US must end its military support to Saudi Arabia: Analyst

A former US Army officer has voiced concern over Washington's move to extend military aid to Saudi Arabia despite Riyadh's ongoing war against Yemen.

The Washington Post reported on Sunday that US Defense Secretary James “Mad Dog”  Mattis asked the White House to remove restrictions on US military support for Saudi Arabia and its allies engaged in a military aggression against Yemen.

Scott Bennett, who is a former psychological warfare officer of the US Army, told Press TV in an interview on Tuesday that supporting Saudi Arabia in its war against Yemen would neither benefit the US, nor the world.  

In a memo submitted to Trump’s National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster earlier this month, Mattis requested that the US military extend  “limited support” to the Saudi-led coalition to help counter a “common threat,” according to the Post, citing senior US officials.

Mattis requested that the restrictions be lifted so that the US military can provide surveillance and intelligence support as well as refueling and operational planning assistance to the Saudis.

London and Washington have previously provided logistic and intelligence support to Saudi Arabia, while equipping the kingdom’s military forces with a wide array of weapons including illegal munitions like cluster bombs.

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• Pentagon chief asks for deeper military involvement in Yemen

Bennett said in the interview that Mattis’ request for military support to the "Wahhabi regime" in Riyadh is in line with the neo-conservatives’ policy to dominate the world.

“He [Mattis] is continuing this neo-conservative hegemony plan of dominating the world and the Middle East through the original plan of taking down seven [Islamic] countries in five years,” he warned.

Bennett said Saudi Arabia seeks to dominate the Middle East on behalf of the US and Israel.

He said it is up to the international community to stand up against the Saudi-led aggression against Yemen and stop the "Wahhabi Takfiris" who are the true enemies of world nations.      

Mattis had told lawmakers during his Senate confirmation hearing in January that Iran was the biggest obstacle in dominating the Middle East, while Russia and China presented the biggest challenge to US in its effort to dominate the world.

"Iran is the biggest destabilizing force in the Middle East and its policies are contrary to our interests," Mattis told the Senate hearing.

At the hearing, Mattis also described Russia as the top threat to US interests and said Washington must be ready to confront Moscow.

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