Proposed U.S. arms package to Arab nations worth more than $20 billion
The sophisticated weaponry, according to U.S. officials, would strengthen relatively moderate Persian Gulf regimes against extremist regimes and ideologies, chief among them Iran.
Rice said the arms deal, along with an aid package for Israel and Egypt, was not a trade-off for assistance but the fruit of years of partnership and a recognition of the region’s strategic importance. Although she did not mention oil, that is the region’s chief export and the origin of the historical U.S. alliance with Saudi Arabia, one of the recipients of the U.S. arms initiative.
“We have the same goals in this region concerning security and stability,” Rice said. “There isn’t a doubt, I think, that Iran constitutes the single most important, single-country challenge to … U.S. interests in the Middle East and to the kind of Middle East that we want to see.”
Gates said key goals for the trip included reaffirming that the United States will continue to have a strong military presence in the region. Although a buildup in U.S. forces has raised the number of troops in Iraq to nearly 160,000, pressure is mounting in the U.S. for redeploying troops if the political and security situation there doesn’t improve by fall.
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July 31, 2007 - 07:14 AM on July 31st, 2007
I’d have to look at this deal more closely, but I don’t think pouring more arms into the region will help things long term.
July 31, 2007 - 07:57 AM on July 31st, 2007
1- I’ll have to mark this day in my calendar, PCD. I think, finally we have found a topic at which we have the same POV!
July 31, 2007 - 07:43 PM on July 31st, 2007
While I may not be particularly in favor of providing additional arms to the Saudis, there is always the “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” axiom to look at. Iran is a radical Islamist Theocracy that has become very well entrenched (Thanks again Jimmy Carter) and is becoming more militant as their population becomes more restless at the Mullahs and Imams growing fat while dictating oppression on the masses in the name of Islam. They will have to instigate a major war somewhere to isolate the rabble rousers from the general populace and eliminate them. They know that a major conflict with Saudi Arabia will be a major coup for them, whether they win or lose. If they lose, they will have eliminated their vocal opposition while strengthening their stranglehold on the populace with little risk of actually losing control of Iran proper. If they win, they’ll have the oil and infrastructure to refine it that they don’t currently have. That will give them control of a significant percentage of the world supply of oil. That will allow them to extend their control into Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. This Israel can not allow to happen. DO not forget that the Israelis do have nuclear weapons and if faced with an Iranian controlled Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, they would be forced to use them. Anyone care to support that scenario?
August 1, 2007 - 04:20 AM on August 1st, 2007
Thanks Peejz, for covering this topic.
Now, what about the rumour that the US plans to deliver nuclear *whatever* technology to India?
I guess, there could be one or two people becoming upset about it in the “borderline-to-fundamentalism” country Pakistan…
August 1, 2007 - 04:22 AM on August 1st, 2007
PS: I don’t know why…
Each time when GW, Dick & Condi pull rabbits out of the hat like this one, it reminds of Monty Python’s “Board of Irresponsible People”…
August 1, 2007 - 04:24 AM on August 1st, 2007
PPS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJlBYvkRiHk