According to a Washington Post report, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has hired retired U.S. admirals and generals. These include more than 500 former retired U.S. Military personnel. The practice has gone on since 2015. They are working in Saudi Arabia and other countries that are known for human rights abuses and anti-democratic principles.
Fox News reports:
Citing documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the report added that in Saudi Arabia alone, 15 retired U.S. generals and admirals have worked as paid consultants for the defense ministry – led by bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler — since 2016.
Those who reportedly work as paid advisers for Saudi Arabia include U.S. Marine Gen. James L. Jones, a national security adviser to former President Obama, and retired U.S. Army Gen. Keith Alexander, who led the National Security Agency under Obama and former President George W. Bush.
In October 2018, journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a contributor to the Post and a long-term resident of the U.S., was murdered in the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence says a team of 15 Saudi operatives were flown in to kill or capture Khashoggi. The operation was directly approved by bin Salman to crush dissenters.
The Washington Post’s report noted, “The documents show that foreign governments pay handsomely for U.S. military talent, with salary and benefit packages reaching six and, sometimes, seven figures — far more than what most American service members earn while on active duty. At the top of the scale, active four-star generals earn $203,698 a year in basic pay.”
