Posted on 07/30/2007 12:08:13 PM PDT by Ironfocus
Washington - The United States announced a proposed $13bn military aid package for Egypt and a $30bn package for Israel on Monday, along with plans to provide such aid to Saudi Arabia and Gulf states.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made the announcement hours before leaving with Defence Secretary Robert Gates for a rare joint trip to Egypt and Saudi Arabia where they are seeking more Arab help in stabilizing Iraq.
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, US officials say.
"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 defence agreements.
The packages for Egypt and Israel would be for 10-year periods.
Rice said the Bush administration was starting discussions with Egypt for the $13bn military-assistance deal, which would strengthen Egypt's ability to "address shared strategic goals".
"Further modernising 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 Saudi package, which along with the other deals must be approved by Congress, is expected to upgrade the country's missile defences and air force and increase its naval capabilities, a defence official said on Saturday.
Bush administration officials said the amount for the Saudi aid deal is still being negotiated.
Rice said that US Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns planned to travel to Israel and the region in mid-August to finalise the agreements.
It seems as if the ME is turning into a new arms race, with the US on the one side and the Russians and Chinese on the other. Are these transactions in anticipation or reaction to increased buying by the axis of evil? That would be the only justification possible, but still does not remove the problem that the US seems to be selling weapons to both sides of a potential conflict.
“but why would the US seek to arm countries”
Because the so-called “aid” is really a cash infusion, a lucrative subsidy, to American defense industries.
What is especially galling is their will be “aid” (Your money + what Bush borrows from China, etc.) to oil rich countries. How about spending some money on the BP and the fence? O
Seems at the end of Bush II any breathless scam is feasible, as long as it comes out of our pockets, or our children’s.
So we are selling them weapons which the pay for with our own money?? Yikes.
This is nothing new. The Cartah Administration sold F-15s and E-3 AWACs to Saudi Arabia and Egypt in return for Jimmah's photo op in the Rose Garden with Sadat and Begin.
As was seen with the Iranian F-14s, if we sell them aircraft and they start acting badly, we pull spare parts support whereby the aircraft become expensive static displays.
Doesn’t really matter who governments are dealing with...$$$ almost always wins out.
“So we are selling them weapons which the pay for with our own money??”
I’ve seen many reports saying the “aid” goes to oil rich states too, but that is so galling I’ll keep my mind open, reporters notoriously misreport things.
Yeah, the Saudis need more money. /s
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
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