Do We Really Want Saudi Troops In Afghanistan?

The Saudis have been funding the taliban for years and have provided funds to thePakistani ISI. Their sympathies do not seem to fit with whatever the coalition's goals are. I don;t see a Wahabi Saudi unit commander being being receptive to an order to attack a taliban convoy, or to use his troops to provide security fo other coalition troops.

The Saudis are not equipped for an Expenditionary Force. The military is composed of 2 x major forces, one consisting mainiy of heavy armor units (M1's) with aviaiton assets and the other of mechanized/motorized (LAV's). The first force is fairly well trained … the second however, is more like a military form of social welfare and the force lacks competent leaderhip and troops. They do have a few Commando and Elite Units, but they are tasked primarily with protecting Mecca and Medina and keeping infidels at bay. An Expenditionary Force of Saudi's, although a good idea which could possibly relieve tensions within the Muslim world regarding invaders, would however surely backfire, as most Afghani's would not be tolerant of their arrogance which many of them display and/or their hipocritical adherence to Wahhabi Islam when it suits them.

quote:
we tend to do a lot of Saudi-protecting,
unquote

you don't protect Saudi, you protect Saudi oil.

PLUS

no Saudi will fight against Muslim

quote:
we tend to do a lot of Saudi-protecting,
unquote

you don't protect Saudi, you protect Saudi oil.

PLUS

no Saudi will fight against Muslim

The Saudi military capability is primarily focussed on regime (House of Saud) protection; that said, they do have the ability to provide at least a brigade size conventional force plus special forces at a similar level to the Dutch. This includes land forces, ground attack aircraft (fixed wing and helo) and civil affairs.

Yes they could provide a Sunni based force in Afghanistan, a balance to Iranian and Indian influence. But could the emergence of a confident KSA provide a new threat to the region?

The Saudi military capability is primarily focussed on regime (House of Saud) protection; that said, they do have the ability to provide at least a brigade size conventional force plus special forces at a similar level to the Dutch. This includes land forces, ground attack aircraft (fixed wing and helo) and civil affairs.

Yes they could provide a Sunni based force in Afghanistan, a balance to Iranian and Indian influence. But could the emergence of a confident KSA provide a new threat to the region?