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Sweden to end defense agreement with Saudi Arabia

ah who cares :lol:

they'll buy it from US instead .

Oil money man , oil money :lol:

You do realize that the non-oil/gas sector of the Saudi Arabian economy is half the size of the entire Iranian economy? You do realize that Iran has a lot to thank its oil and gas money for as well?

What a highly intelligent and interesting post. A real source for constructive debate!

Apparently you care enough to comment!
 
A beer cost about $4 million in Sweden so its just a drop in the water to them.
 
That SAAB sitting around will be pretty useless after this.
 
At the end of the day Swedish exports to Saudi Arabia constitutes less than 1 % (and less than half of that 1 % are defence-related products) of Sweden's total export, so the cancel of this defence pact will not affect anything.

@SvenSvensonov
It isn't not defence, since arms sales didn't pass over the $500M threshold. It is beyond that. Sweden is taking it as a Saudi rebuff for having opposed the Swedish diplomat to address the Arab mole league on human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia, and an affront by the same league to go along with the Sauds, after they , and are they recognized the Palestinian State, despite pressure from EU and the States. That is the Arabs for you...always in a bend over position with their abaya above their waist...
 
@haman10 @ResurgentIran

Before it was Germany. It is part of a strategic shift that the West is preparing for, in the region. Saudis have failed to produce results that the West wanted in the region. So they are being boxed in and put on ice. They will have only one meaningful strategic relationship from now on; with United States.

This is being done to show the Saudis that they have no one to run to (not even Russians who are very angry with Saudis) except US, and therefore they must obey the orders of America. They should not have the illusion of being in a strategic relationship with EU. It is US all the way for Saudi Arabia. Saudi foreign minister has already gotten the point and appealed to Kerry in his recent meeting but subsequently was assured by Kerry that US knows what it is doing.

Expect Saudi role to be minimized and even eradicated in the region. A new paradigm of power is taking over the region in which Saudis are not to be part of.
 
@Daneshmand i think Saudi's f***ed royally not developing their arms industry and were satisfied being america's second best after israel . Now they are begging for more pakistani soldiers since they can't cope with houthis tension. Also, Instead of investing in the community at a grass roots level in Lebanon and Yemen they funded selected families and individuals such a strategy only works in medieval KSA. America refusing to bomb Syria was just the beginning.
 
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@Daneshmand i think Saudi's f***ed royally not developing their arms industry and were satisfied being america's second best after israel . Now they are begging for more pakistani soldiers since they can't cope with houthis tensions. Also, Instead of investing in the community at a grass roots level in Lebanon and Yemen they funded selected families and individuals. America refusing to bomb Syria was just the beginning.

They could/can not have an arms industry since they do not have an industrial base and human resources required for the job. Even to run non-military aspects of life, Saudi Arabia has to import skilled/unskilled workers from abroad. This is basically a Bedouin society trying to live a 21st century lifestyle. It can not sustain itself without oil and foreign help. As for military aspects, they do not have a military history nor a military tradition. Their wars have been Bedouin battles, and therefore remain an ineffective military power.

Another reason why a proper army was never raised in Saudi Arabia, was the fear of coup against royal family as has happened in many Arab countries through history. Saudi military is basically an over-sized police force for control of the country and not a military in the sense of the word. That is why they had to invite Americans to defend Saudis against Saddam. The military equipment that they buy, is just for show and often buried in sand. The only purpose it serves is keeping Western arms industry competitive in return for West to give Saudis strategic cover.

US is coming to the conclusion that Saudis can not be "burdened" with stabilizing the region. They create more problems than they solve, often resulting in US losing ground to Iran, Russia and China. That is why, Saudis are being packed in and put in the closet. Prince Bandar had promised to US, way more than he could deliver. Now, US is tired and wants Saudis to pay the price, both financially and politically. And no, Pakistan or Turkey or Egypt can not save Saudi power in the region.
 
They could/can not have an arms industry since they do not have an industrial base and human resources required for the job. Even to run non-military aspects of life, Saudi Arabia has to import skilled/unskilled workers from abroad. This is basically a Bedouin society trying to live a 21st century lifestyle. It can not sustain itself without oil and foreign help. As for military aspects, they do not have a military history nor a military tradition. Their wars have been Bedouin battles, and therefore remain an ineffective military power.

Another reason why a proper army was never raised in Saudi Arabia, was the fear of coup against royal family as has happened in many Arab countries through history. Saudi military is basically an over-sized police force for control of the country and not a military in the sense of the word. That is why they had to invite Americans to defend Saudis against Saddam. The military equipment that they buy, is just for show and often buried in sand. The only purpose it serves is keeping Western arms industry competitive in return for West to give Saudis strategic cover.

US is coming to the conclusion that Saudis can not be "burdened" with stabilizing the region. They create more problems than they solve, often resulting in US losing ground to Iran, Russia and China. That is why, Saudis are being packed in and put in the closet. Prince Bandar had promised to US, way more than he could deliver. Now, US is tired and wants Saudis to pay the price, both financially and politically. And no, Pakistan or Turkey or Egypt can not save Saudi power in the region.

again very good insight
 

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