http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16358068
The United States has confirmed the sale of nearly $30bn (£19.5bn) of fighter jets to Saudi Arabia.
The US will send 84 Boeing F-15 jets to its key Middle Eastern ally, and upgrade 70 existing Saudi F-15s.
The agreement is part of a $60bn arms deal covering 10-15 years, approved by the US Congress last year.
The military hardware deal comes at a time when Washington is working to counter the influence of the Saudis' bitter regional rival, Iran.
The sale was formally announced on Thursday from Hawaii, where President Barack Obama is on holiday.
So, what was the margin on the sale and who got it?
AntwortenLöschenAn Iraq plan that lasted longer than the Bush version...
A surge in Afghanistan...
Incursions into Pakistan...
Drones in Yemen and Iran...
Diplomatic threats on Iran...
Troop deployments to the Central Africa Republic...
6 party talks with North Korea all but abandoned...
Continued US military presence in Kosovo and Bosnia...
More military hardware and 'advisers' in Colombia...
Continued the Patriot Act...
Rendition torture retained...
Gitmo still open...
Executed Pirates on the high seas...
Executed Osama Bin Laden and his wife and dumped his corpse in the ocean...
Executed a US citizen in Yemen...
US military veterans on the terror watch list...
Air strikes in Libya...
More military hardware for a Whabbist country that spawned the 9-11 conspirators...
Stood by while civilians were murdered in the streets of Tunisia, Iran and Egypt...
Cheered the "Occupy" movement in spite of deaths in Oklahoma City, Vancouver, New Orleans and Bloomington...
etc.
If I were a Liberal, Progressive, Socialist, Democrat, I think I might be a little disappointed that the guy I voted for is as blood thirsty as George Bush if not more-so.
Oh oh, I think I was the victim of Obama Hopenosis. Who do I vote for now? George McGovern, Walter Mondale, where are you?
I suppose I should start a movement to draft Dennis Kucinich for 2012 as soon as he returns from his latest UFO flight?
Useful points pertaining to the US election race, there Jim.
AntwortenLöschenMine was really only because I found the story noteworthy, just reporting the facts. For anyone who maybe saw Saudi Arabia as less-than-100%-friendly to Western interests, or at least Israel's, the sale of such military hardware might be a surprise. This is a country that doesn't even recognise Israeli passports, right? And some say Israel 'owns' your government... "my enemy's enemy is my friend"?
Israeli base(s) on Saudi territory?
AntwortenLöschenhttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37950730/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/t/israel-setting-saudi-base-iran-raid/#.Tv3DBDVNuRM
It's worth a discussion. I'd like to know more. I don't care who is President of the USA. It will be business as usual.
AntwortenLöschen*cough* Ron Paul *cough*
AntwortenLöschenYes, yes yes, balance of power and all that, I know.
AntwortenLöschenBut, we were supposed to be in an era of 'change'. All the Arabs got apologized to and even the Europeans were 'hopeful'.
The Irish were literally rioting for a chance to the see his holiness the Pope of Hope and amazingly claimed him as a blood relative.
So far the only change we've seen is a ramp-ing up of the military industrial complex and client states just like the Soviets of the 50's and 60's.
Business almost as usual depending on your point of view.
There is a more significant difference. It used to be the rediculous notion that some collection of Arab tribes were going to suddenly discard the Koran and embrace Democracy, now there is this even crazier notion of a marginalized, one-world unification under the blessing of socialism and wealth redistribution.
Different goals, same brutal methods.
MSNBC, really?
AntwortenLöschenThe Israeli's need a flight corridor over Saudi to get to Iran? Why is it that they need to take that detour?
Thanks for the info! Youre right. Business as usual.
AntwortenLöschenA rhetorical question, surely. But thanks - having meant to link here to a pic on SLG, I realised our early map galleries are missing - unbelievably - a single, standard map of the 'Middle East', Israel, Saudi, Syria, Iraq, Iran etc.
AntwortenLöschenI always thought Iran was smaller than that, too.
Sorry, don't know what happened.
AntwortenLöschenI knew someone would misread that. They are not 'missing', just missing a crucial ingredient. I'd post one, but they were posted on an old account lol
AntwortenLöschenOh! I hope you won't get an identity crisis now! *relived that I didn't delete something by accident*
AntwortenLöschen;-)