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Posted on 07/30/2007 9:35:27 AM PDT by 300magnum
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Monday announced military aid packages worth more than $43 billion for Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states in an effort to bolster Mideast allies against Iran and others.
The United States plans to offer a $13 billion package for Egypt over 10 years and a $30 billion package for Israel over the same period, increases over previous military funding, as well as unspecified defense aid to Saudi Arabia and Gulf states, said U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
The Saudi package is expected to upgrade the country's missile defenses and air force and increase its naval capabilities, a defense official told Reuters on Saturday. The package for Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf countries could reach $20 billion over 10 years, the official said.
The proposed aid packages still have to be approved by Congress and there is expected to be opposition by some lawmakers, particularly over assistance to Saudi Arabia, which is accused of not being helpful in Iraq.
Rice made the announcement hours before leaving with Defense Secretary Robert Gates for a rare joint trip to Egypt and Saudi Arabia where they are seeking more Arab help in stabilizing Iraq.
"This effort will help bolster forces of moderation and support a broader strategy to counter the negative influences of al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Syria, and Iran," said Rice in a statement announcing the defense agreements.
Washington is striving to assure Gulf allies, worried by the growing strength of Iran and war in Iraq, that the United States is committed to the region and will stand by them, with arms sales part of that process, U.S. officials say.
IRAN CRITICAL
But Iran accused the United States on Monday of seeking to create fear and cause divisions in the Middle East by announcing the major package of arms deals.
"America has always considered one policy in this region and that is creating fear and concerns in the countries of the region and trying to harm the good relations between these countries," Iran foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini told a regular press briefing.
U.S. Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns characterized the deals as a continuation of existing policy.
"It's not as if we're introducing some new element in the region," Burns said in a conference call. "Iran is a factor in this but it wasn't the overriding factor."
Burns said he saw no conflict between the aid packages to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, whose governments have a long record of human-rights abuses, and the Bush administration's long-term goal of promoting democracy in the region.
'CONFRONTING THE THREAT OF RADICALISM'
Rice said the Bush administration was starting discussions with Egypt for the $13 billion military assistance deal which would strengthen Egypt's ability to "address shared strategic goals."
"Further modernizing the Egyptian and Saudi Armed Forces and increasing interoperability will bolster our partners' resolve in confronting the threat of radicalism and cement their respective roles as regional leaders in the quest for Middle East peace and in ensuring Lebanon's freedom and independence," Rice said.
The aid package to Israel steps up annual military support to about $3 billion each year from the $2.4 billion Israel now receives annually under a 10-year plan negotiated by the Clinton administration in 1998, Burns said.
Burns planned to travel to Israel next week to conclude the agreement.
Burns said the final amount for the Saudi and Gulf states arms package was still being negotiated, although he expected it to be in the billions. A final package with a firm price tag will be presented to Congress in September, he said.
Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are also expected to benefit but no details have been given.
OK, I get it now, thanks the MSM is so manipulative, I must really just hate Bush.
Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates currently fly F-16's of varying sophistication in the mid-east. Perhaps you meant the F-15 Eagle....
If the U.S. has interests at risk, we should aggressively protect them with our military. I’m not advocating an isolationist policy.
Paying Saudi Arabia to do it for us is just a waste of cash. At no time has SA shown a willingness to stand up militarily to any tyrant in the Middle East, and the extremists in their midst will keep it from happening.
We’ve been pumping cash into the ME for decades. What did any of the recipients due when the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan?
What did they do when Al Qaeda set up shop in Afghanistan?
What did they do when Iraq invaded Kuwait?
What did they do when Iraq continually violated international resolutions?
What have they done since Iran has pushed full steam ahead with a nuclear program?
What have they done to eliminate the terrorists in their own midst?
Why do you expect the outcome to be any different after this payoff?
At some level I can handle the misappropriation, government by definition is incompetent.
What really gets me is when those that ship the money off overseas start complaining about the lack of funding for what they call their highest priorities.
I’ve come to realize a simple fact about Federal and State governments. They never have to raise money to pay for a top priority issue. NEVER. They just say the funding doesn’t exist for education, healthcare, senior citizens, etc. because they know that no sane voter would ever want their tax dollars to be spent on the garbage it goes to.
It’s not that the funding doesn’t exist for all the most talked about issues. It’s just that politicians don’t have the stomach to fully fund those efforts before giving any funds to lower priority items like foreign aid.
Again we started this thread by gullible people knee jerking and believing a Reuters report that Saudi Arabia is getting 20 billions dollars in free military aid when in reality Saudi Arabia is paying for the 20 billion dollars.
I'm against any foreign aid going anywhere. That includes Saudi Arabia, Israel, Thailand, Russia, and one day (if we ever shut down NASA and let free enterprise do its job) Mars. If Israel were allowed to free themselves from the limits the US sets on them they would clean freaking house. They have the strongest military in the region and frankly, looking at US fun days in Iraq, I'm not sure I'd want the US to go up against them (even if God's protection weren't on them, which it is)
Besides as a Christian I know full well God's going to protect that land from any and all comers. What is it with those who supposedly believe in 'limited government'. There are certain (forgive the term) sacred cows you can't touch. Exactly how are we supposed to return to a limited government within its bounds if everyone has a subject they want funded? Answer we're not.
“Are you against 30 billions dollars going to Israel?”
We spent 30 billion in the first 9 months of the Iraq war. We won it hands down and had Saddam captured. Thanks for proving my point.
I read your postings on foreign aid and the $30 billion to Israel and the foreign aid to other countries and I totally agree with you. As an American taxpayer and a Viet Nam era veteran I’m sick and tired of our money going outside our borders to other countrys when we have critical needs here in America. Some people seem to think it’s wrong to put other countrys first but I’m for putting America first. Giving and spending in this country is out of control. Not one dime should go out of this country until the needs of our military are met, our seniors are met, and our WORKING taxpaying American citizens are met.
“America first”
About $45 billion, of which about $20 billion will be paid for by American taxpayers.
Given the relative instability of the regiemes we're selling to, and the fact that Egypt, without regional enemies trains for a ground attack on Israel, air assets to be supplimented by the Saudis and other Gulf states, this does little more than add to the instability in the region.
An Iran-Saudi struggle, unlikely as it proceeds through Iraq, will be decided by American forces. As was the Iraq-Kuwait-Saudi struggle.
High Volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel. or WOT [War on Terror]
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Another arms deal ping
Neither Egypt nor the Gulf states will use their Air Force against Israel. Even Israel declared today that they are OK with the arms sales to Saudi Arabia as I indicated in post # 40 on this thread.
IMO, the whole thing should be scrapped
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