US Report: Saudi Army Paper Tiger

[The SC]

An American expert described the Saudi army, which is considered the best equipped military in the world, as a paper tiger that disappointed its weapon suppliers, including mainly the United States.

Simon Henderson, a director of the Gulf and Energy Policy Program at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, mentioned an assessment for the performance of the Saudi army.

“The performance of the Saudi air force has been very weak, and the Saudi ground forces have failed to protect the Kingdom’s southern border.”

The report mentioned that on December 13, U.S. officials announced that the sale of about 16,000 guided munition kits to Saudi Arabia would be blocked due to concerns that the kingdom’s poorly targeted airstrikes were causing too many civilian casualties in Yemen.

“This apparently counterintuitive measure — such kits enable bombs to hit targets more accurately — follows a freeze on cluster bomb sales earlier this year, as well as warnings to Riyadh that U.S. aid is not a blank check.”

“The Obama administration’s frustration with its limited options for ending the intractable conflict was reflected in the media’s contradictory reporting of the development: the Washington Post headline read, ‘With Small Changes, U.S. Maintains Military Aid to Saudi Arabia Despite Rebukes Over Yemen Carnage,’ while the New York Times declared ‘U.S. Blocks Arms Sale to Saudi Arabia Amid Concerns Over Yemen War.'”

http://english.almanar.com.lb/136860

 

[The SC]

First Simon henderson is not a military man to be able to evaluate the KSA military, And also to review all his articles about the Kingdom one can see what directions he takes..
Secondly, about the SA airforce which he considers weak, It is important to mention that the first airstrike managed to convert Houthi gangs possessing heavy weapons to mere foot troops on the border.. So to portray the Houthi triumph have no influence on the conduct of the war only a media triumph
As for precision strikes anyone can compare civilian casualties due to airstrikes in the war in Yemen and in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan

Thirdly about guerrilla warfare that occurs on the border, It is important to note that even the United States, and Russia, the most powerful armies suffered losses due to this type of fighting, the same thing for Saudi Arabia..
( A saudi response from an Arab forum)

 

[Dr Shaheryar]

As if United States ever hits it's target. Look back at history and you will find that the most civilians life killed in incidental and poor guidance is done by the one and only US Air ad Navy forces in the modern era.

 

[nadeemkhan110]

An American expert described the Saudi army, which is considered the best equipped military in the world, as a paper tiger that disappointed its weapon suppliers, including mainly the United States.

Simon Henderson, a director of the Gulf and Energy Policy Program at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, mentioned an assessment for the performance of the Saudi army.

“The performance of the Saudi air force has been very weak, and the Saudi ground forces have failed to protect the Kingdom’s southern border.”

The report mentioned that on December 13, U.S. officials announced that the sale of about 16,000 guided munition kits to Saudi Arabia would be blocked due to concerns that the kingdom’s poorly targeted airstrikes were causing too many civilian casualties in Yemen.

“This apparently counterintuitive measure — such kits enable bombs to hit targets more accurately — follows a freeze on cluster bomb sales earlier this year, as well as warnings to Riyadh that U.S. aid is not a blank check.”

“The Obama administration’s frustration with its limited options for ending the intractable conflict was reflected in the media’s contradictory reporting of the development: the Washington Post headline read, ‘With Small Changes, U.S. Maintains Military Aid to Saudi Arabia Despite Rebukes Over Yemen Carnage,’ while the New York Times declared ‘U.S. Blocks Arms Sale to Saudi Arabia Amid Concerns Over Yemen War.'”

http://english.almanar.com.lb/136860

Saudi Arabian Army is not even a paper tiger because their defense budget is $70 Billion and they are not even in Top 20 powerful armies

 

[Qutb-ud-din Aybak]

by this definition us is also a paper tiger. 15 years in afghanistan and the result is that taliban are no more terrorists.
12 years in iraq and the result is instability.
2 years against ISIS and the result is ISIS controls 2/3rd of syria,20 percent of iraq.

Saudi army is fighting more stronger opposition with active help from iran.

 

[The Accountant]

by this definition us is also a paper tiger. 15 years in afghanistan and the result is that taliban are no more terrorists.
12 years in iraq and the result is instability.
2 years against ISIS and the result is ISIS controls 2/3rd of syria,20 percent of iraq.

Saudi army is fighting more stronger opposition with active help from iran.

Brother do you think that objective of us in syria afghanistan libya was to bring stability ...

They came here for spreading chaos and they succeed ... The true and pious leadership of taliban lead by mullah omer is long gone ... Now afghani taliban are involved in all sort of criminal activities to fund themselves ...

Syria is in ruins and now it is no more a challenge to israel same is libya .. Jordan is already in the pocket ...

Now only hurdles in front of israel for complete domination in middle east is turkey ksa iran and pakistan ...

Whereas turkey might chose not to interfere and ksa to save kingship of sauds may eventually surrender to israel .. Iran is the biggest till the current mullah regimes is there ...

Pakistan being too distant and too much involved with india will not be a cause of concern if there is no resistance in middle east ...

So we know from our very heart that ksa army forces are not that strong or well trained in comparison to the budgets and equipments they have ....

And ultimatley usa will force iran and ksa to fight each other to destroy each other and leave the battle ground open for israel ...

 

[Qutb-ud-din Aybak]

Brother do you think that objective of us in syria afghanistan libya was to bring stability ...

They came here for spreading chaos and they succeed ... The true and pious leadership of taliban lead by mullah omer is long gone ... Now afghani taliban are involved in all sort of criminal activities to fund themselves ...

Syria is in ruins and now it is no more a challenge to israel same is libya .. Jordan is already in the pocket ...

Now only hurdles in front of israel for complete domination in middle east is turkey ksa iran and pakistan ...

Whereas turkey might chose not to interfere and ksa to save kingship of sauds may eventually surrender to israel .. Iran is the biggest till the current mullah regimes is there ...

Pakistan being too distant and too much involved with india will not be a cause of concern if there is no resistance in middle east ...

So we know from our very heart that ksa army forces are not that strong or well trained in comparison to the budgets and equipments they have ....

And ultimatley usa will force iran and ksa to fight each other to destroy each other and leave the battle ground open for israel ...

none of the islamic army is trained well except pakistan,egypt and turkey. I know arabs won't like my statement but they can't change the facts.

 

[The Accountant]

none of the islamic army is trained well except pakistan,egypt and turkey. I know arabs won't like my statement but they can't change the facts.

I agree but iran is also slightly mature not upto level of turkey and pakistan but better than other muslims ... i wish somehiw we could resolve our differnces then we would have ruled the world ...

Is egypt army still that discplined ... i think egypt was humiliated by israel despite of having numerc superiority ...

 

[Qutb-ud-din Aybak]

I agree but iran is also slightly mature not upto level of turkey and pakistan but better than other muslims ... i wish somehiw we could resolve our differnces then we would have ruled the world ...

Is egypt army still that discplined ... i think egypt was humiliated by israel despite of having numerc superiority ...

don't go with the propagandas. Pakistan army had constant engagements with all of them and i can guarantee you one thing. They are all on equal level.
Iran just do propaganda. else you can see the deaths and destruction of their revolutionary forces in syria and iraq war theatre. Even their performance is pathetic against weak smugglers.
and not to forget iraq-iran war.

 

[Fafnir]

and not to forget iraq-iran war.

You mean the one where saddam despite having the support of the west,soviets and arabs spent most of the war on the defensive,who had to resort to chemical weapons and ultimately failed to achieve a single one of his war aims and wound up virtually bankrupted and all of this at the hands of iran.Also last time I looked the pakistani militaries performance wasnt anything to write home about and thats putting it nicely
As for the saudi military I think the word that some of the posters here are looking for is Potemkin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potemkin_village

 

[Qutb-ud-din Aybak]

You mean the one where saddam despite having the support of the west,soviets and arabs spent most of the war on the defensive,who had to resort to chemical weapons and ultimately failed to achieve a single one of his war aims and wound up virtually bankrupted and all of this at the hands of iran.Also last time I looked the pakistani militaries performance wasnt anything to write home about and thats putting it nicely
As for the saudi military I think the word that some of the posters here are looking for is Potemkin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potemkin_village

it took iran to 10 years to fight using weapons provided to them by US in good days to end up as a draw.

 

[MICA]

Is egypt army still that discplined ... i think egypt was humiliated by israel despite of having numerc superiority ...

this is a powerful word big boy , which is not even fact

 

[Khafee]

An American expert described the Saudi army, which is considered the best equipped military in the world, as a paper tiger that disappointed its weapon suppliers, including mainly the United States.

Simon Henderson, a director of the Gulf and Energy Policy Program at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, mentioned an assessment for the performance of the Saudi army.

“The performance of the Saudi air force has been very weak, and the Saudi ground forces have failed to protect the Kingdom’s southern border.”

The report mentioned that on December 13, U.S. officials announced that the sale of about 16,000 guided munition kits to Saudi Arabia would be blocked due to concerns that the kingdom’s poorly targeted airstrikes were causing too many civilian casualties in Yemen.

“This apparently counterintuitive measure — such kits enable bombs to hit targets more accurately — follows a freeze on cluster bomb sales earlier this year, as well as warnings to Riyadh that U.S. aid is not a blank check.”

“The Obama administration’s frustration with its limited options for ending the intractable conflict was reflected in the media’s contradictory reporting of the development: the Washington Post headline read, ‘With Small Changes, U.S. Maintains Military Aid to Saudi Arabia Despite Rebukes Over Yemen Carnage,’ while the New York Times declared ‘U.S. Blocks Arms Sale to Saudi Arabia Amid Concerns Over Yemen War.'”

http://english.almanar.com.lb/136860

Quoting a Hizbullah mouthpiece?

 

[LeGenD]

by this definition us is also a paper tiger. 15 years in afghanistan and the result is that taliban are no more terrorists.
12 years in iraq and the result is instability.
2 years against ISIS and the result is ISIS controls 2/3rd of syria,20 percent of iraq.

Saudi army is fighting more stronger opposition with active help from iran.

Bro, what are you smoking?

Saudi Arabia feared Saddam Hussein to the extent that they sought American assistance to topple him, even paid the Americans for this war in 1991.

US also demonstrated the capability to occupy two countries simultaneously in Iraq and Afghanistan. Do you think that Saudi Arabia could manage the same in its place?

US can wipe-out any nation from existence but it will not go that far under normal circumstances.

Now, it is really difficult and expensive to defeat an ideological opponent through conventional methods because it tends to blend into the civilians, doesn't relies on state-based infrastructure to function and may have legs in several countries. ISIS is an international phenomenon, not exactly confined to a single country. Taliban is more or less similar since it has legs in Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. In order to decisively defeat these forces, US will have to work with the countries where the phenomenon exists or bomb them to smithereens. Problem with the latter approach is that it will lead to a major humanitarian crises and millions of innocents will die.

 

[The Accountant]

this is a powerful word big boy , which is not even fact

I intended no offence ... i have nothing but warm feelings to all muslim brothers and armies except those who are killing other muslim brothers ...

I am telling what i have been told but i havent read much on egypt so there is a fair chance i am wrong ...

I would like to request you to rectify my current impression ... basis of my current impression is along with other areas we also lost sinai to israel ...