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Why Is Saudi Arabia Buying 15,000 U.S. Anti-Tank Missiles for a War It Will Never Fight?
(Foreign Policy) David Kenner - Saudi Arabia just put in a huge order for U.S.-made anti-tank missiles that has Saudi-watchers scratching their heads and wondering whether the deal is related to Riyadh's support for the Syrian rebels. The proposed weapons deal, which the Pentagon notified Congress of in early December, would provide Riyadh with more than 15,000 Raytheon anti-tank missiles at a cost of over $1 billion. Saudi Arabia's total stockpile this year amounted to slightly more than 4,000 anti-tank missiles. The Saudis can't send U.S. anti-tank missiles directly to the rebels - Washington has strict laws against that. Recipients of U.S. arms are not allowed to transfer weapons to a third party without explicit approval. What may be happening, analysts say, is that the Saudis are sending their stockpiles of anti-tank weapons bought from elsewhere to Syria and are purchasing U.S. missiles to replenish their own stockpiles. Riyadh also recently bought advanced fighter jets from the U.S. for a whopping $30 billion - but the Saudis' lack of pilots and ability to maintain them means that it's an open question how long they can keep them airborne, said William Hartung, the director of the Arms and Security Project at the Center for International Policy. "There was a [Washington] lobbyist who used to say, 'When you buy U.S. weapons, you're not just buying the weapon - you're buying a relationship with the United States,'" said Hartung. "I think that's kind of the concept."