This is the Cato Daily Podcast for Thursday, September 21st,

2023. I'm Caleb Brown. As the landscape of global security changes,

it makes sense for the US to rethink its security commitments

both formal and informal. President Joe Biden this week appears to be moving

toward a more formal security guarantee for Saudi Arabia, patterned after those in place with

South Korea and Japan. It's not clear, however, how US security would be enhanced.

John Hoffman is a policy analyst at the Cato Institute.

We spoke about the deal earlier today.

How would you characterize the relationships that the United States has had

when it comes to security guarantees, assistance, relative friendliness,

bonami with Saudi Arabia and Israel.

So the United States, when it comes to Saudi Arabia and Israel,

maintains no formal security agreement.

There is nothing in writing on paper that actually says the United States is betrothed to these

nations to defend them. But that's what exactly what Biden is actually pushing for right now is a formalized mutual security

agreement akin to what the United States has with Japan and South Korea but

for Saudi Arabia and this would require the United States to come to the defense of

of Riyadh in case of external attack or, you know, also internal upheaval, you know also internal upheaval you know what have you and with respect to

Israel and with respect to Israel the same thing you know the Israel receives 3.8

billion dollars a year in U.S. military aid, but there is no actual

formalized security guarantee, although there have been calls now by people

within Israel for if Saudi Arabia gets such a formal

...