Obama to Pitch $60B Saudi Arms Deal to Congress-major opportunity to create new jobs

CBS ^ | 9-13-10

[SJackson]

The Wall Street Journal reports the White House will officially notify Congress in the next two weeks of a $60 billion deal to sell Saudi Arabia dozens of U.S.-made fighter jets and military helicopters.

If it goes ahead, the sale of some 84 new F-15 jets and dozens of helicopter will be the largest U.S. arms deal ever.

The Obama administration is pitching the sale as a major opportunity to create new jobs for the beleaguered American economy. Companies including Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and General Electric say more than 75,000 jobs could be created to build the new aircraft.

According to The Journal's sources, who remained anonymous, negotiations are also continuing on a side-deal which could see the Saudis pay an additional $30 billion for a U.S.-made upgrade to their naval forces.

Congress is expected to okay the sale of the aircraft ---- made tough to reject in America's current economic state by the prospect of new jobs.

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

..................

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

..................

[ElayneJ]

This is is his plan to stimulate the economy?

[GunningForTheBuddha]

Just wow. Remind me what the nationality of the majority of the 9/11 terrorists was again?

[SoFloFreeper]

I guess the same people who thought it was wrong for Dubai to run the ports think it is cool to sell weapons to the Saudis.

[Prospero]

We're still wondering where a lot of the money (much of laundered through people unlikely to have the means) came from to finance our Grand Mufti's campaign for president in 2008... the sorts of people who might also donate to the Mayor NYC's favorite charity, if you catch the drift.

Invisible are our teflon allies in The Kingdom. The Saudis have been flooding the U.S. with petro dollars, and, frankly... I can't help but wonder, also, how much of a role the traditional bribery of the Kingdom is playing in driving the agenda... whether it has become very much more sophisticated over the years, and also right out in the open.

There's a great summary of why this matters (short read) HERE:

http://www.meforum.org/535/saudi-arabia-and-the-rise-of-the-wahhabi-threat

[Karliner]

So this is just the US trying once again to destabilize and appease while holding up the F-35's promised to Israel. I have this funny feeling those weapons will be in play in Sudan and other areas wahabi-House of Fudd is killing people.

Only thing we should have sent them is goats.

[ASOC]

LOL

and the price of oil will go up when?

[calex59]

He stops the manufacture of the F22, killing many jobs, but then decides to sell our top of the line fighter to the Saudis as if he is really doing something about jobs.

[Freedom56v2]

He stops the manufacture of the F22, killing many jobs, but then decides to sell our top of the line fighter to the Saudis as if he is really doing something about jobs.

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It is interesting isn’t it?!