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The U.S. is to remove its Patriot anti-missile systems from Saudi Arabia, the Wall Street Journal reported on May 7th.
According to the outlet, four Patriot batteries that are providing protection of ground assets of Saudi Arabian oil facilities are to be removed from the Kingdom.
Dozens of military personnel deployed along with the batteries will also be reassigned, according to unnamed officials.
Two squadrons of US fighter jets already left the region, and US officials are presumably also considering a reduction of US Navy presence in the Persian Gulf.
This could be a result of one of two things, or a cumulative result of both:
- The US is interested in reducing tensions with Iran, similarly to how tensions between the two sides in Iraq have been reduced in recent months. It could mean that the US has estimated that Iran’s capabilities in the region are weakened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It could also mean that the US has deemed it necessary to reduce its presence in order to reduce tensions and the risk of, even accidentally, causing a provocation that could have destructive consequences.
- Saudi Arabia began an crude oil price war with Russia, then, even when it was “resolved” by concluding a deal to reduce output, Riyadh continues flooding the market with discounted oil, and sending oil tankers to the US overloading its storage capacity and leading to an unseen crash of the oil market, with prices falling into the negative. Many US oil firms are facing bankruptcy, and US politicians from President Donald Trump on down are under pressure to help curtail imports from the kingdom. Reportedly, according to Reuters, Trump told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in early April that unless the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries started cutting oil production, he would be powerless to stop lawmakers from passing legislation to withdraw US troops from the kingdom.
Oil prices surged 11% on May 7th after Saudi Arabia announced that it would raise prices to boost the commodity’s recovery.
Additionally, the Patriot defense batteries were active when in September 2019, a drone attack damaged Saudi Aramco’s oil infrastructure, causing unclear damages.
As such, it is unclear that the Patriot batteries were actually effective at all, present or not.
A portion of the military hardware now being removed from Saudi Arabia was deployed last September following a series of attacks on Saudi oil facilities. At a news conference at the time announcing the move, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the move was needed to protect critical Saudi oil infrastructure, and called on other nations to condemn the attacks.
“The Iranian regime is waging a deliberate campaign to destabilize the Middle East and impose costs on the international economy,” Esper said.
Thus, if the reports are all true, either the threat has passed, or there’s another factor.
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As I said before, the Americunt losers are leaving the region and the stupid dumbass Americunt loser cunts are dying of their Pimpeovirus, official unemployment is over 30% and 180 million of the poverty stricken motherfuckers are suffering from malnutrition and they can’t fleece the Saudi shitheads of any more oil money, as the orange fat fuckwit gave such great advice to the retard MBS to engage in a OIL WAR with Russia and Iran, the most powerful nations, so now goodbye charlie brown, you cunts are on your own. Now face the Ansarallah and Iranians on your own ROFLMAO………..
Coronavirus has had a ‘potentially catastrophic’ impact on US hunger and malnutrition Americans already were suffering from the highest income disparity and food deficit among all OECD nations. Now… ‘Millions hang by a thread’: extreme global hunger compounded by Covid-19 … and over 35 million minority children are most vulnerable.
Gorbachev is the proven zionist pig,sold out debt free cccp for a few extra shekels and lushy
home overseas,now that my friend is the reason usa began to go real bad in debts post 1992!
True, in any other country the CIA controlled blotch headed devil marked cunt would have been hung. The bastard worked for the Jews and destroyed the USSR and still being protected.
i am sure at night you dream of jews under your bed
No money left, so US protection gone too.
This would be news if all America’s murdering mercenaries were pulled back home to the cesspit. The bankrupted US is in dire straights, the world’s highest Covid death rate, an unemployment rate soaring catastrophically out of control, 25% population malnourished, verging on starvation. The orange moron has been convinced that, as has happened previously, a war will sort it out, restore full employment making armaments, make America great again etc etc. I’ve news for him, annoy Iran too much and you’ll not like the consequences, poke the Dragon too many times and you’re past tense. The days for throwing your weight around are gone, finished. Accept the facts, concentrate on rebuilding your crumbling excuse for a country !
Fair comment,I doubt anyone with even half an adult brain ought to disagree!
unable to down a child’s kite they may be redeployed in the Persian gulf where flying Iranian fast boats threaten US destroyers
US is deceitful and can not be trusted, however, its economy is in ruins and Saudis can not pay extortion funds anymore.
It’s not like they work anaway ;}
Good point, that could be the real reason to save embarrassment that the tin cans don’t work and have 100% failure rate.
You think they’re moving them to Iraq as we speak?
Fk sauds,fk opec,fk the petrofolla,whole world can operate far better independant of kissingers shills!
‘ It could mean that the US has estimated that Iran’s capabilities in the region are weakened due to the COVID-19 pandemic’
Yeah, it could, if we were in another dimension, but as we are in this one, I doubt it. If Iran was weakened the US would press it’s advantage by killing a weak opposition such as Iraq, Libya, Panama, Granada, etc. etc. The only ones more afraid to get hurt by someone actually able to defend themselves are the Israelis.
The US has four Patriot batteries in Saudi Arabia. Only two are being removed (due for maintenance), and they will be replaced by redeploying two of Saudi’s recently returned (refurbed) Patriot batteries. The other two coming back are from somewhere else in the Middle East, not Saudi Arabia. The two remaining US Patriot batteries in Saudi Arabia have been and will stay at the revived Prince Sultan Air Base – southeast of Riyadh. The Saudis have plenty of their own Patriots – they don’t (and never did) need any additional US ones.
So while it looks like the US might be getting tough with Saudi Arabia over oil prices (or the ‘Iranian threat’ has diminished) and ‘losing’ two Patriot batteries, the fact is that the Saudis have recently gained a rapidly-expanding major US air base – one we fled back in 2003 and relocated to al Udeid in Doha, Qatar. Something about regular Saudis hating any US infidel presence on their soil.
In addition to the billions that air base is/will cost US taxpayers, we are also paying for a new, US owned and operated THAAD system to protect the Wahhabi hordes and their al Saud masters. The re-occupied Prince Sultan AB already has close to 3,000 U.S. soldiers and airmen, and an F-15 wing AFIK. The 10,000 troop strong US Al Udeid Air Base is not shutting down with the revival of Prince Sultan AB. In fact, Qatar just sunk another $1.6 billion to upgrade and expand it – to encourage the continuing presence of CENTCOM thuggery.
Since I pay for all of this, I wish we were just yanking Patriots out and abandoning Saudi Arabia. This is all just PR bullshit, though. The Pentagon is throwing more free money at Saudi Arabia than ever.