Why Can’t the Saudis Retaliate on Their Own?

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 20: White House senior adviser Jared Kushner stands among Saudi officials as President Donald Trump talks with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during a meeting i... WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 20: White House senior adviser Jared Kushner stands among Saudi officials as President Donald Trump talks with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House on Tuesday, March 20, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images) MORE LESS

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September 17, 2019 2:07 p.m.

We’re now in a waiting game to see who was behind the missile or drone attack on the Saudi oil facility and even more what the US plans to do about it. There are many questions to be asked about this. But one you likely won’t hear much about is this: why can’t Saudi Arabia simply defend itself? Why can’t it simply retaliate on its own?

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