Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson: No new date or venue has been set for the meeting between Araghchi and Witkoff, and no negotiations will take place until the outcome is guaranteed
Palestinian platforms: Settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque complex under the protection of the occupation police
Palestinian platforms: The IOF detonated a booby-trapped robot east of the al-Zaytoun neighborhood, south of Gaza City
Syrian Defense: We call on all parties in Sweida to cooperate with security forces and exercise restraint
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese Army is continuing its investigations and will later announce any information that does not affect the confidentiality of the investigation
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: It has not yet been determined whether the detainees belong to ISIS or another organization
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Around 10 people of different nationalities, including Lebanese nationals, were detained
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese army arrested a number of people in the Matn area of Mount Lebanon with possession it has not disclosed
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: We have strong indications that there are martyrs, injuries, and trapped people in the Salah al-Din area
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Citizens should avoid Salah al-Din Street because anyone who approaches it is at risk of being directly targeted

Retired US generals, admirals engage in lucrative business with MBS

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: The Washington Post
  • 19 Oct 2022 09:50
  • 2 Shares
3 Min Read

Hundreds of veterans have accepted lucrative foreign employment that US officials approved but battled to keep hidden.

  • x
  • Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, then the deputy crown prince, at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on 16 March 2017 (AFP)
    Saudi Crown Prince MBS at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on March 16, 2017 (AFP)

More than 500 retired US military personnel, including top army officials, have taken high-paying jobs working for foreign governments since 2015, according to a Washington Post investigation, largely in countries infamous for human rights abuses and political repression.

Since 2016, 15 retired US generals and admirals were paid for consultations offered to the Saudi Defense Ministry. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, is in charge of the Ministry, which, according to US intelligence services, ordered the execution of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a Post contributing columnist, in 2018 as part of a savage crackdown on dissent.

Read next: US-KSA standoff: Riyadh defies Washington prior to OPEC production cut

Paid advisors included retired Marine Gen. James L. Jones, a national security advisor to President Barack Obama, and retired Army Gen. Keith Alexander, who led the National Security Agency under Obama and President George W. Bush, according to documents obtained by The Post under Freedom of Information Act lawsuits.

Others who have worked as consultants for the Saudis since Khashoggi’s murder include a retired four-star Air Force general and a former commanding general of US troops in Afghanistan.

Related News

Trump approves Patriot missiles to Ukraine, bills EU for costs

Russia slams US-Denmark military pact as threat to its security

The vast majority of the retired US personnel have worked as civilian contractors for Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and other Gulf monarchs, playing vital, albeit mostly unseen, roles in their military modernization.

Apparently, #Biden wants to forget about his first fist bump with #Saudi crown prince Mohammad bin Salman, which made headlines after his visit to #SaudiArabia.#JoeBiden pic.twitter.com/EeXAIS4J7x

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) July 18, 2022

Meanwhile, the security forces of the Gulf countries have continued to conduct human rights violations both within and outside their borders. Saudi Arabia and the UAE led the war on Yemen, generating a worldwide humanitarian crisis and killing thousands of civilians with shared information, aerial refueling, and other help from the US government and contractors, according to United Nations investigators.

Foreign governments have historically used Americans as lobbyists, lawyers, political consultants, think tank researchers, and public relations experts to advance their interests in Washington. However, the recruiting of retired US military officers for their experience and political clout has increased over the last decade as oil-rich gulf monarchies have increased defense spending and expanded security partnerships with the Pentagon.

What does it take to work for foreign governments?

Retired troops and reservists are allowed by Congress to work for foreign governments only if approval from their branch of the armed forces and the State Department is obtained. However, under all circumstances, the US government has made extreme efforts to keep the high-paying jobs under the radar. For years, it withheld virtually all information about the practice, including which countries employ the most retired US service members and the amounts of money involved.

All army units involved; 6 and 7 figures paid

Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), The Post sued the Army, the Air Force, the Navy, the Marine Corps, and the State Department in federal court. After a two-year legal battle, the paper obtained more than 4,000 pages of documents, including case files for about 450 retired soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines.

The documents show that US "military talent" is often paid amply, with salary and benefits packages reaching six and, sometimes, seven figures. These numbers exceed by far what most American servicing members earn. At the top of the scale, active four-star generals earn $203,698 a year in basic pay.

  • United States
  • Mohammed Bin Salman
  • Saudi Arabia

Most Read

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Major ambush in Gaza kills 6 Israeli troops, injures dozens

Major ambush in Gaza kills 5 Israeli troops, injures 14

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Israeli soldiers are seen in Beit Hanoun ahead of an operation by the al-Qassam Brigades, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

'Israel' on blast as media exposes report discrepancies in Gaza ambush

  • Palestine
  • 8 Jul 2025
Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

  • Politics
  • 9 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
The Freedom Flotilla ship Handala as it departs for Gaza, where it aims to break the maritime blockade at a port in Syracuse, Sicily in southern Italy on July 13, 2025. (AFP)
Palestine

Freedom Flotilla's Handala departs Sicily in bid to break Gaza siege

The container ship CMA CGM Laperouse, left, docks at the Georgia Ports Authority's Port of Savannah, Sept. 29, 2021, in Savannah, Ga (AP)
Politics

US shipbuilding woes deepen as tariffs, outdated policies backfire

Gaza war raises ethical questions for ex-Obama, Biden officials
Politics

Mercenary firm tied to Gaza war crimes hires Obama-Biden PR operatives

'Israel' targets children in Gaza collecting water
Palestine

'Israel' strikes Gaza kids fetching water, blames it on 'malfunction'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS