United Arab Emirates reaches deal to buy unarmed Predator drones

[jsr]

Source: Los Angeles Times

California-based General Atomics Aeronautical System Inc. said Friday it has struck a deal to sell unarmed Predator drones to the United Arab Emirates military.

The agreement would mark the first time a non-NATO country has obtained the American-made technology that’s reshaped modern warfare.

The deal has drawn scrutiny from critics who worry about the technology falling into terrorists’ hands or being used by governments against their own citizens.

Under the proposed sale, revealed this week at a defense conference in Abu Dhabi and confirmed Friday, General Atomics, of Poway, Calif., will sell an undisclosed number of the robotic aircraft to the UAE armed forces for $197 million.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-predator-uae-20130222,0,3067564.story

[msongs]

1. "arms" sold seperately of course nt

[Hayabusa]

2. How long before conservatives get up in arms about

"Selling weapons to our enemies!"?

[tammywammy]

3. We already sell arms to the UAE, they're not considered an "enemy".

[Hayabusa]

4. You think something like the truth

is going to stop them from complaining? It's never stopped them before.

[Alamuti Lotus]

7. the tyrants of the UAE and the other Gulf dictators are a key pillar of US policy..

the Republicans (and Democrats, but they're not the subject here) have always been in favor of arming and guarding the oil & gas dictators in the GCC. In addition, these wahhabi dictators have the same strategic interests as Israel, so there's a great confluence of positions there. I'm not sure why they're throwing a fit about al-Jazeera, it is closely bound to the Qatari dictatorship which has recently done more to advance US interests in the region than Saudi Arabia & Israel combined.

[blkmusclmachine]

5. Drones, to "protect" "freedom."

[Alamuti Lotus]

6. if by "protect" you mean "spy on"..

and if by "freedom" you mean "Iran", that is a very true statement in this case.