someday". He maintained that it's unlikely that the Saudis could pay for a 0 billion deal any longer, due to low oil prices and the two-plus years old war in Yemen. "President Obama sold the Kingdom $112 billion in ******* over eight years, most of which was a single, huge deal in 2012 negotiated by then-secretary Bob Gates. To get that deal through Congressional approval, Gates also negotiated a deal with Israel to compensate the Israelis and preserve their qualitative edge over their Arab neighbours. with the fall in oil prices, the Saudis have struggled to meet their payments since," he wrote. It should be **ted that such Foreign Military Sales are coordinated by the defence Security Cooperation Agency, which has put up a factsheet on the US Saudi package. Interestingly, it also outlines that a major portion of the Saudi deal was actually approved by the Obama administration. The Saudi purchase of combat ships, battle tanks, missiles, ammunition and Chi**ok cargo helicopters were signed off years ago. The fact-sheet says the sales package will be conveyed via Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Letters of Offer and Acceptance (LOA). "Potential future defence capabilities are detailed in a memorandum of intent to support Saudi Arabia's defence needs." It also identifies intended sales into five categories including border security and counterterrorism, maritime and coastal security, air force modernisation, air and missile defence, and cyber security and communications upgrades. Included are offers of extensive training and support to strengthen partnership. "This is old news repackaged," Riedel wrote, adding, "What the Saudis and the administration did is put together a **tional package of the Saudi wish list of possible deals and portray that as a deal." Meanwhile, members of the Senate have already introduced a joint resolution relating to the disapproval of the proposed export to Saudi Arabia of certain defence articles. The ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Ben Cardin also an**unced to disapprove the ******* sale to Saudi Arabia. He said, "The administration’s decision to proceed with the sale of precision-guided munitions, absent leadership to push all parties towards a political process for negotiated settlement, including Saudi Arabia, sends the absolutely wrong signal to our partners and our adversaries. I will therefore vote for the resolution of disapproval." أكثر... ??????? ??????: US defence expert says $110 bn deal with S Arabia is fake || ??????: ahlam1399 || ??????: اسم منتداك
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