Lantos supports Saudi arms sale

[Tom Joad]

Rep. Tom Lantos (D-San Mateo) is blocking an effort by Jewish Democrats in Congress to stop the planned sale of arms to Saudi Arabia.

Reps. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) and Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) asked colleagues to sign a letter to Lantos, the chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, asking him to convene the committee to block the arms sale.

“Chairman Lantos does not intend to ask the committee to consider any resolutions of disapproval on this matter,” Lantos spokeswoman Lynne Weill said Jan. 15 when asked about the letter.

In a statement last June, Lantos suggested that he would support the sale because it would help contain the Iranian threat.

“We welcome the development that the Saudis and other Gulf states have recognized that a nuclear weapons-equipped Iran is a mortal threat to them,” Lantos, Congress’ only Holocaust survivor, said at the time.
http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/34390/format/html/displaystory.html
___________________

In contrast, Rep. Barbara Lee (oakland-berkeley) has this statement on her website:
http://lee.house.gov/index.cfm?ContentID=1187&ParentID=0&SectionID=4&SectionTree=4&lnk=b&ItemID=1182
Congresswoman Barbara Lee (Oakland) issued the following statement regarding the proposal Bush administration has proposed to Congress to sell precision-guided bombs to Saudi Arabia, despite significant Congressional opposition:

“This arms package is a very dangerous move by this Republican administration. What they are proposing may potentially create a powder keg, ultimately sparking a regional arms race. It is reckless to think they can buy peace through arms. Selling precision-guided bombs to Saudi Arabia will only flare up an already volatile region and further weaken our national security.

“Ignoring Congressional opposition to this arms sale is yet another example of the ‘go-it-alone’ foreign policy style of the Bush administration which has repeatedly failed.

“I am fully supporting the Weiner-Wexler Resolution of Disapproval to block the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia and I am very proud to be an original cosponsor of this important legislation.”

[Vegasaurus]

1. Bush has never missed an opportunity to do

whatever is the stupidest possible move, so this boner makes a lot of sense (if one is considering it on the stupid factor alone).

Like WHY we think selling the Saudis these kinds of weapons is a good move?

Of course, I think a nuclear Pakistan is a dangerous threat as well.

We are heading rapidly towards a regional conflagration that is going to be very, very ugly, and those that don't believe in any military action, under any condition, are going to have their convictions sorely tested.

[oberliner]

2. Where are Israelis or Palestinians mentioned in this article?

This appears to be an article about an American Democratic committee chairman and his opinion regarding the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia.

The article makes no reference to Israelis or Palestinians.

The article is from an online publication called "The Jewish News Weekly of California". The fact that the lawmakers involved in this disagreement are Jewish is prominently noted (as is the fact that Lantos is a Holocaust survivor).

There is literally not a single mention of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in particular or Israelis and Palestinians in general.

The appended statement from Barbara Lee similarly makes no mention of Israelis, Palestinians, or the conflcit.

I am trying to piece together why this article would be most ideally suited to be posted in this particular forum.

[Vegasaurus]

3. BEcause everything that combines news in the middle east and Jews

ends up in I/P.

Middle east without mention of Jews...no.

With Jews....yes.

[LeftishBrit]

4. Actually some ME news ends up here...

even if it's not about Jews. E.g. Fatah/Hamas battles in Palestine; posts about liberal vs fundamentalist Islam; and some (though not all) threads about Iran.

I agree that most Saudi threads don't end up here. And frankly Saudi Arabia could be a forum on its own. Unfortunately, the UK has also had some fairly dodgy dealings with that country.

[oberliner]

5. The examples you cited make more sense

Internal issues within the Israeli or Palestinian communities, certainly.

Similarly threads about Iran vis-a-vis Israel and/or fundementalist Islam as manifested within the Palestinian Authority or in relation to Israel seem relevant.

It strikes me as odd, however, that this article - about a dispute among Jewish American lawmakers vis-a-vis Saudi Arabia - would be posted here.

[LeftishBrit]

6. I agree; it's a pretty strange venue for it!

[Tom Joad]

7. I am sorry that you are so offended. but not surprised.

I really should have posted it to the general discussion in the first place.
It's there now, enjoy.
It certainly does have to do with US policy in the Middle East, and everything is connected.

When bushie announced the arms sale to the Saudis, he also talked about the Gift of Military Arms to Israel -- $30 billion over the next 10 years.


But of course, you usually are offended.

[oberliner]

8. Not offended at all

Thanks for posting it in GD.

I do feel that our dealings with the Saudis seem to get scant attention, not only in the MSM, but also out in the blogosphere.

Again, no offense, just confusion (I'll respond to the article itself over on GD)