In an historic stroke of diplomacy by US, Saudi Arabia has entered discussions over defense strategies to counter Iran expansionism in Middle East, though not yet effective the terms of the agreement vouch for Israel’s acceptance of “two state” proposition
United States and Saudi Arabia have entered discussions to strengthen defense ties through conventional exchange of technology and security supplements. To safeguard itself from strikes and threats of implosion from its neighboring juggernaut, Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman has acknowledged mutual deterrent treaty with Biden administration.
Under such agreement, both countries will pledge to provide military support to one another in situations of heightened panic caused by an attack or a threat to attack by external entities on their territorial sovereignty. The two countries first decided to establish military cooperation when Biden flew to Saudi Arabia ahead of the Israel-Palestinian conflict last year.
But interstate diplomatic dynamics have undergone tremendous metamorphose since the war broke out. Countries have repurposed their arms capabilities to prepare for unanticipated human rights violations in consequence to uninvited strikes. The US and Saudi Arabia pact is also a piece of the same puzzle – stocking up enough defense forces to counter any event of military movement or arms release.
Defense pact – a symbol to diffuse Arab-Israeli tensions?
Except of the numerous security programs the agreement envisions to take place between United States and Saudi Arabia, one particular proposition is at the forefront of Biden’s diplomatic agenda with Riyadh. The defense pact incentivizes Israel to “normalize” relations with the Arab nation in exchange for guaranteeing end to the 75 year old conflict with Palestine.
To give the deal its long-standing momentum is in the realm of Benjamin Netanyahu, whose one decision could leave a monumental impact in the war engulfed Middle East. But the chances of this dreamlike deal to pull itself out from the clutches of extremely adamant Netanyahu seems next to ludicrous. “Normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel would be a transformative event in the Middle East and well beyond”, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken. But getting the parties to an agreement remains a difficult proposition and the deal is far from certain.
US has interchanged its support of Israel quite convincingly. In the beginning it represented itself as an “ironclad” supporter of the badly struck Israel but as situation worsened in Gaza, Biden reinforced his dismissal of Israeli strikes on innocent lives and landed to crack a historic defense deal with Saudi Arabia. The Israel-specific part of the agreement, if approved, would grant Palestine a separate statehood.
The tussle to get the Senate pass the defense agreement
The Biden administration would need to pursue the Democratic lawmakers to approve the treaty in order to obtain 67 necessary votes in the House Senate or two-thirds of the chamber. The task to achieve Democrats confidence to permit the establishment of military affiliations with a country in the Middle East is going to further extend its deadline for eventual execution.
A majority of Senate Democrats have votes on multiple occasions to restrict Washington’s arms supply and other security cooperation with Riyadh, objecting against Saudi’s deliberate bombing campaign in Yemen which was backed by use of American aided weapons and the 2018 killing of Jamal Khashoggi, Washington Post journalist which American spy agency alleges was directly ordered by the Prince.
Another account of human rights violations committed by Riyadh, was reminisced by Democratic Senators, when hundreds and thousands of African migrants who were trying to cross into Saudi Arabia from Yemen were brutally killed. US forces have not delivered a confident stand against those killings where officials state American aided weapons were used to kill those African migrants.
These past events circling Riyadh for using American aid to commit atrocities would be the passage of the recent defense agreement between Saudi Arabia and United States a difficult task. Under the said agreement, US will help Saudi Arabia in building its nuclear energy industry and profess high-level sharing in the field of Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies.
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