Saudi Help in Package Plot Is Part of Security Shift
Interesting article on the role of Saudi Arabia and counterterrorism intelligence gathering. The article suggests that Saudi Arabia is playing a much larger role in monitoring terrorist threats in the region. It’s also worth noting that the U.S. is nearing a $60 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia, and has closed a $2 billion arms sale with India.
It’s not much of a surprise both of these countries are in direct conflict with their neighbors, Yemen for the Saudis and Pakistan for the Indians. Both of these conflicts have a history of armed conflict and are essential to the U.S. efforts in the region today. Yemen is the new base of AQAP and approaching the status of a failed state, which could bring a whole new level of turmoil to the region. Pakistan is growing increasingly volatile to Islamism and the Taliban. The inextricable link between Pakistan and Afghanistan in addition to its possession of nuclear weapons will help determine the fate for American war efforts.
Anyways, this might be a sign of things to come in the Middle East. The U.S. is still depending on stability in the Middle East, but must curtail its expensive military intervention. Huge weapons sales and developing intelligence and security alliances might just be the low-key but influential foreign policy the U.S. needs.