Saudis Want Defense Pact, Newsweek Forgets Yemen
Newsweek's exposé on Saudi desires for a US defense pact makes it sound like a benign request, worthy of consideration. What they won't dwell on is the 2014 Saudi-led intervention in Yemen, still ongoing, where US-supplied weapons have fueled a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. The UN estimated 377,000 deaths by the end of 2021, overwhelmingly from indirect causes like starvation and lack of
medical care, directly linked to this conflict. Will this 'defense' pact extend to covering their genocidal misadventures? This isn't about 'regional stability;' it's about underwriting impunity. The US, which sold billions in arms to Saudi Arabia despite their Yemen campaign – including a $1.15 billion deal in 2016 – is now asked to formalize protection for a regime that exported extremism and
destabilized neighbors. How many wars does a patron have to fund before they get their membership card to the 'don't touch us' club? One might wonder how a 'defense' pact differs from simply continuing to arm and protect a monarchy accused of wide-ranging human rights abuses. Perhaps the next article will cover their 'humanitarian efforts.'