Brookings: The $110 Billion Arms Deal to Saudi Arabia Is Fake News

During Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia in May, he announced a $110 billion arms deal, a claim reported by YaleGlobal and other media. “Only problem is that there is no deal,” writes author Bruce Riedel. “So far nothing has been notified to the Senate for review. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the arms sales wing of the Pentagon, calls them ‘intended sales.’ None of the deals identified so far are new, all began in the Obama administration…. What the Saudis and the administration did is put together a notional package of the Saudi wish list of possible deals and portray that as a deal.” The Saudis have expressed interest in frigates and the Terminal High-Altitude Air Defense system, but no purchases have been finalized. Low oil prices may prevent such deals, too, and Riedel suggests that the Saudis struggle to meet payments on a 2012 rams sale. The country will pursue more munition purchases for its war against neighboring Yemen. Riedel concludes that a Muslim coalition against terror may also have been exaggerated. The region does not need more weapons, but the Arab summit in May may have exacerbated regional tensions. – YaleGlobal