A New Middle East Arms Race

[marmar]

From The Nation:


BLOG | Posted 07/30/2007 @ 4:26pm
A New Middle East Arms Race

Ari Berman


The Bush Administration has a solution to the escalating arms race in the Middle East: sell more arms.

Under an Administration proposal, Saudi Arabia will get $20 billion of satellite-guided bombs, fighter jet upgrades and new navy ships over ten years to counteract Iran. Israel will get $30 billion over the same period to balance Saudi Arabia, a 43 percent increase compared to the last decade. Not to be left out, Egypt will receive $13 billion. Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have also been promised a piece of the pie.

In the latest US-backed arms bonanza, everyone's a winner!

The pact with the Kingdom of Saud--home to 15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers, 45 percent of foreign fighters in Iraq and birthplace of Al Qaeda--in particular has prompted resistance inside Congress and human rights organizations.

Representatives Anthony Weiner and Jerry Nadler introduced a plan to block the deal on the steps of the Saudi consulate in New York City on Saturday. "We should remember that the high tech arms we gave to the Shah of Iran ended up in the Ayatollah Khomeini's hands," Nadler said. "The same thing could end up happening in Saudi Arabia." ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion?bid=15

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

1. Good for Nadler an Weiner

Anyway, wouldn't Congress have to approve this expenditure ? Or can Shrub just take it out of the WH Petty Cash account ?

[Grandrose]

2. K&R

Bush/Cheney are warmongers.....it is disgraceful to give them weapons to kill each other and our troops!
Have they no shame? :mad: :kick:

[W4LT]

3. Just the beginning

look for Turkey and pakistan to get major deals, followed by Jordan and then the central asian states.