Trump Seals Arms Deal with Saudis Worth $350bn, $110bn to Take Effect Immediately

In his first overseas trip as president, US President Donald Trump sealed an arms deal with Saudi Arabia worth $350 billion over 10 years, with nearly $110 billion to take effect immediately. The agreement is said to bolster what both sides called “security in the face of Iranian threats,” RT reported.

The “intended sales” include deals in five categories that include border and coastal security, cybersecurity, air force modernization, as well as air and missile defense, the US State Department announced in a statement on Saturday.

 Tanks, artillery, helicopters, light close air support, intelligence-gathering aircraft, and systems such as Patriot and THAAD are just a few among a large list of weapons and machinery to be sold to Riyadh.

 “Offers of extensive training” are also included in the package.

Saudi-Led ‘Arab NATO’ ‘Will Destabilize Mideast, Unleash Massive War in Region’

Trump also plans to lay out his vision for what White House officials call an “Arab NATO”

Commenting on the issue, political scientist Veronika Krasheninnikova warned that if the US goes ahead with plans for a Saudi-led ‘Arab NATO’, it would destabilize the Middle East and lead to war, according to Sputnik.

To be led by Saudi Arabia, the alliance’s core members will include the UAE, Egypt and Jordan, with up to 41 countries participating (i.e. double the number of actual Arab states). Under this scheme, the US would take the role of organizer and provide support, but would not be a formal member. This ‘Arab NATO’ would also cooperate and exchange information with “Israel”.

Krasheninnikova explained that “like the North Atlantic Alliance, the ‘Arab NATO’ alliance would receive a charter and a permanent military contingent, which, if necessary, can be replenished from the armed forces of its member states, as well as by mercenaries. The alliance will be governed by a council consisting of the defense ministers of member states, with a rotating chairmanship.”

The seriousness of Washington’s commitment to the creation of this new alliance is confirmed by the massive arms contracts signed between the US and Saudi Arabia during Trump’s visit.

With this gesture, Trump is removing all military restrictions placed on the Saudis” by the previous administration, including over Saudi Arabia’s ongoing war in Yemen, said Krasheninnikova.

H.M