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| Arabia | |
| SAUDIS LAUNCH MILITARY TRAINING PROGRAM | |
| 2004-01-11 | |
Saudi Arabia has launched a program to bolster its military and security forces amid the intensifying threats from Al Qaida and neighboring Iran. Saudi officials said the kingdom has drafted a plan for the training of tens of thousands of Saudi high school students that would prepare them for the military and National Guard. The sources said the plan has been approved by the Defense Ministry and Interior Ministry and would be implemented during 2004. Under the plan, the kingdom intends to train 10,000 high school students a year in both military and technical courses. Officials said the project would cost about 270 million riyals [$70 million] a year. They said the project aims to continue through 2008. The training would seek to improve the technical skills of the students so that they could replace foreigners in both the military and defense industry. The Saudi military and National Guard have large numbers of foreigners, including Egyptians, Pakistanis as well as Western instructors.
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| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #7 I believe Saudis military guys have traditionally been carefully vetted for political reliability before being hired. I'm not sure giving a bunch of potential al Qaeda recruits military training is such a wonderful idea. Are the Saudis trying to make up for the loss of Afghanistan as an al Qaeda base? (OK, I have a dirty mind - but these guys are truly capable of anything). |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2004-1-11 11:57:20 AM |
| #6 are they training them to be suicide bombers,thats what the soddies normally do isn't it,oh no wait perhaps there getting lessons on how to fly commercial aircaft (leaving out the landing training though thats not needed for thier mission. |
| Posted by: Jon Shep 2004-1-11 11:23:46 AM |
| #5 I could just see a Saudi army - all officers (of course) |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-1-11 11:12:19 AM |
| #4 ...Actually, they'll be lucky if they can undo the last forty years. The Army has pretty much consisted of Saudi yoots who literally could NOT get into anything else - the Air Force and to a lesser extent the Navy are considered much more prestigious. The Saudi National Guard - actually the royal family's private army, the rough equivalent of a light armored brigade and almost 100% Bedouin - is really the only military unit the royal family trusts. It will be VERY interesting to see what they come up with. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2004-1-11 10:56:47 AM |
| #3 4 years at $70M / year? Heh, that's a good one. If it was that easy, even the Eeeewwww would have a credible military force in their future. They don't. Neither do the Saudis. A little money and a little time won't undo 14 centuries of stupidity. A professional force takes decades - even in the West where those innate values needed: trust, delegation, initiative, guts, desire, free thought, forgiveness for error, discipline, hard training, espirit de corps, and the myriad other aspects that lead to a kick-ass flexible self-policing self-teaching quick-learning compassionate military force that requires no micro-management. They have several generations to go to even reach the starting line for such a venture. Go ahead, replace the foreigners. Saudi-ize your military to complete your transformation back into Bedu, since the whole infrastructure will revert to desert once accomplished. This be yet another Royal Joke. *golf clap* |
| Posted by: .com 2004-1-11 2:37:24 AM |
| #2 Sounds like the royals need a new cadre of dependable cannon fodder. Raise them up good fatima. Yes my lord. |
| Posted by: Lucky 2004-1-11 12:38:32 AM |
| #1 The training would seek to improve the technical skills of the students so that they could replace foreigners in both the military and defense industry. They could fix their military in a better way if they just instituted shop class in high school, and made every youth take part. Then they'd finally have a class of auto mechanics, sheet metal workers, lathe operators, etc. who could repair military equipment. Those youths would have a more practical view of the world (since if it doesn't work it doesn't matter) and might nudge the Magic Kingdom a space or two towards reality. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2004-1-11 12:24:01 AM |