Pentagon Clears F-35s for Saudis, Israel's Edge TBD
Al-Monitor, citing Reuters, details the Trump administration's deliberation on a potential multi-billion-dollar F-35 sale to Saudi Arabia, noting its passage through a 'key Pentagon hurdle.' This comes after years of Riyadh's devastating air campaign in Yemen—a campaign fueled by previous US arms sales that largely escaped mainstream scrutiny, save for a few footnotes about 'humanitarian
concerns.' The sale of advanced offensive weaponry to a regime with such a demonstrable track record raises immediate red flags, flags apparently only visible when they potentially impact a particular regional ally. The idea of 'maintaining Israel's qualitative military edge' becomes a rather flexible talking point, doesn't it? One might wonder how many 'key Pentagon hurdles' have been cleared
when it comes to arming regimes known for using those very arms on civilians in Yemen. The message seems clear: US allies, no matter their human rights record, are eligible for top-tier weaponry the moment a check clears, with 'concerns about regional stability' mostly reserved for when it's politically convenient to express them. (Remember the last time this kind of 'edge' was discussed after
Israel received another $3.8 billion package?)