Washington should give the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement a chance. The post A Glimpse of the Post-American Middle East? appeared first on The American Conservative .
Foreign Affairs A Glimpse of the Post-American Middle East? Washington should give the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement a chance. Photo by TUR Presidency /Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Anadolu via Getty Images Heartwarming scenes out of Mecca Friday: After the conclusion of a defense pact between Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, those countries’ respective leaders powwowed in a high-rise conference room to get themselves photographed praying towards the Kaaba. The beef over the Saudi dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi in Turkish territory is just a dim memory. The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement avers that an attack on one member…Open
The agreement treats an attack on any of the three countries as an attack on all. Saudi Arabia has recently faced drone and missile strikes that it has blamed on Iran’s allies in Yemen and Iraq.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the suspension of the automatic renewal of a long-standing defense agreement with Israel, citing the need to stabilize the Middle East and ensure the safety of Italian UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) soldiers. The announcement follows Israel's continued military action in Lebanon following a ceasefire in Iran, and allegations that Israelis opened fire on Italian troops serving as UN peacekeepers in the country. The post Italian PM Giorgia Meloni Suspends Defense Pact with Israel. appeared first on The National Pulse .
Italy’s suspension of its defense cooperation with Israel is part of a broader trend of European countries decoupling from the Jewish State. PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the suspension of the automatic renewal of a long-standing defense agreement with Israel , citing the need to stabilize the Middle East and ensure the safety of Italian UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) soldiers. The announcement follows Israel’s continued military action in Lebanon following a ceasefire in Iran, and allegations that Israelis opened fire on Italian troops serving as UN peacekeepers in the country. DETAIL: Israeli officials have downplayed the significance of the suspended agreement,…Open
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have a mutual defense treaty . It is billed as a reciprocal accord. It is really transactional. The Saudis give the Pakistanis billions of dollars to prop up their collapsing economy. The Pakistanis pledge to provide a “nuclear umbrella” to Saudi Arabia. Pakistan has roughly 200 operational nuclear warheads. Those weapons can be delivered by Pakistani F-16’s obtained from the United States. There are now Pakistani F-16s on the ground in Saudi Arabia. They were accompanied by multiple support aircraft and support personnel. “The F-16 combat aircraft, along with some Mirage III and V aircraft, are believed to be dual-capable (capable of both conventional and nuclear strikes) and constitute the air…Open
The State Department clarified comments made by the U.S. Ambassador to Canada that NORAD would be “altered” if that country did not purchase American F-35 jets.