Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates used US-manufactured weapons as a form of currency to buy the loyalties of militias or tribes

pauldun170

Diamond Member
Sep 26, 2011
9,133
5,072
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Hodeidah, Yemen (CNN) – Saudi Arabia and its coalition partners have transferred American-made weapons to al Qaeda-linked fighters, hardline Salafi militias, and other factions waging war in Yemen, in violation of their agreements with the United States, a CNN investigation has found.


The weapons have also made their way into the hands of Iranian-backed rebels battling the coalition for control of the country, exposing some of America's sensitive military technology to Tehran and potentially endangering the lives of US troops in other conflict zones.


Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, its main partner in the war, have used the US-manufactured weapons as a form of currency to buy the loyalties of militias or tribes, bolster chosen armed actors, and influence the complex political landscape, according to local commanders on the ground and analysts who spoke to CNN.
https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2019/02/middleeast/yemen-lost-us-arms/

So based on US logic, the United States is a provocative supporter of Iranian backed Yemeni rebels and therefore the US should be added to the US terror list.
Using the US standard blind taste test, the case is this. the US, working through a country that supports terrorism (see 9/11) is funneling weapons to Iranian backed naughty people in some civil war.
 
Jan 25, 2011
16,586
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Nothing like seeing Al-Qaeda rolling around in MRAPs And using TOW missiles. So this is why we had to ensure we kept selling arms to the Saudi's... so they could outfit opposition forces in Yemen?
 

IronWing

No Lifer
Jul 20, 2001
68,847
26,621
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Makes sense that when Trump rehired Bush' Bozos that they would bring their playbook with them. Recall that at one point, the US was arming all factions in the Iraq civil war.
 

UNCjigga

Lifer
Dec 12, 2000
24,800
9,002
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The international arms trade has always been a sleazy business, but this is a new low.

Isn’t this why we’re supposed to have a crap ton of regulation around sales of military technology? Why did we ever think we’d be ok with a revolving door between military, military-industrial complex, lobbyists and Congress?
 
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woolfe9998

Lifer
Apr 8, 2013
16,188
14,090
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Just read that article myself. They're selling our weapons in open air markets in certain cities. They're all over the middle east. We have been shipping these weapons to the Saudis since the 80's. I was opposed to it all the way back then when Reagan sold them AWAC's. We need to stop exporting our weapons to these a-holes.
 
Mar 11, 2004
23,030
5,494
146
The international arms trade has always been a sleazy business, but this is a new low.

Isn’t this why we’re supposed to have a crap ton of regulation around sales of military technology? Why did we ever think we’d be ok with a revolving door between military, military-industrial complex, lobbyists and Congress?

But money, and guns!
 

hal2kilo

Lifer
Feb 24, 2009
23,326
10,230
136
Makes sense that when Trump rehired Bush' Bozos that they would bring their playbook with them. Recall that at one point, the US was arming all factions in the Iraq civil war.
It's all about arms sales.