Pentagon Clears F-35s for Saudi Arabia, Civilians Not Consulted
While mainstream outlets like The New Arab report on Saudi Arabia's F-35 request clearing a 'Pentagon hurdle'—a diplomatic phrase for 'money changed hands, paperwork shuffled'—they conveniently gloss over what those jets actually do. These aren't peace doves; they're precision instruments of destruction, the kind that were raining down on Yemenis for years, courtesy of previous U.S. arms deals.
The U.S. has a long, storied history of arming autocratic regimes, then feigning surprise when those regimes use the weapons as, well, weapons. This isn't about 'regional security' for anyone but defense contractors and the politicians they fund. Critics might argue this sale, following the Biden administration's initial 'pause' on offensive arms sales to Saudi Arabia for its Yemen campaign,
highlights a selective memory problem the size of an F-35. One might wonder, how many more 'hurdles' must innocent civilians clear before someone prioritizes their lives over Lockheed Martin's stock price?