U.S. to sell $20B in arms to Arab nations

[TechBear_Seattle]

Source: Associated Press via Seattle Times

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration said today that a new multibillion dollar military sales package for Arab nations will help secure Iraq and the Persian Gulf while promoting stability in a Middle East threatened by terrorism and the rising ambitions of Iran.

Embarking on a four-day tour of the region with Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the proposed U.S. package, estimated at up to $20 billion, "will help bolster forces of moderation and support a broader strategy to counter the negative influences of al-Qaida, Hezbollah, Syria, and Iran."

"We are helping to strengthen the defensive capabilities of our partners and we plan to initiate discussions with Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states on a proposed package of military technologies that will help support their ability to secure peace and stability in the Gulf region," she said in a statement.

The new sales to Arab countries, notably Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, were not enumerated but will be balanced with a more than 25 percent increase in military aid to Israel over the next 10 years, enabling the Jewish state to keep its qualitative military edge over neighbors with which it has no peace deal.

Read more: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/iraq/2003812826_webmideastarms30.html

[izzie]

1. Like bring fireworks to a fire. Smart move.

Time these Middle East countries step up and task care of where they live them self. USA should not do this and should come home. NOW

[bdamomma]

2. yea, just give those saudis more reason to get us. oh, but wait

the saudis are *ies friends.

[Tom Joad]

3. and billions to Israel so it can get more arms... a militarists wet dream here.

aipac is gonna get all it wants out of congress to fund Israel's every desire, while the arms merchants (merchants of death) are gonna get rich beyond even their perverted dreams.

and everyone is happy except the 5.999999 billion on earth who do not profit from this mess.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. Not so much a military-industrial complex, more a military-industrial cancer

That sells more and more arms to absolutely everyone, growing uncontrollably.

I mean, isn't it obvious that the problem with the Middle East at the moment is there aren't enough arms there? :sarcasm:

[TechBear_Seattle]

10. I sit corrected n/t

[Knightly_Knews]

5. Ah I get it now...

Time to sell the remainder of our Arms off so the fascists can steal the money from the sale, and further deplete this country of our weaponry. Once our Military is totally deployed away from here and our weapons cache is completely wiped out, Then what? Martial Law time?
Roger That!

[Up2Late]

6. O.K., call me a Tin-Hat if you'd like, but does anyone else suspect this was the REAL reason...

...for the Invasion/Destabilization Operations in Iraq? :tinfoilhat:

I mean, when Bush/Cheney were Selected in 2000, the Middle east was just too quiet to make this sort of MASSIVE Weapons Sale attractive to our "allies" in the Middle-east, but now, it's not a tough sale.

And with all the new info that Saudi Arabian's are MOST of the suicide bombers and Foreign Insurgent fighters, none of this makes any sense otherwise.

[bluerum]

7. Here. We. Go. Again. eom

[colorado_ufo]

8. Well, now, isn't that SPECIAL!

[badgervan]

9. Well, That's One Solution

Arm 'em all to the teeth, step back and let 'em blow the hell out of each other, then step back in and get that oil.

[Az_lefty]

11. why didn't we just arm the Saudi's and have them invade Iraq?

I mean, WTF are we doing there? It's their damned problem, Saddam was never a threat to us.