According to a Washington Post investigation, more than 500 former U.S. military personnel, including scores of generals, have accepted lucrative positions working for foreign governments since 2015. Most are known for their human rights violations and political repression.
Since 2016, 15 former U.S. admirals and generals have been working as consultants for the Defense Ministry in Saudi Arabia. The crown prince Mohammed bin Salman is the de facto ruler of the kingdom and leads the ministry. U.S intelligence agencies claim that he approved the killing of Jamal Khashoggi (a Washington Post contributor columnist) as part of a brutal crackdown against dissent.
According to Freedom of Information Act documents, among the paid advisors to Saudi Arabia were retired Marine Gen. James L. Jones (a national security adviser to President Barack Obama) and retired Army Gen. Keith Alexander (who led the National Security Agency under President George W. Bush and Obama).
Other people who have served as consultants to the Saudis since Khashoggi was murdered include a former four-star Air Force General and a former commander general of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
Many of the former U.S. military personnel worked as civilian contractors in Saudi Arabia, UAE and other Persian Gulf monarchies. This was a crucial role, although largely unnoticed, in modernizing their militaries.
To get this information, why did the Post need to file a FOIA Request?
Retired troops and reservists can work for foreign governments under the authorization of Congress. This is provided they have received approval from their branch or the State Department. The U.S. government has tried to hide the hirings. It withheld almost all information regarding the practice for years, including the names of the countries that employ the most U.S. military personnel and the amount of money at stake.
This is absurd. Another:
These documents reveal that foreign governments pay handsomely to U.S. military talents, with salary and benefits packages reaching six and sometimes seven figures. This is far more than the average American service member earns while on active duty. The highest paid four-star generals in the army earn $203,698 per year in basic pay.
Compared to this, several ex-highly placed U.S. Navy officers have received consulting deals totaling more than $10,000,000 from the Australian government. Six former Pentagon officials and military personnel negotiated a $23.6million contract with Qatar. Qatar is a Persian Gulf sheikhdom which hosts an important U.S. Air Base. However, the proposal was canceled later. A retired general from the U.S. Air Force was offered a consulting job in Azerbaijan at $5,000 per day.
While retired generals and admirals command a lot of money, former enlisted personnel can also receive substantial foreign paychecks in addition to their U.S. military pensions. Records show.
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Want to know why the brass embraces waking up in all its forms? To make senior officers attractive candidates for high-paying corporate jobs after leaving the military.
It’s easy to believe that the whole thing is a huge freakin’ racket. What is the point of fighting for? What interests serve the common men and women in this country?
