U.S. Agrees to Sell Arms to Egypt

[maddezmom]

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration has authorized the sale of 25 Avenger anti-aircraft missile launchers to Egypt, calling its ally "an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East."

The Avenger, sometimes seen around Washington during terror alerts, is a Humvee that carries a launcher that fires Stinger surface-to-air missiles.

The total value of the deal, which would include technical support and other associated parts, could be as high as $126 million, according to a statement from the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

Egypt would be able to build two air defense brigades around the Avengers, the statement said.

more: http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050628/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_egypt_weapons_1

[uppityperson]

1. Egypt is an ally? Oh yes, this yr it is. Wait until next yr.

why the hell, wtf, are they thinking at all don't they know that...agh!!!!!!!! never mind. Think I need to not read the news anymore. become a simple minded person believing and not thinking argh

[oneold1-4u]

2. WOW You said a lot

of what I was stammering about. We are still fighting in 2 islamic countries against islamic radical idealism, so it is time to give more stuff to one of the largest islamic countries who hate Israel and Americans with the same song!
It's "my country tis of thee crazies"!

[saigon68]

7. Payback for the Egyptian's secret prisons the CIA fondly uses

To keep the radical Islamics locked up in and the cells where men's testicles are wired up to 220 volts.

[rinsd]

13. I think Egypt is and has been 2nd in foreign aid to Israel. (nt)

[Massacure]

3. Israel must love that.

[lumpy]

5. Thank you, my first thought.

Israel must love that.

[smirkymonkey]

4. Call me naive, but can somebody explain to me why we sell

arms to countries that hate us?

[Nihil]

6. Maybe it's because ...

... you've run out of countries that love you?

More simply, it's because the people doing the selling have no interest,
connection or loyalty to your country ... they are just greedy war-pigs
who sell to anyone with money, regardless of how the weapons are going
to be used (or against whom).

Let me introduce you to Messrs Rumsfeld, Cheney and Bush (snr) ...

[smirkymonkey]

8. Thanks - now it makes sense.

Now ,if only the freepers would realize who is funding and supplying all the opposition, there little tiny pea brains would explode.

[fujiyama]

14. We're trying to buy their love

or more accurately the corrupt dictator's love.

[Solly Mack]

9. Payment for rendition?

[cire4]

10. Another un-democratic regime that Bush supports?

Add them to the list:

Uzbekistan
Saudi Arabia
Pakistan
Azerbaijan
Jordan
Egypt

[kwolf68]

11. Flood the world with American weapons

And look at the great that happens

-Military-Industiral Complex is fed more profits

-We have justifications for more wars when these weapons fall into the wrong hands, which necessitates the need for MORE weapons here at home, again....a boon for the M-I Complex

-Lots of flag waving, jingo-bells attacks on "Dissenters" leading to a taut administration due to the unwillingness of the 'Merican people to throw the war-mongers out lest they be called traitors.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, won't you be mine?

[meganmonkey]

12. Oh, good lord

:eyes:

[Endangered Specie]

15. In Bushs speech last night he implied Egypt would

be much benefited by the wave of 'freedom' we are making by a democratic Iraq... I know its bullshit, but now its hypocracy.

[leesa]

16. Wasn't one of the alleged 9-11 hijackers from Egypt?

We certainly love our terrorists!

[rocktivity]

17. Sorry, but I've misplaced my scorecard

Aren't we mad at them for torturing people?

:shrug:
rocknation

[saigon68]

21. They torture for us

They torture for the CIA.

[Roland99]

18. Why the hell does Egypt need anti-aircraft missiles??

[maddezmom]

19. just in case the US invades

since they aren't really a democracy? :shrug;

[onager]

20. This goes back to the Camp David Accords

At least that's what several Actual Egyptians told me, when I was in Egypt earlier this year (and I'm going back again soon).

As a brib...er, reward for not getting aggressive with Israel or its neighbors, Egypt gets tons of foreign aid every year. Not all of it is military. There are also some agricultural and general welfare projects funded by U.S. money.

(And they could some educational help--the country has an illiteracy rate of about 48%, according to another Actual Egyptian Person.)

All this $$$ dates back to Carter's Camp David Accords with Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat. You may remember that shortly after, Sadat was assassinated by the radical Muslim Brotherhood for his "betrayal" of Egypt. The M.B. is definitely still around and seem to have a good deal of support among some Egyptian Muslims (that's 94% of the population). OTOH, I talked to some Egyptian women who said they would never go back to wearing the abaya and not working outside the home. :shrug:

On the bright side...though some of you sure won't think so...these kinds of contracts provide work for Americans. Because of the citizenship requirements, etc., the contractors haven't figured out a way to outsource defense contracts to India. Yet.

It's a real hoot seeing how much old Russian stuff is still laying around in Egypt. e.g., I saw several Egyptian Generals whose staff cars were old Russian Lada/Niva compacts. You'd never see an American general in anything like that.