President Donald Trump’s announcement that Saudi Arabia will sell state-of-the-art F-35 fighter jets has caused alarm among security experts.
President Trump and Saudi Crown Prince discuss investment and defense deals
President Donald Trump and the Saudi crown prince meet to discuss major investment plans and defense cooperation in bilateral talks.
- The arms sale has raised intelligence concerns that China could collect information about the plane’s technology through espionage or military ties with Saudi Arabia.
- President Trump has denied killing U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi and claimed that bin Salman “knew nothing” about the killing, contradicting the assessment of U.S. intelligence agencies.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump welcomed Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, often criticized for human rights, to the White House on November 18 for a heated meeting filled with promises of military and economic deals.
But Trump ignored the calls of human rights activists and dismissed concerns about bin Salman’s alleged involvement in the murder of Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi.
Trump will also host a dinner in Bin Salman’s honor in the East Room of the White House in the evening, with more than 100 guests expected to attend.
“It’s an honor to be your friend, and it’s an honor for you to be here,” Trump told bin Salman in the Oval Office.
The day before his meeting with bin Salman, President Trump confirmed to reporters that he would sell U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia in a deal that had raised concerns from experts and reportedly even from within the Pentagon because of Saudi Arabia’s relationship with America’s biggest rival, China.
The sale will give Saudi Arabia access to America’s most advanced fighter jets. Saudi Arabia already has other U.S. military aircraft, including the F-15 fighter jet, but the F-35 would take the country’s air power to a whole new level. Equipped with advanced sensors and able to defend against electronic warfare, the F-35 is much more difficult to detect.
Jonathan Panikov, director of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative, spoke about how the aircraft will strengthen the Saudi military.
F-35 sales could cause regional tensions
It would also raise tensions for Israel, which is currently the only Middle Eastern nation with an F-35 fleet. According to Israeli media reports, the Israeli Air Force sent a letter to the country’s political leaders saying that Saudi Arabia’s acquisition of the aircraft risks compromising its air superiority.
The two countries in the Middle East have a rocky relationship. The two countries have had an uneasy partnership in the past, but do not maintain diplomatic relations. Saudi Arabia said it will not change until Israel gives Palestinians a way to their homeland.
“They’re great allies, and Israel is a great ally,” President Trump said on November 18. “As far as I’m concerned, I think both countries are at a level where they should be at the forefront.”
For decades, successive U.S. presidents have promised to help Israel maintain a “qualitative military advantage” over its neighbors. Israel has used its advantage to attack Iran, Lebanon, Syria and Gaza with airstrikes within the past year. During the 12-day war in June, the F-35 was used to quickly overwhelm Iran’s air defenses.
President Trump told reporters at the meeting that Israel would have preferred Saudi Arabia to “get a downgraded aircraft,” but that the F-35s sold to both countries would be “pretty similar.”
Bin Salman said in the Oval Office that his country wants to join the Abraham Accords to normalize relations with Israel, but wants to see progress toward an independent Palestinian state.
The sale also raises intelligence concerns that China could collect information about the plane’s technology through espionage or its military ties to Saudi Arabia. “This is going to be a real question: how do we protect and ensure China’s access to the F-35’s technological capabilities,” Panikov said.
These red flags have already been raised within the Pentagon in an internal Defense Intelligence Agency report, according to the New York Times.
Business dealings between President Trump and Saudi Arabia expand
The announcement comes as President bin Salman pledges to invest $1 trillion in the United States. This is an increase from the $600 billion that President Trump promised during his visit to Saudi Arabia in May.
President Trump’s blend of business and diplomacy during this trip has come under intense scrutiny.
Dar Global, a London-based Saudi real estate developer with close ties to the royal family and the Trump Organization, announced in April that it would build a new luxury hotel in Dubai. There are also plans to build a luxury residential tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The president said in the Oval Office on Tuesday that his family does “very little” business with Saudi Arabia and is not involved in the companies run by his sons.
“I have nothing to do with the family business,” Trump said, sitting beside bin Salman. “I’ve been very successful, and I’ve decided to leave that success behind and make America very successful,” he added.
President Trump denies Crown Prince’s involvement in Khashoggi’s death
Trump also denied the brutal 2018 murder of US-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi, claiming bin Salman had “no knowledge” of the killing, contradicting US intelligence assessments that the Saudi leader ordered the operation.
“You’re referring to a very controversial figure,” Trump told journalists, referring to Saudi dissident Khashoggi, who has criticized Saudi repression. A lot of people didn’t like that gentleman you’re talking about. Whether you like him or hate him, things will happen. ”
Referring to bin Salman, Trump added: “He didn’t know anything about it. And you can leave it alone. There’s no need to embarrass your guests by asking questions like that.”
The Saudi government initially denied knowing anything about Khashoggi’s disappearance. Ultimately, government officials were arrested, fired, and prosecuted for leading the fraud. The Crown Prince claims he was not involved and had no prior knowledge.
A declassified intelligence report released by the Biden administration in 2021 said bin Salman authorized the detention or killing of a former Washington Post columnist at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
At the White House, President Bin Salman said this was a “sad” incident for Saudi Arabia and that the country had “taken all appropriate steps” to investigate the gruesome murder of a Washington Post columnist who was dismembered with a bone saw.
“It’s painful and a big mistake. We are doing our best to prevent something like this from happening again,” MBS, the leader’s initials, told reporters.
Saudi Arabia is ranked among the worst countries in the world for political rights and civil liberties by democracy and human rights organization Freedom House. He is accused of torturing and abusing political prisoners, including women’s rights activists who demonstrated for the right to drive.
Fifteen of the 19 terrorists who carried out the 9/11 attacks were Saudi nationals, as was Al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden. According to the 9/11 report, much of al-Qaeda’s funding went through charities, some with support and involvement from the Saudi government.
Biden’s first visit after first clash in 2022
This is the crown prince’s first visit to the White House since Khashoggi’s death. Former President Joe Biden promised to make the nation a “pariah” for Khashoggi’s murder, but changed his mind after taking office. He faced intense criticism for his first shock at bin Salman during his 2022 visit to Jeddah. The gesture was seen at the time as helping to restore leadership to the Middle East.
Trump also criticized Biden’s fist bump. However, the reason is different. He suggested that it would be a rude way to greet the crown prince in the Oval Office.
“Mr. Trump doesn’t bump fists. I grab his hand,” Mr. Trump said. “I don’t care where those hands were.”
The current US president was also under pressure from 9/11 families and human rights groups to hold the crown prince accountable.
“Saudi Arabia’s crown prince is trying to rebrand himself as a global statesman, but the reality at home is one of massive repression, a record number of executions, and zero tolerance for dissent,” Sarah Yeager, Washington director at Human Rights Watch, said in a joint statement from 11 humanitarian organizations. “U.S. officials should be calling for change, not posing for photos.”
Contributor: Kim Hjelmgaard
