...people with lots of money enjoy the power that they can wield their $$$ to "buy" people
...and that's exactly what MBS has done "buying" a US foreign policy U-turn.
...we can expect Donald will "sell" anything for money. And now I guess he must be in desperate need to court Middle East investments because investments from traditional allies are drying up.
...if the Mexicans can show him the money, maybe they will get a lot more respect from him.
...I am all for the lifting of Syrian sanctions but today, we saw how US foreign policy can be sold so easily. Trump touts $1.5trn in Saudi investment, lifts Syria sanctions Yousef Saba, Gram Slattery, Pesha Magid and Federico Maccioni
Updated May 14, 2025 – 8.26am,first published at 1.17am
Riyadh | Donald Trump hailed the US relationship with Saudi Arabia, hours after unveiling what he said was $US1 trillion ($1.5 trillion) worth of defence, artificial intelligence and other deals with the kingdom, a staggering figure that does not quite add up to scrutiny.
The US agreed to sell Saudi Arabia an arms package worth almost $US142 billion, according to the White House, which called it “the largest defence co-operation agreement” Washington has ever done.
Trump also announced on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST) that the US would lift long-standing sanctions on Syria, a huge boost for a country that has been shattered by more than a decade of civil war. Rebels led by current President Ahmed al-Sharaa toppled former president Bashar al-Assad last December.
Speaking in Riyadh, Trump said he was acting on a request to scrap the sanctions by Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“Oh what I do for the crown prince,” Trump said, drawing laughs from the audience. He said the sanctions had served an important function but that it was now time for the country to move forwards.
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The United States declared Syria a state sponsor of terrorism in 1979, added sanctions in 2004 and imposed further sanctions after the civil war broke out in 2011.
