Sunday, September 30, 2018

Why are we subsidizing Saudi Arabia's military?

President Trump made it clear Saturday that the United States wants Saudi Arabia to step up its military spending.

Trump, who spoke with Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud this morning, said the U.S. needs to stop subsidizing the Middle Eastern country's military.

"Why are we subsidizing the military? It's one thing if a country is in deep trouble and in danger," he said during a campaign rally Saturday night in Wheeling, W.Va.

Saudi Arabia, he said, can pay its own military bills, especially in the face of a trade deficit: "I said 'Saudi Arabia, you are rich, you have got to pay for your military. You have got to pay for your military, sorry.'".

According to World Bank data, Saudi Arabia has one of the highest rates of spending on its military in the world, at 10.3 percent of GDP in 2017.

The group did not heed his call last week to lower oil prices by upping oil production, and this week, the U.S. likely surpassed Russia and Saudi Arabia to become the world's largest producer of crude oil, according to U.S. government figures.

Saudi Arabia-based Arab News reported Trump and the king discussed regional development and the oil market in the morning's call.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/trump-why-are-we-subsidizing-saudi-arabias-military

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