Saudi Arabia killing of innocent civilians in Yemen? Saudi Arabia killing journalist Jamal Khashoggi? Saudi Arabia harboring terrorists ready to attack America? Saudi Arabia backing the Sunnis in the War in Iraq costing thousands of American soldiers lives? Doesn't bother Trump, so long as American weapons manufacturers keep making billions selling weapons to Saudi Arabia and supporting the petrol dollar. http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-fg-saudi-us-khashoggi-20181011-story.html President Trump on Thursday flatly opposed halting U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia in response to a diplomatic furor over a journalist who disappeared after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, saying a cutoff would only invite China and Russia to sell weapons to the Saudis instead. Trump’s foreign policy in the Middle East relies heavily on close military ties with Saudi Arabia, and the growing global attention to the plight of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi-born U.S. resident and a prominent critic of the Saudi royal family, threatens to disrupt the administration’s regional aims. Saudi Arabia has vehemently denied Turkish reports that a 15-member security team killed Khashoggi inside the consulate in Istanbul and then flew his dismembered body out of the country. The Washington Post reported that U.S. intelligence intercepts indicate the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, personally approved an operation to lure Khashoggi from his home in Virginia to detain him. Saudi officials have insisted that Khashoggi left the consulate shortly after he arrived last week but has offered no evidence. He does not appear leaving the diplomatic office in any of the surveillance video released so far. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump expressed concern about Khashoggi’s disappearance, but he refused to distance himself from his closest ally in the Arab world.... “That would not be acceptable to me,” Trump replied after reporters asked whether he would halt arms sales if the government in Riyadh were implicated in killing or kidnapping Khashoggi. “What happened is a terrible thing, assuming that happened,” the president said. Trump said Khashoggi’s status as a U.S. resident, and not a U.S. citizen, weighed against suspending arms sales that have been lucrative for the American defense industry. "This took place in Turkey, and to the best of our knowledge Khashoggi is not a U.S. citizen,” he said. “As to whether we should stop $110 billion from being spent in this country — that would not be acceptable to me." Trump was given a sumptuous welcome in Riyadh in May 2017, his first stop on his first foreign trip as president last year, and his administration has worked closely with the crown prince in efforts to support Israel and to isolate Iran, Saudi Arabia’s traditional rival, as part of a still-unrealized Middle East realignment.
Agreed. But at least both parties are calling out Saudi Arabia on this issue and the President is showing his usual psychopathic tendencies. Money above all else.
This should definitely be the final nail in the coffin right? Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
I guess just like every other dirtfuck of a president getting the pass from his groupies about the same exact scenario? This is nothing new or surprising but since it’s trump everyone has to have a virtue signaling melt down. Hilarious. Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
While I don't disagree about other presidents getting a pass on that too, I'd say none in the past had anywhere near the obvious idolizing of kings and dictators alike as Trump does.
What about it? And where did I mention it? Are you winning the hypothetical argument you’re having in your head? Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
I was working with a guy straight out of the air force and he would always tease me with his "arms industry" theory's but then he would tell me a lot of the stuff was classified so he couldn't tell me hahaha. he thinks trump is wanting to bring the us to ww3 I don't know about the rest of yall but everything in the news is negative and has no positive inpact on me so I stopped paying attention to anything trump. whats the point? just going to make me sad, depress and upset with the way the country is going I would say this though, wouldn't you rather be friends with everyone and live a life of not having to worry about the threat of attack? we arnt going to be friends with everyone, someone is going to hate, but whats wrong with trump loving another nation? whats wrong with him loving anyone? Obama loved iran when he gave them that money and nuke building deal. why cant trump love Saudi arabia?
Is nobody aware of the fact that Turkey, a NATO ally, has been jailing, torturing, and killing journalists by the hundreds/thousands? Even teachers, elected members of government, etc.
This is nothing new. Successive US governments have been supporters of Wahhabism, the most extreme form of Islam there is. Obama, Bush, Clinton, etc all sucked Saudi cock as well. The Saudis were responsible for 9/11. They planned it (Benny Laden) and they carried it out (15 of the hijackers were Saudis) but still they're BFF's. It's a farce.
SmokinP nailed it. Nothing new here, president after president continually supports the Saudis. I doubt anything will change regarding this anytime soon either. Trump's primary opponents rather spend their time trying to dig up sex scandals and criticize what Melania wore to Africa rather then point out purposeful stuff. Non-interventionism is a core principle, and society will not progress until we adopt it. Sadly, we've seen what happens when the occasional brave politician brings up the topic of non-interventionism. They normally get called antisemitic, case in point with Ron Paul.
It sounds like the Saudis killed one of their own. Why is it America's business? They didn't do it in our country. Should we have cut ties with France when they bombed Greanpeace's ship and killed a photographer? If Obama was still president this wouldn't even be an issue.
You realize the UK and SA are trading parteners? Aren't you from the UK? The UK does more trade with the Saudis than anyone else in the region. Are you ready to criticize your own government and stop trade with the Saudis or is it just America's trade with SA that matters to you? I agree with your statement that when business is good the US is your friend. I'd add that if the US is your friend and you need and ask for help you're going to get help. I think that applies to your country too. Saudi-UK Trade Relations - Saudi British Joint Business Council