Arms Sale Plan Will Haunt US, Critics Say

[marmar]

From the Sydney Morning Herald, via CommonDreams:


Published on Monday, July 30, 2007 by Sydney Morning Herald/Australia
Arms Sale Plan Will Haunt US, Critics Say
by Robin Wright


THE Bush Administration’s plan to sell advanced weapons worth $US20 billion ($24 billion) to Saudi Arabia and five other Persian Gulf countries is running into congressional opposition and criticism from human rights and arms control groups.

Members of Congress vowed on Saturday to oppose any sale to Saudi Arabia on grounds that the kingdom had been unhelpful in Iraq and unreliable in fighting terrorism. King Abdullah has called the US military presence in Iraq an “illegitimate occupation” and the Saudis have been unable or unwilling to stop suicide bombers who have ended up in Iraq, congressional sources say.

Human rights groups warned the offer - designed to contain Iran’s influence - could backfire, allowing the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to rally greater support for his hardline faction in the run-up to parliamentary elections next year. And arms control groups said the strategy would accelerate a dangerous trend that could increase tensions rather than create a greater sense of security.

The Administration plans to sell satellite-guided bombs, fighter aircraft upgrades and new naval vessels to the six Gulf Co-operation Council countries - Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.

US officials admitted that congressional reactions had been mixed but cautioned that details of a broader arms package - including $US30 billion in military aid to Israel and $US13 billion to Egypt - have yet to be released.

“As we move forward, we will work very closely with Congress, as well as our friends and allies in the region,” a State Department spokesman said. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/07/30/2854/