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> The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) relies on the US to buy oil and act as military mercenaries when threatened by local countries. Also, the other side of thi
by danans 7y ago
> The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) relies on the US to buy oil and act as military mercenaries when threatened by local countries.
Also, the other side of this is that KSA buys mountains of US and British made weapons, and sometimes "delivers" them to places like Yemen, but they are mostly to protect the ruling family against their own people.
- def8cefe 7y agoThey buy LAVs from General Dynamics in Canada as well. Not sure why the government has allowed it to continue.
- danans 7y agoConnections in high places, and jobs at risk on the ground. For example, in the UK, during the depths of the last recession, a major investigation into secret payments by British Aerospace to parties in the middle east was shuttered by the government after threats by KSA to cancel contracts. A high court later ruled that stopping the investigation was illegal, but within 2 weeks the House of Lords (who are not popularly elected) overturned the courts ruling in a unanimous vote based on the "public interest". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Yamamah_arms_deal#Serious_Fraud_Office_investigation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Yamamah_arms_deal#Serious_F...