Saudi issues drone restrictions following palace incident
Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry on Sunday instructed drone enthusiasts to obtain permission to fly the devices until regulations were finalised, a day after security forces shot down a recreational drone near the king's palace in Riyadh.
Amateur online videos of heavy gunfire in the capital's Khozama district on Saturday sparked fears of possible political unrest in the world's top oil exporter. A senior Saudi official told Reuters there were no casualties when the drone was shot down and that King Salman was not in the palace at the time.
A security screening point had noticed the flying of a small unauthorized recreational drone, leading security forces to deal with it "according to their orders and instructions", state news agency SPA had said.
(Score: 2, Redundant) by realDonaldTrump on Tuesday April 24 2018, @11:17AM
But believe me, Saudi is having big problems with drones. The kind that KILL. And the rebels in Yemen don't ask for permission. But I made a great deal so Saudi Arabia can defend itself. Without the HUGE subsidies they were getting. They're paying their own way, that's so important!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 24 2018, @01:43PM (8 children)
I watched some of the videos, the shooting sounded like WW3 and went on for ever. What use are the Saudi's if they can't take down a fucking drone with a burst from an assault rifle?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by higuita on Tuesday April 24 2018, @01:56PM (3 children)
yes, shooting a small drone, far away, that keeps moving is a easy task ...!
That is why people are developing "drone guns", to make that task easier as it is harder than you think
(Score: 2) by realDonaldTrump on Tuesday April 24 2018, @02:41PM (2 children)
When I was in Davos for #WEF2018 [twitter.com] the Swiss Law Enforcement had what they call jammers. Looks like a gun, you think maybe it's a gun that jams a lot (Vietnam), right? It's not a gun, it's cyber. It doesn't shoot bullets, it shoots digital. And the drones fall out of the sky!!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 24 2018, @08:52PM (1 child)
What would you know about Vietnam? Hillary says you are a draft dodger unlike Brave McCain.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by realDonaldTrump on Wednesday April 25 2018, @01:38PM
What do I know about it? All I know is what's on the internet.
I think I've made a lot of sacrifices. I work very, very hard. I've created thousands and thousands of jobs, tens of thousands of jobs, built great structures. I've had tremendous success. I think I've done a lot. And I think people who listen to Crooked Hillary are very foolish!
(Score: 2) by realDonaldTrump on Tuesday April 24 2018, @02:09PM (2 children)
They're tremendous with swords. Maybe not so great with guns. But we're making them very safe. Because they're buying a THAAD. The same thing we have in South Korea. On the golf course. But this will belong to the Saudis, they're buying it. Not like South Korea. They're getting it for $15 billion -- a very good price, I negotiated very hard for them on that. And I got them a great deal. Saudi Arabia is a very wealthy nation, and they're going to give the United States some of that wealth, hopefully, in the form of jobs, in the form of the purchase of the finest military equipment anywhere in the world. 💰 Not just the THAAD. They're buying tanks, ships, planes, helicopters and much more. That's what use they are. #MAGA [twitter.com]
(Score: 3, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 24 2018, @03:09PM
Saudi airstrike kills 33 at wedding in northern Yemen [wsws.org]:
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 24 2018, @06:52PM
I sometimes worry that you are too convincing and are actually getting some people to support that guy...
(Score: 2) by OrugTor on Tuesday April 24 2018, @03:47PM
The bored guards were not as into downing the drone as they were shooting off their guns. I'm guessing they were shooting away after the drone was gone. Maybe at seagulls that might have been drones in disguise.
(Score: 2) by Virindi on Tuesday April 24 2018, @05:21PM (5 children)
So many rounds fired off in a populated area is dangerous and reckless. One or two might have a low probability of hitting a bystander, but "shooting sounding like WWIII" could have killed someone. Firing bursts into the air is irresponsible. I guess they care more about their macho "orders" than not killing random innocent citizens. Was the drone actually any threat or did they just want to avoid someone having a camera nearby? Was it close enough for a small explosive device to hurt anyone? It sounds more like it was hovering around evading shots, rather than making a direct approach as a weapon would.
Be sure of your target and what is beyond it...
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Weasley on Tuesday April 24 2018, @05:51PM (3 children)
None of that information can be determined until after the drone is shot down, dumb ass.
(Score: 2) by Virindi on Tuesday April 24 2018, @06:12PM (2 children)
Not true. The movements of the drone could be threatening or nonthreatening. And if you have been firing at it for a long time and missing and it hasn't made any sort of attack, it probably isn't going to.
(Score: 2) by Weasley on Tuesday April 24 2018, @07:10PM (1 child)
It's mere presence in an extremely restricted area is already a threat.
(Score: 2) by Virindi on Wednesday April 25 2018, @12:38AM
So if a person walks into a "highly restricted area" and does not do anything else threatening, it would be natural for the guards to unleash a barrage of fire at them?
No, this kind of thing is situation specific. That's all I'm saying, that just the mere existence of a drone on the grounds of such a place does not NECESSARILY mean it is worth the risk to innocent life. Other factors must be taken into account to make that decision.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Tuesday April 24 2018, @05:58PM
This also happened in __Saudi Arabia__ around the Palace. They were protecting the Palace from a possible threat.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"