US nears $100bn arms deal for Saudi Arabia in time for Trump's visit

[nitpicker]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/12/us-saudi-arabia-arms-deal-donald-trump-visit

US nears $100bn arms deal for Saudi Arabia in time for Trump's visit
Saturday 13 May 2017 01.37 BST

The United States is close to completing a series of arms deals for Saudi Arabia totaling more than $100bn, a senior White House official said on Friday, a week ahead of Donald Trump’s planned visit to Riyadh. The official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the arms package could end up surpassing more than $300bn over a decade to help Saudi Arabia boost its defensive capabilities while still maintaining US ally Israel’s qualitative military edge over its neighbors. “We are in the final stages of a series of deals,” the official said. The package is being developed to coincide with Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia. Trump leaves for the kingdom on 19 May, the first stop on his maiden international trip.

Reuters reported last week that Washington was pushing through contracts for tens of billions of dollars in arms sales to Saudi Arabia, some new, others already in the pipeline, ahead of Trump’s visit.
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The United States has been the main supplier for most Saudi military needs, from F-15 fighter jets to command-and-control systems worth tens of billions of dollars in recent years. Trump has vowed to stimulate the US economy by boosting manufacturing jobs. The package includes American arms and maintenance, ships, air missile defense and maritime security, the official said. “We’ll see a very substantial commitment ... In many ways it is intended to build capabilities for the threats they face.”
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Besides Saudi Arabia, Trump’s first foreign trip will also include visits to Israel, the Vatican, Brussels for a Nato summit and Sicily for a Group of Seven summit.

[Jno_Gilmor_]

1. Sickening...There is no way this will go wrong ☹☹☹

[Tanuki]

2. Masters of War

https://m.