Before criticizing the Saudi arms deal, armchair quarterbacks must look at our not so recent history…

The Trump administration has secured an arms deals with Saudi Arabia worth approximately $110 billion dollars, marking one of the largest ever arms deals between the two nations. The size and scope of the deal has drawn a lot of criticism for the Trump administration. However, it’s important to remember that former President Barack Obama inked similarly huge deals with Saudi Arabia, a fact that many critics have glanced over.

Yet while critics have been quick to attack Trump’s deal, most criticisms of Obama were quite muted. To be clear, some Democratic Congress members did send letters, while many activists denounced the deal. Still, while the Trump deal is being heavily criticized by the mainstream media, criticisms of Obama were relatively benign.

The exact details of the arms deal remain unknown, and if they come to light, it likely won’t be until Congress reviews the deal. However, it’s believed that planes, warships, and armored vehicles are involved. Some have also suggested that precision-guided bombs are included in the deal. These highly potent weapons are often tightly controlled, so their sale would be a big deal.

To be clear, two wrongs wouldn’t make a right. It certainly is possible and logical to oppose both Obama and Trump. The politics of arms sales are immensely complex. By selling the Saudis arms, the United States could be complicit in any war crimes committed by the Saudis in Yemen or other theaters. There is also a risk that some of the weapons will end up in the hands of hard-lined Sunni militias. On the whole, an increasingly well-armed Middle East could become more stable as weapons flow to various paramilitary, rebel, and terrorist groups.

Conversely, one could argue that if the Saudis don’t buy weapons from the United States, they’ll just buy them from Russia, China, or another country. As a result, relations with a vital Middle East ally could weaken, and the United States would miss out on valuable contracts that produce American profits and put people to work. Not only that, but the United States would lose leverage over Saudi Arabia and have even fewer bargaining chips in negotiating peace deals and winding down conflicts.

Needless to say, the politics are complicated. Regardless, critics of Trump’s arms deal should slow down and ask themselves if they were as critical of Obama’s arms deals, and if not, why?

See related OpsLens content below.

Trumps on Tour: President Trump and First Lady Are Greeted by Saudi King

By David Martosko, Scott Campbell and Dave Burke; The Daily Mail and MailOnline:

• -President touched down in Saudi Arabia after flying overnight on Air Force One to Middle Eastern state
• -Saudi King presented Trump with the kingdom’s top civilian honor, the gold King Abdulaziz medal
• -After two days of meetings in Riyadh, during which he is set to call for Arab nations to help in the fight against ISIS, Trump will travel to Israel
• -He will then have an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Wednesday
• -Trump has become the only US president to make Saudi his first overseas stop

President Donald Trump has landed in Saudi Arabia as he begins his first foreign tour since taking office.

He touched down in the Middle East Saturday morning, hours after tweeting about his excitement for his first ‘big foreign trip.’

Trump flew to the capital Riyadh overnight on Air Force One – becoming the only president to make Saudi Arabia, or any majority Muslim country, his first stop overseas as president.

His arrival following a 6,700-mile flight was met with the pomp usually reserved for the likes of a Papal welcome in South America.

The president got the red carpet treatment – literally – and some airport workers took off their shoes before manicuring it with brooms in 97-degree heat.

The Saudi King later presented Trump with the kingdom’s top civilian honor, the gold King Abdulaziz medal, at the royal court.

A 90-person Royal Saudi Air Forces honor guard practiced rifle drills and then stood at attention while Trump and his kingly escort ambled toward the terminal.

He heard an eight-bugle fanfare, watched a seven-jet flyover trailing red, white and blue smoke. And cannon fire. Lots of cannon fire, which didn’t cease until Trump and King Salman were safely inside.

Inside the terminal, the fragrant smell of oud filled the air as workers burned the aromatic wood in charcoal lamps.

Wafting Saudi oud scents also permeate the air in the souks – marketplaces – that snake through the oldest part of town. Just steps away is Ad Deerah, known to locals as ‘chop-chop square’ because of periodic public beheadings.

Trump will face questions over the weekend about the wisdom of establishing partnerships with a government known for human rights violations and for its Medieval treatment of women.

Females cannot drive cars in the kingdom, and their every move, from travel to shopping, is overseen by male family members.

On Saturday the only females seen among the welcome retinue were a pair of small girls presenting flowers and an African-American woman, who turned out to be a U.S. Secret Service agent.

To read rest of articles and see pictures of the event visit The Daily Mail.