Posted on 12/11/2012 9:28:36 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Considering the fact that the Egyptian military has just aligned themselves with President Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood, this is a stupid, stupid, move. Fox News:
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Instability in Egypt, where a newly-elected Islamic government teeters over an angry population, isn't enough to stop the U.S. from sending more than 20 F-16 fighter jets, as part of a $1 billion foreign aid package.
The first four jets are to be delivered to Egypt beginning Jan. 22, a source at the naval air base in Fort Worth, where the planes have been undergoing testing, told FoxNews.com. The North African nation already has a fleet of more than 200 of the planes and the latest shipment merely fulfills an order placed two years ago. But given the uncertainty in Cairo, some critics wonder if it is wise to be sending more top gun planes.
"Should an overreaction [by Egypt] spiral into a broader conflict between Egypt and Israel, such a scenario would put U.S. officials in an embarrassing position of having supplied massive amounts of military hardware ... to both belligerents," said Malou Innocent, a foreign policy analyst at the Cato Institute. "Given Washington's fiscal woes, American taxpayers should no longer be Egypt's major arms supplier."
The U.S. government ordered and paid for the fighter jets for Egypt's military as part of foreign aid for Egypt back in 2010, when Hosni Mubarak ruled. The fighter jets were supposed to be delivered in 2013, and delivery will go ahead as scheduled even though Hosni Mubarak has been removed from power and replaced by Mohamed Morsi, who led the Muslim Brotherhood before becoming Egypt's president.
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The question a third grader might ask is, "Who are those planes more likely to be used against? Iran or Israel?"
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
1) Israel
2) Those who oppose Morsi
That’s ok! There will be just more TARGETS for the IAF. It NOT the equipment(F-16, F-15 MiG-29/31, SU 27). It’s the TRAINING!
Better news - there’s no one left in the country smart enough to operate a stapler.
The jets will be yard ornaments almost immediately!
What one word most describes aiding and abetting the enemy?
Are they crazy? I bet this is also part of some kind of free aid program because Egypt has no money to buy these kinds of expensive weapons.
I’m sure Israel will enjoy the target practice.
“The jets will be yard ornaments almost immediately!”
This phrase gave me a mental image of an F-16 sitting on cinderblocks.
GIVING THEM AWAY?
Sure give away our military assets to an Islamic-Muslim-Brotherhood dictator, to be used either to murder Israelis (our allies) or "rebels" (innocent civilians).
Wonder if these are the same F-16's that the Republic of Taiwan begged us to SELL to them?
“Are they crazy?”
Yes.
They are the same people who CONTINUE to support funding the United Nations, a collection of third world maniacs and demagogues who use it to brow beat and insult us at every turn.
The F 16 platform is nearly 40 years old, and obviously very successful.
But you have to have a capable pilot in the plane to optimize the plane’s performance.
How do you think an Egyptian pilot in an F 16 is going to do against an Israeli pilot in an Israel-upgraded F 16?
This type of thing has less to do with foreign policy than keeping defense contractors and workers happy, lobbying, donating to candidates, and voting for more spending. There is some benefit to security, in that foreign officers are often trained in the US, US technicians are stationed abroad to keep the planes flying, etc. This brings opportunities for influence, suborning intel assets, etc. Also keeps others from filling up the space. Whether the potential benefits are ever worth the real costs is doubtful, but almost impossible to ascertain.
One of many reasons that recent attempts at “stimulating” the US economy have failed is that such a large portion of our economy depends “normally” upon unnecessary government and defense spending, including politically obsolete foreign arms transfers. Keynes meant for stimulus spending to be a special circumstance, not the norm.
Make that GROUND targets——The Egypt airfarce always takes it’s 10 AM tea break. Remember that’s what they were doing last time they lost their entire fleet.
And didn’t I read on a thread that the Coptic Church (some are Catholic and some are orthodox) was asking that Egypt be opposed?
Why are these planes going to Egypt?
Obama’s F-16 Delivery Could Help Egypt Destroy Israel
Posted 12/11/2012 06:30 PM ET
Mideast: Why is the U.S. sending 20 advanced fighter jets to an Egypt that’s now the giant question mark of the Middle East? President Obama is appeasing jihadists — and possibly signing Israel’s death warrant.
Read More At IBD: http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/121112-636671-obama-foolishly-arms-an-unstable-egypt.htm#ixzz2EqnrLlBj
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