America armed the Gulf states for decades. Why won't they fight?

(JNS) — For decades, the United States sold Gulf monarchies hundreds of billions of dollars in advanced weapons. These regimes were called “allies,” treated as partners and defended as pillars of regional stability. Yet now, with their order under threat, their American-built arsenals sit mostly idle.

In the past decade, U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait totaled $300 to $450 billion. U.S. President Donald Trump also advanced a $142 billion deal with Saudi Arabia—the largest arms agreement ever—and aims to sell F-35s to the Saudis and the Emiratis.

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