Congress notified of possible AWACS sale to Saudi Arabia

[maddezmom]

Source: AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The Pentagon said Friday it has notified Congress of possible arms sales worth more than 10 billion dollars to oil-rich Gulf states and Saudi Arabia to beef up their missile and air defenses against Iran.

By far the biggest sale would be to the United Arab Emirates -- a Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missile defense system worth as much as nine billion dollars if all options are exercised, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DCSA) said.

The proposed sales, disclosed in notifications to Congress posted on the agency's website, come as US Defense Secretary Robert Gates is in Bahrain to press for a regional "air and missile defense umbrella" against Iran.

Gates told Alhurra television, a US-funded Arabic language satellite TV network, on Friday that the United States is discussing the need for shared early warning and maritime surveillance with countries in the region.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071207/pl_afp/usgulfiranmilitary_071207220345

[MADem]

1. Wouldn't be the first time....

Saint Ronnie did this, eons ago.

Abstract: In 1981, President Ronald Reagan announced that the United States would sell advanced air defense armaments, including F-15 improvements. AIM-9L air-to-air missiles, and the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Despite strong opposition in Congress, the administration successfully concluded the sale Fundamental to the success of the policy debate was the President's careful orchestration of efforts to secure a majority of support within the Senate.

http://www.stormingmedia.us/28/2831/A283144.html

[slackmaster]

13. AWACS planes and HAWK air defense missile batteries - I was involved in that one

In 1981 wrote technical training materials for Saudi soldiers. I was working for a sub-contractor who was working for Litton.

The HAWK expertise I gained in that gig paved the way for the worst job I ever had - Writing maintenance comics to be used by the US Army.

[Thor_MN]

2. I say if they are silly enough to buy into missle defense crap, sell it to them.

It will be the only success this Star Wars shit will ever have.

[rockybelt]

3. Ten billion dollars worth

of air defense equipment and missile defense equipment? To the Gulf states AND Saudi Arabia? Didn't we sell arms to Iraq, Iran, Syria, Turkey and everybody else in the Middle East? Look how well that worked out for us.

[fujiyama]

4. Well, will Dems fight this kind of thing tooth and nail

or roll over like everything else. If they actually opposed something of Bush, maybe, just maybe they would have ammo against those saying they are fucking useless.

[The Stranger]

5. Saudi Arabia has never used U.S. weapons to attack other nations, has it?

Just curious.

[JBoy]

6. The 9/11 airplanes were all made by Boeing, so yes.

Otherwise probably not.

[The Stranger]

8. Not to generalize, but the hijackers did not represent Saudi Arabia, you know, the nation.

In fact, the Saudis have been utterly ruthless in their own fight against real terrorists, and have been fighting them for decades before it ever came up on the radar screen in America.

[tabasco]

10. LMAO!

Yeah, they shut down all those madrasas, didn't they?

The only thing the Saudi monarchy has been ruthless about is keeping themselves in power.

Have some more koolaid.

[The Stranger]

12. Your post shows you to be fairly ignorant about quite a bit.

But let's start with the fact that the Saudi monarchy fears the Islamic fundamentalists because they threaten their "keeping themselves in power." (That quote, by the way, is taken from your post.)

Judging from the striking lack of any reason in your post, this appears to devolve into yet another all-brown-Muslim-people-are-the-same-and-are-the-enemy-who-wants-to-kill-me meme.

[sarcasmo]

7. Sell the country who's people hijacked the planes on 9/11 our technology.

Bush is trying to destroy the United States. He must owe the Saudi Royal family yet another favor.

[LeftishBrit]

9. Great

The double standard in the treatment of Iran and Saudi Arabia - both oppressive far-RW theocracies that have too many weapons already, and where terrorists may operate, adding to the danger - is unbelievable. (And Britain follows the same double standard).

I don't recommend attacking either country, but why SELL them weapons?

[suston96]

11. Here's a thought....

Ya think maybe that stuff might just be obsolete? F-15s? AWACS?

And for what we sell we will have to provide support?

And we get billions of dollars we spent on oil back for all that obsolete stuff?

Just rambling thoughts.........