[jonknee]

> So why exactly did they do it? There's a time table somewhere online which compares the dates of donation with dates of approval. Care to guess how quickly these things happened after one another?

Because we don't have many friends in the Middle East and we desperately want some help combatting IS. It's not rocket science. We have sold arms to Saudi Arabia for generations. For example, Reagan approved a large deal in the early 1980s:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US%E2%80%93Saudi_Arabia_AWACS_...

[adamnemecek]

Why the donations then? Why is SA not really doing much about ISIS then?

Also lol at bringing up Reagan. Does Iran Contra right a bell?

[jonknee]

I imagine that SA donated to be seen as a player on the world stage, much like everyone else. The US is the largest arms exporter in the world by far, you don't have to grease the wheels to be able to purchase our weapons.

[adamnemecek]

> The US is the largest arms exporter in the world by far, you don't have to grease the wheels to be able to purchase our weapons.

It's my understanding that there are several factors that play into the decision of allowing the sales. One such factor is for example human rights violations. You know the thing SA is not exactly doing well in.