MBS Wants a 'Defense Deal,' Not Accountablity, From Trump
The Bloomberg piece frames MBS's 'big asks' to Donald Trump as standard international horse-trading. What it conveniently sidesteps is the uncomfortable reality that Saudi 'security' often involves brutal suppression at home and devastating wars abroad. MBS, whose personal involvement in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi (as concluded by the CIA and UN Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard) remains a
public stain, is now seeking a direct defense pact from the U.S. This isn't just about arming a nation; it's about legitimizing a ruler implicated in egregious human rights abuses, potentially in exchange for a 'normalization' deal with Israel that conveniently bypasses Palestinian self-determination. One might wonder if this so-called 'defense deal' includes immunity for past transgressions, or
if the U.S. will once again prioritize 'stability' over fundamental human rights. The U.S. has sold over $100 billion in arms to Saudi Arabia since 2011, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), which haven't exactly brought regional peace—unless 'peace' means relentless bombing campaigns in Yemen and the systematic crushing of dissent, all conveniently labeled as
'security concerns.'