Is the Bush Administration at War with its Own Weapons in Pakistan?

[DogPoundPup]

The NYT reports,

"the Department of Defense has agreed so far this fiscal year to sell or transfer more than $32 billion in weapons and other military equipment to foreign governments, compared with $12 billion in 2005. The trend, which started in 2006, is most pronounced in the Middle East, . . .'

There are two reasons that this policy is not a good idea. The first is that there is good if not conclusive evidence that arms purchases are correlated with the outbreak of inter-state conflict. It is even more sure that when states purchase a lot of weapons, it impels their neighbors to do so, as well.

The bad news is that the extra arms do not cut down on internal insurgencies, either. So big arms sales reduce security, make war more likely, do nothing to put down rebellions, and drain resources from investments by the state that might actually help people.

A second reason that the NYT article is bad news is that the US may end up having to fight against its own weapons. For instance, the Pakistani military is now flying F-16s over the northwestern tribal areas that the US has been attack. What if they just start shooting down US Predator unmanned strike craft?
Read more @ http://www.juancole.com/2008/09/is-bush-administration-at-war-with-its.html

[bemildred]

1. Hey, you gotta drum up business any way you can.

Free samples are just good marketing.

[StopTheNeoCons]

2. TheoCon strategery: arm both sides, and keep the bobs coming

India and Pakistan will soon be at each others throat