Retired Military working for Foreign Powers

Posts: 44,372
edited October 2022 in A Moving Train
gift article...


RETIRED U.S. GENERALS, ADMIRALS TAKE TOP JOBS WITH SAUDI CROWN PRINCE

Hundreds of veterans have taken lucrative foreign jobs that U.S. officials approved — but fought to keep secret

From top, Saudi soldiers, Mohammed bin Salman, Keith Alexander, James Jones, U.S. Seal. (Illustration by Frank Hulley-Jones/The Washington Post; Photographs by Abdullah Al-Qadry/AFP/Getty Images, Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty Images, U.S. Marine Corps, Mark Wilson/Getty Images, U.S. Department of Defense)




Oct. 18 at 6:09 a.m.

More than 500 retired U.S. military personnel — including scores of generals and admirals — have taken lucrative jobs since 2015 working for foreign governments, mostly in countries known for human rights abuses and political repression, according to a Washington Post investigation.

In Saudi Arabia, for example, 15 retired U.S. generals and admirals have worked as paid consultants for the Defense Ministry since 2016. The ministry is led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, who U.S. intelligence agencies say approved the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributing columnist, as part of a brutal crackdown on dissent.

Saudi Arabia’s paid advisers have included 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 Obama and President George W. Bush, according to documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.


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_____________________________________SIGNATURE________________________________________________

Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
Post edited by mickeyrat on

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Comments

  • Posts: 41,359
    Much like the LIV golf tournament, they throw a ton of money at people.  Why wouldn't you take it?

    If I was offered what I wanted I would most likely still be in Iraq working there
  • Posts: 5,072
    If congresspersons can make hot stock picks why shouldn’t retired military be able to make money off their skills?
    Scio me nihil scire

    There are no kings inside the gates of eden
  • Posts: 9,825
    As long as they aren't sharing secrets, I have no problem with it.  Lots of people work for foreign countries. Why should military be exempt from that opportunity?
  • Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,662
    It all sounds a bit fishy to me somehow... but maybe I've become too much of a skeptic?
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • Posts: 16,830
    mace1229 said:
    As long as they aren't sharing secrets, I have no problem with it.  Lots of people work for foreign countries. Why should military be exempt from that opportunity?
    I wonder what the non-compete clause looks like ;)
    hippiemom = goodness
  • Posts: 9,825
    brianlux said:
    It all sounds a bit fishy to me somehow... but maybe I've become too much of a skeptic?
    But I don't see any justification for prohibiting it. Its like when someone working for the FDA gets a nice 500k salary working for a company they were just regulating. Definitely fishy, but unless you can prove they did something illegal, can't really stop it.
  • Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,662
    mace1229 said:
    show previous quotes
    But I don't see any justification for prohibiting it. Its like when someone working for the FDA gets a nice 500k salary working for a company they were just regulating. Definitely fishy, but unless you can prove they did something illegal, can't really stop it.

    Probably true.  Just seems odd to have our military brass working for the Saudi gov.  Maybe I'm just being paranoid.
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • Posts: 3,959
    I wouldn't like it if Michael Flynn was over there. That guy is coup-ready.
    And it's not like these people were ordinary citizens. We're talking high ranking US military officers. No wonder they tried to keep it a secret.
  • Posts: 44,372
    edited October 2022
    mace1229 said:
    show previous quotes
    But I don't see any justification for prohibiting it. Its like when someone working for the FDA gets a nice 500k salary working for a company they were just regulating. Definitely fishy, but unless you can prove they did something illegal, can't really stop it.

    yes we can stop it. its within the purview of Congress who delegated that authority to DOD and the respective branches. Why,  is because even though retired they can be recalled and are considered reservists. They are required to ask for permission and gain waivers.

    Would be interested to know the ratio of approvals to denials.
    Post edited by mickeyrat on
    _____________________________________SIGNATURE________________________________________________

    Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
    you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
    memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
    another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14

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