Exclusive: U.S. approves Boeing, Lockheed fighter jet sales to Gulf - sources

Reuters ^ | Sep 28, 2016 | Andrea Shalal

[sukhoi-30mki]

The United States on Wednesday began notifying lawmakers that it has approved $7 billion in long-stalled sales of Boeing Co (BA.N) fighter jets to Kuwait and Qatar, and more than $1 billion in Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) jets to Bahrain, sources familiar with the decision said.

The sales had been pending for more than two years amid concerns raised by Israel, Washington's closest Middle East ally, that arms sold to Gulf Arab states could be used against it, and criticism of Qatar for alleged ties to armed Islamist groups.

U.S. officials began notifying lawmakers informally about the sale of 36 Boeing F-15 fighter jets to Qatar valued at around $4 billion, and 28 F/A- 18E/F Super Hornets, plus options for 12 more, to Kuwait for around $3 billion, the sources said.

They also told lawmakers about plans to sell 17 Lockheed F-16 fighter jets to Bahrain, plus upgrades of up to 20 additional aircraft.

The deals will be formally announced once the 40-day informal notification process has ended. Then lawmakers will have 30 days to block the sales, although such action is rare.

Reuters reported earlier this month that the U.S. government was poised to approve the long-delayed sales to Kuwait and Qatar.

The State Department said it could not comment on any ongoing government-to-government arms sales.

Delays in the process had caused frustration among U.S. defence officials and industry executives, who warned that Washington’s foot-dragging could cost them billions of dollars of business if buyers grew impatient and sought other suppliers.

[Nextrush]

El Rushbo pointed out on the air that the skids for the Iran Nuclear Deal were greased by Bob Corker and the GOP (the Corker Bill raising the bar to 2/3 for the agreement to fail) so Iran’s frozen assets could be unleashed for Boeing to make money selling spare parts to Iran.

Now comes more benefit for Boeing and the ‘military industrial complex’ from the Iran deal. They sell their wares to countries worried about Iran’s military buildup.

[Vinnie]

But ultimately they are all enemies of Israel.
I oppose selling front line military equipment to any ME country other than Israel.
Those weapons can be pointed Northwest just as easily as Northeast

[Islander7]

We have been here before, but the lessons are no longer taught.

In 1930’s Seattle scrap steel was a case for trade sanctions

"...December 1934 when Japan makes a symbolic move of buying shells from the old arsenal at Fort Stevens on the Columbia River. The exporter assures Americans that the shells are "not being converted into war material."

War is already on people’s minds. That month, Japan renounces a treaty restricting the size of its navy. But Japan is also a longtime trading partner, and the steel shipments continue.

In July 1937, Japan invades China. The same month a Japanese group offers to landscape Seattle’s Foster Island with five acres of cherry trees. The offer is not accepted, public sympathy is with China. But the U.S. exports are five times higher to Japan..."

--- snip ---

And the rest is history.

[Nextrush]

Israel doesn’t care IMHO since Boeing also did a big deal with El Al, the Israeli airline, as well in recent months.

Israel has its own defense industry developing anti-missile products for short range and long range with the short range products said to be making their way to one Gulf Arab country through a US company that partners with Israel.

I seriously think the foreign policy elite’s end game is a ME where the Iranian Shia and Saudi-Gulf Sunni Muslims are played off against each other with American and even Israeli defense contractors profiting.

It’s like back in the 1970’s when Nixon and Kissinger worked to play the Soviet Communists against the Chinese ones and doing trade with both.

There was more honesty from leaders telling what they were doing back then for better or worse.

The British Trade Secretary Liam Fox said that today Iran presents Britain with a very large market opportunity.

I don’t trust this foreign policy any more than I did the one back in the 1970’s.