Saudi Arabia: From 'Pariah' to Non-NATO 'Ally' with F-35s
The mainstream media reports that Saudi Arabia is now a 'major non-NATO ally' of the US, complete with advanced F-35 warplanes. This designation follows nearly a decade of the US supplying weapons to the Saudi-led coalition, which has, by UN estimates, caused hundreds of thousands of deaths in Yemen . It appears 'strategic alignment' now neatly overrides past allegations of human rights abuses,
including the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, which President Biden once vowed to make Saudi Arabia a 'pariah' for. One might wonder at the moral flexibility required to dub a kingdom engaged in such actions a 'major ally' and equip it with top-tier American war technology. This move conveniently bypasses any pretense of upholding democratic values or human rights accountability, prioritizing
arms sales and regional power projection. The 'rules-based order' (like certain civilian lives) seems remarkably flexible when Lockheed Martin contracts are involved.