Tag Archives: Saudi Arabia
25 March 2013
The New York Times reports that in recent months, with help from the C.I.A., Arab governments and Turkey have sharply increased their military aid to Syria’s opposition fighters. The airlift has grown to include more than 160 military cargo flights by Jordanian, Qatari and Saudi cargo planes landing at Esenboga airport near Ankara, and at other Jordanian and Turkish airports. American intelligence officers helped the Arab governments shop for weapons, and vetted groups and rebel commanders to determine who should receive the weapons when they arrive.
Source: The New York Times | Arms Airlift to Syria Rebels Expands, With C.I.A. Aid
28 February 2013
The New York Times reports that Saudi Arabia financed a large purchase of infantry weapons from Croatia, which were secretly moved through Jordan to antigovernment fighters in Syria, according to United States (US) and Western officials familiar with the purchases. It is suggested by a Croatian newspaper that the US were possibly the intermediary.
The weapons supposedly included ammunition and ‘thousands of rifles and hundreds of machine guns’. Swiss-made hand grenades (that were provided to the United Arab Emirates) and Ukrainian-made rifle cartridges (that were purchased by Saudi Arabia) have also been found in the possession of rebels in Syria.
Source: The New York Times | Saudis Step Up Help for Rebels in Syria With Croatian Arms
26 February 2013
While the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has signed defence contracts worth $1.4 billion Dollar, including one for unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) from the United States (US) firm General Atomics, the US blocked attempts by the UAE to buy armed drones.
Diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks indicate that the UAE and Saudi Arabia are among several countries, asking US officials to buy armed drones but which have been rebuffed. The US says that it is committed to an international agreement designed to limit the spread of long-range precision weaponry, which restricts drone exports.
Source: Aljazeera | UAE signs $1.4bn in defence contracts
11 February 2013
A New York Times report reveals that the United States (US) carries out strikes in Yemen from a drone base in Saudi Arabia since 2011. Military strikes are carried out with the consent of the government of Yemen, but the CIA can carry out a drone strike without the permission of the government of Yemen. The CIA has been given the mission of killing leaders of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, who the Obama administration have determined to pose a direct threat to the US.
The fact that the Joint Special Operations Command must get Yemen’s government’s approval before launching a drone strike is said to be in place, because the military’s drone campaign is closely tied to counterterrorism operations that are conducted by Yemeni special operations troops.
Source: The New York Times | Drone Strikes’ Risks to Get Rare Moment in the Public Eye