Official photo
Brazil President Dilma Vana Rousseff
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.
Posted on 03/20/2011 6:21:33 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Obama's Brazil trip may influence possible F/A-18 Hornet deal
By Robert Koenig, Beacon Washington correspondent
Posted 4:24 pm, Fri., 3.18.11
WASHINGTON - When President Barack Obama travels to Brazil this weekend, one of the many items on his agenda eventually could have an impact on thousands of aerospace workers in St. Louis.
Aside from signing agreements on topics such as patents and scientific cooperation Obama and Brazil's president, Dilma Vana Rousseff, are expected to discuss opportunities for American companies in Brazil - and for Brazilian firms in this country.
One of the U.S. companies with a potentially huge interest in those discussions is Boeing Co., which has been trying to convince Brazil to buy 36 of its F/A-18 Super Hornets - made mostly in St. Louis - for Brazil's long-delayed F-X2 fighter aircraft program.
Such a deal seemed impossible as late as September 2009, when Brazil's former president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, announced his preference for the Rafale fighter made by France's Dassault aerospace firm. The next-generation F-X2 aircraft would replace Brazil's aging fleet of French Mirage fighters, U.S.-made F-5 Tigers and Italian-made jets.
But Rousseff re-opened the bidding for the F-X2 program after she was elected last fall as Brazil's first female president. And she reportedly told U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner recently that she regards the F/A-18 Super Hornet as the best fighter aircraft among the three finalists, which include France's Rafale and an aircraft manufactured by Sweden's Saab.
But there is a major catch to the potential deal, which media reports have said could amount to $6 billion. Brazil wants the U.S. government to authorize transfers of some proprietary technology that would eventually help Brazil develop its defense industry. According to some reports, the Brazilians also want to sell some of their own military transport aircraft to the U.S. military.
"We're told that President Rousseff is now reviewing all of the [fighter jet] proposals," with a decision likely sometime this year, said Marcia B. Costley, a spokeswoman for Boeing Co. in Los Angeles. While Boeing was not initially in the running for the Brazil F-X modernization program, Costley told the Beacon on Friday that the F/A-18 was added as an option in 2008.
Obama is stopping in Brazil over the weekend as part of a three-country, four-day visit to Latin America. During his talks with Rousseff on Saturday, he is expected to at least mention the F/A-18 Super Hornet - along with other pending business deals and several other issues. Last year, Brazil was the eighth largest market for U.S. goods; a White House fact sheet highlights the potential for greater business ties between the two countries.
In an op-ed that appeared Friday in USA Today, Obama did not single out the F/A-18, but said he would focus on U.S. exports when he visits Brazil: "With around 200 million people, a growing middle class, and a per-capita income rising by almost 7 percent a year, Brazil imports more goods and services from the United States than from any other nation -- mainly high-tech, manufactured goods from aircraft to chemicals to clean energy components," Obama wrote.
One lawmaker who is trying to make sure that the two leaders discuss the F/A-18 bid is U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., who sent letters to both Obama and Rousseff this week extolling the virtues of the Super Hornet and committing herself to support Brazil's request for key aerospace technologies as part of a deal.
In her letter to Brazil's president, McCaskill wrote that "the United States government stands fully behind the potential sale of F/A-18 Super Hornets, and select accompanying technology, to the Brazilian Air Force. This transaction is an important step forward in strengthening the relationship between our two countries...."
In a separate letter to Obama, McCaskill wrote: "It is my hope that in the course of your visit with Brazil's president ... you will emphasize to her the U.S. Government's strong support for Boeing's bid to bring the Super Hornet to Brazil."
The Missouri senator told Obama in her letter that a Super Hornet contract with Brazil "would support vital American jobs and small-business suppliers, strengthen our national defense industrial base and open yet another important market to American exports. I know that the dedicated men and women who work the F/A-18 line in St. Louis and dozens of Missouri suppliers are particularly eager to see this new partnership take hold with Brazil."
About 5,000 Boeing jobs in the St. Louis region are related to the F/A-18. The production line for the versatile, carrier-based fighter was secured through 2013 by the U.S. Navy's order - finalized last fall - of 124 Hornets. Boeing also has been trying to sell more of the Super Hornets overseas.
At a briefing for reporters this week, Dan Restrepo, the U.S. National Security Council's director for Western Hemisphere affairs, said that business and economic issues will be at the forefront of talks in Brazil, as will a discussion of Brazil's push to be named to a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
Restrepo said "we look at Brazil and see an enormous potential for economic growth and a deepening economic cooperation. And so a lot of what we're going to be focused on [this weekend] is what are the steps that need to be taken to unlock that potential. There's been great growth; there's been a doubling of exports in the last five years," and Obama is interested in "opening doors for U.S. businesses to expand that type of cooperation."
Official photo
Brazil President Dilma Vana Rousseff
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.
So Nobel Peace Prize winner Barack Hussein Obama is in Brazil trying to sell warplanes?
Perhaps zero will toss a little Spanish lingo her way to show his solidarity.
President Dilma Rousseff
Marxist Revolutionary & was Lula’s chief of staff
See details on past-
http://www.keywiki.org/index.php/Dilma_Rousseff
That would be just so perfect! Brazil’s official language is Portugese!!
No wonder Lord Zero is paying so much attention to her. OMG, just look at her past....she makes Che Guevara look like an innocent bystander.
We know that. But does he know that?
(The LSM will never report it. The only way we will know it happened is if some low or mid level advisor gets fired.)
Didn’t his mere presence seal the Olympics also? Oopsie, yet another epic fail looms.
Some more on the “deals” being discussed.
btt
LORAL, part deux?
F'n democRATs
She is worse than William Ayres
====
Taught Marxism in high school, Rousseff joined several revolutionary groups as a young woman, including Command of National Liberation (COLINA). She joined Marxist anti-government guerillas in the 1960s in armed struggle against the then military government. In early 1969, the police invaded the group’s house and the militants responded by using a machine gun, which killed two policemen and wounded another. Dilma went underground, later participating in the formation of the Revolutionary Armed Vanguard Palmares. After that group split, Dilma was sent to Sao Paolo, where she was charged with guarding the groups weapons-which she hid under bed.
Rousseff’s political faction of the Brazilian Socialist Party, Política Operária (POLOP) [ Worker’s Politics], split and they became part of a faction that favored armed struggle against the dictatorship. It soon joined with other militant groups to form Comando de Libertação Nacional (COLINA) [National Liberation Command]. Rousseff ended up in the cland estine Vanguarda Armada Revolucionária Palmares (VAR-Palmares) [Palmares Armed Revolutionary Vanguard]. In the 1960s and 1970s, members of such organizations seized foreign diplomats for ransom: a U.S. ambassador was swapped for a dozen political prisoners; a German ambassador was exchanged for 40 militants; a Swiss envoy swapped for 70. They also shot alleged U.S. torture experts sent to train the generals’ death squads.[1]
COLINA
In 1967, the small COLINA group that Rousseff, then aged 19, was a member of in Belo Horizonte, carried out bank robberies, car thefts and a couple of bombings. In January 1969, during a police raid on a COLINA house, two policemen were fatally shot and one was wounded.
In this period, Rousseff instructed her comrades on Marxist theory and wrote for an underground newspaper. She denies carrying out any acts of violence during this period, and says she opposed such action and notes she was never accused by the military regime of violent acts. Among her “working names” at this time were Luiza, Wanda and Estela to avoid the authorities.
Around the time she became involved with COLINA, Rousseff met and fell in love with a man named Cláudio Galeno Linhares, an older comrade-in-arms. After only a year of dating, the couple married. When police broke up their guerrilla faction, the couple parted ways, with Rousseff leaving for Rio de Janeiro, where she would soon meet Carlos Araújo, who also had been imprisoned as a militant. A lawyer and leftist militant, Araújo told the newspaper O Globo in October that it was “ love at first sight ,” as Rousseff was beautiful, intelligent and “ devoted to political struggle .” Her split with Galeno was amicable and it is noted that according to Araújo, “Dilma never took up arms .” He says he only learned his lover’s real name because of her arrest. Seven months later, he too was arrested.[1]
Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., on Friday suggested Obama propose a tax treaty with Brazil that, among other things, would reduce double taxation for companies that do business in both nations. Brazil is the largest economy with which the United States does not have a bilateral tax treaty.
The issue was brought up by Cummins, Inc (CMI). CEO Tim Solso.
Brazil is a signatory of the Treaty to Prevent Double Taxation with around 26 countires, including India and China. The treaty allows companies to avoid paying the same tax on goods or services in two countries, such as a financial transactions tax, or an income tax.
(snip)
Obama was attending the VI Brazil-US CEO Forum as part of his two day official visit to Brazil.
Brazilian CEOs represented Banco Safra, Camargo Corrêa, Coteminas, Cutrale, Embraer (ERJ), Gerdau, Odebrecht, Stefanini IT Solutions, Vale (VALE) and Votorantim.
US CEOs represented Anadarko Petroleum, Cargill, CH2M Hill, Citibank Brazil & Southern Cone, Cummins Inc., Illinois Tool Works Inc., International Paper and Praxair Inc.
http://www.depauw.edu/news/?id=26697
President Obama Appoints Tim Solso ‘69 to President’s Management Advisory Board
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
March 19, 2011
Joint Statement by President Rousseff and President Obama
At the invitation of President Dilma Rousseff, the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama, paid a State Visit to Brazil on March 19, 20 and 21, 2011.
(snip)
Economy, Trade, Investment, G20 and Doha Round
The Presidents stressed the mutual benefits created by greater economic, financial and commercial cooperation. While recognizing the high quality and diversification of trade between Brazil and the United States, they emphasized the importance of building on, deepening, and broadening that relationship. They acknowledged the great potential of reciprocal investments, particularly in the areas of infrastructure, energy and high technology.
They underscored the relevant work of the Economic Partnership Dialogue, the Bilateral Consultative Mechanism on trade policy, and the Commercial Dialogue. They also highlighted the importance of enhanced private sector engagement, through both the VI CEO Forum meeting and the launching of the Business Summit, which were held in the context of this presidential visit and welcomed with interest their contributions and recommendations.
The leaders welcomed a series of important agreements reached today, including an Agreement on Trade and Economic Cooperation; and an Agreement on Air Transportation and an associated Memorandum of Consultations on Air Transportation. They also expressed their expectation about the entry into force of the Agreement on Maritime Transport and of the Tax Information Exchange Agreement in the near future.
(FULL recap of events, treaties, agreements, etc. at link)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.