Among the bombs the air force was to obtain were 500 BLU-109 bombs that can penetrate two-meter-thick cement walls, 2,500 Mk-84, 1,000 Mk-83 and 500 Mk-82 bombs. The bombs Israel acquired included airborne versions, guidance units, training bombs and detonators, and are guided by an existing Israeli satellite used by the military. Haaretz quoted Israeli sources as saying the sale was not expected to go through until after the 2004 November US elections.
The Pentagon approved the sale of 100 GBU-28 (BLU-113 Penetrator) bombs to Israel in 2005. The GBU-28 is a 5,000-pound laser-guided conventional munition capable of penetrating seven-meter-thick concrete walls. Although Israel's purchase for that ordinance was approved in 2005, the Israeli Defense Ministry, amid steep budget cuts, declined to go through with the $30 million deal. Citing U.S. officials, the New York Times reported on 04 Jul 22 that the Bush administration had expedited delivery of some satellite- and laser-guided bombs to Israel in response to an Israeli request connected to the Lebanon offensive.
Expedited delivery of these bombs was described by some military officers as being somewhat unusual. American officials have stated that it is up to the buyer nation to set up a timetable for delivery once a weapons purchase has been approved. However, normal procedures usually do not entail rushing of delivery within days of a request. This was nevertheless accomodated in that Israel is a close ally in the midst of hostilities. One American official said the shipment should not be compared to the kind of an "emergency resupply" of dwindling Israeli stockpiles that was provided during the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, when an American military airlift helped Israel recover from early Arab victories.
The report did not give details on the munitions in question but said they were part of a sale the Pentagon approved in 2005, and part of a multimillion-dollar arms sale package that Israel could draw upon as needed. The New York Times report stated that although Israel did have some precision guided bombs in its stockpile at the beginning of the Lebanon campaign, the Israelis may not have taken delivery of all the weapons they were entitled to under the 2005 sales agreement.
I find it extremely interesting, considering the foreging, Israel's decision to nix the approved $30 million GBU-28 deal, and instead opting to outfit BLU-109's with $100 million worth of JDAM guidance kits. According to The Jerusalem Post, this purchase would not require Congressional approval, as it is an exercise of a previously approved purchase option.
One thing perfectly clear: Israel not only has ordinance, but they have quite a bit of it on hand (despite depleting the larder a bit as a result of the Lebanon campaign the cupboards are in no way to be construed bare).
The Bush administration announced 06 Jul 20 a military equipment sale to Saudi Arabia, worth more than $6 billion, a move that may in part have been aimed at deflecting inevitable Arab government anger at the decision to supply Israel with munitions in the event that effort became public. And now for something completely different:
Unemployment is at 9.6% of Saudi labor force, 300,000 are unemployed -- Minister al-Gosaibi
Wednesday, 5 May 2004
"The latest figures issued by the [General Statistics] Authority state that the unemployment figure is around 9.6 percent of the total Saudi labor force (15 years and over)," said Saudi Minister of Labor Ghazi ben Abdul-Rahman al-Gosaibi.And here is an example of "The Larch".In his remarks to Saudi Press Agency today, Minister al-Ghosaibi added, "This means there are 300,000 unemployed people in the Kingdom."
And now back to the BBC.
From 1990 to 2004, Saudi Arabia, with a population of 21.4 million spent $268.6 billion dollars on arms. That is more than $12 million dollars for every man, woman, and child in Saudi Arabia.
The Saudis own more than 1,015 Tanks including 315 high quality M1A2s, over 5,000 APCs/AFVs, 780 artillery pieces, over 2,000 anti-tank missile launchers, over 340 combat aircrafts including F15S/C/Ds and Tornados, and 48 Typhoons (Eurofighter) slated for delivery in 2008 (costing $10 billion). On top of that, they own over 228 helicopters, 160 training and liaison aircrafts and 51 transport aircraft. The Saudi navy also operates over 27 major combat vessels, including missile frigates and missile corvettes. Debkafile reported on May 22 that the U.S. is considering arming Israel and Saudi Arabia with its largest bunker buster bombs. "The intention is to arm US allies with a deterrent against Iran by sharing with them the means for striking the Islamic Republic’s underground nuclear installations." The ordinance in question is known as the Massive Ordnance Penetrator -- MOP -- or BIG-BLU - and weighs in at 13,600 kg, capable of destroying 25% of its targets buried beneath 60-meter-thick reinforced concrete."
Clearly the Saudi's would be threatened by such a massive appropriation of ordinance amounting to $319 million (with an additional $100 million JDAM contract). This threat clearly can only be mitigated by an additional $6 billion defense contract in order to regain parity lost to the Zionists with their military procurement. What is unclear is, if 300,000 unemployed comprise 9.6% of the Saudi Labor force (15 and above), and there are 21.4 million inhabitants in the land of Saud, shouldn't the Saudi's build a wall or something to stop the dang Mexicans from coming into their country? Oh, wait they are indeed spending £13 billion on a 560 mile long wall to keep out those pesky Iraqi's doing jobs that the Saudi's won't.
"We suffer badly from illegal immigration, as well as the smuggling of drugs, weapons and even prostitutes," said Nawaf Obaid, the director of the Saudi National Security Assessment Project, an institute that advises the government on security affairs. "It is becoming a major issue."
And once again: The Larch