Biggest Arms Deal In US History- Obama to Authorize $60 BILLION Arms Deal to Saudi Arabia

[Panaconda]

The F-15 fighter: the US is to sell Saudi Arabia 84 F-15s new and upgrade another 70 as part of the $60bn deal Photograph: Usaf/Getty Images

Barack Obama is to go ahead with plans to sell Saudi Arabia advanced aircraft and other weapons worth up to $60bn (£39bn), the biggest arms deal in US history, in a strategy of shoring up Gulf Arab allies to face any military threat from Iran.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the administration is also in talks with the Saudis about possible naval and missile-defence upgrades that could be worth tens of billions of dollars more over five to 10 years.

Plans to go ahead with the package, which has been under secret negotiation since 2007, have been known for some time and have raised angry objections from Iran and to a lesser extent from Israel, an even closer US ally which is anxious to maintain its strategic edge over any potential adversary in the Middle East.

In its notification to Congress, the administration will authorise the Saudis to buy as many as 84 new F-15 fighters, upgrade 70 more, and purchase three different types of helicopters – 70 Apaches, 72 Black Hawks and 36 Little Birds, the Wall Street Journal reported. The package would be subject to a review by Congress.

...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/13/us-saudi-arabia-arms-deal

[DrDan]

1. manufacturing is not dead in the U.S. . . .

[Toots]

2. The country that fifteen of the nineteen terrorists came from.

Sometimes I find no sense to this world..

[Bonobo]

4. Your post should be shouted by megaphone 50X/day here on DU.

Hell, it's even more important than screaming kids, police shooting dogs and skateboarders stealing Korans!

[flyarm]

6. and 15 of those hijackers from Saudi Arabia killed my co-workers and 2 of my neighbors sons!

wow change we can Hope to believe in eh????????

That is what you get when your Pres has strong ties with Henry Kissinger..who does almost all his business with Saudi Arabia!

[global1]

9. Where's The Outrage By The Ground Zero Mosque Deniers?......

Here we have all this commotion because someone wants to build a Community Center that includes a prayer room for Muslims two blocks from the WTC. Yet no one is making a big deal about the fact that the U.S. will sell of all kinds of armaments to the Saudi's where 15 of the 19 so-called perpetrator's of 9/11 hail from and the birth home of Osama Bin Ladin. I really don't get it?

Where is Donald Trump? Why isn't he making an offer to the U.S. to buy these weapons, planes, etc from the U.S. to prevent them from falling into the hands of the terrorists? Why isn't he on Larry King's show talking about this? Certainly he can get some publicity for the new season of the Apprentice if he took up this cause.

Really - where is Sarah Palin and Newt and Boehner and the Teabaggers and all the RW crazies? Why aren't they vocally objecting to this sale?

[BrklynLiberal]

11. Superb question....

[wildbilln864]

13. and why isn't someone in the media asking them about it? nt

:banghead:

[blondeatlast]

14. Indeed. nt

[Amonester]

19. Because palin & co R Stupid selfish greedy f*ckups. - eom

[Individualist]

15. That was my first thought on reading the OP

[newspeak]

23. yeah, and one of the worse human rights record in the world

especially when it comes to women. I mean they have public executions--I remember when the world was focused on SA, so the women thought it was time to protest for the right to drive a damn vehicle. Nope, get back in your homes and keep your mouths shut. I will never ever think SA is an ally, and don't talk about mean old Saddam, at least the women didn't have to cover their faces, they could drive and vote and held professional jobs.

[theHandpuppet]

31. +1000

At least this was announced a few days AFTER the 9/11 anniversary, eh?

This damn world makes no sense at all.

[Lyric]

3. "The Women of Qumar"

A relevant West Wing clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S72__VUs-RE

[derby378]

5. Well, fuck...

Wonder how long it'll take for this to bite Lady Liberty in the ass?

[blindpig]

7. The Business of America....

oh, nevermind.

This country is a embarrassment to the species.

[kentuck]

8. Well, that should ease the tensions in the area...

don't you think?

Nobody can say no to the arms dealers.

[Panaconda]

12. It seems

these policies have a certain continuity no matter who is in office.

[wildbilln864]

16. yes they do! nt

[BrklynLiberal]

10. makes me want to puke.......... .................

This makes the US like the corner crack whore, who will give it to anyone for the right amount of money.

[Panaconda]

17. Gotta bump

for exposure. Truly disgusting.

[MadHound]

18. Merchants of Death

Selling Saudi Arabia our outdated weapons today so that we can start a war with them using our cutting edge weapons tomorrow.

[USArmyParatrooper]

20. We sell arms to many of our allies. This isnt exactly ground breaking

RE: 9-11 hijackers - So the country of Saudi Arabia is responsible for 9-11 simply because the hijackers were from there? News flash, Bin Laden was exiled from Saudi Arabia.

[newspeak]

24. right.........

and Selim Bin Laden didn't finance Little Boot's first failing business venture, and the Bin Ladens weren't on the board at Carlyle Group and one of the sons of the House of Saud isn't just like a dear son to the Bushes. And, Baker didn't represent SA against the charges of the 9/11 victim's families.

And you really want me to believe OBL has become an unfavored child when his wish list has been answered-close American base in SA, attack Iraq, get rid of Saddam (who is not a friend to SA) and make a war on terrorism so one can recruit more terrorists (every child, every mother, grandmother, family member killed) helps create recruits for AQ.

And yes, I believe at least one of the members of the House of Saud was caught financing terrorists.

[maryf]

25. keep speaking that news!

thanks!

[maryf]

26. dupe nt.

[rug]

21. There are less than 30 million people in Saudi Arabia but nearly 300 billion barrels of oil.

What are they protecting?

[IDemo]

22. The oil number was fabricated by SA years ago

Don't take it too seriously.

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/4153

[maryf]

27. another reason for unending war...

it's so damn profitable! thanks for the report.

[newspeak]

28. what really disturbs me about SA

was what was said on Bill Moyers show when he had a terrorist expert on his show. The expert said that people from SA were slipping over the border into Iraq and contributing to the civilian bombings in Iraq. Now we're selling SA more weapons, and I'm wondering if somewhere along the way, this will enable SA to be an aggressor towards a country like Iraq.

[maryf]

29. good point

and gives me cause for concern too. It's all a way to keep control via our "allies"...

[unhappycamper]

30. I'm sure the Guys at Boeing and Sikorsky had major league woodies.

Boeing's 787 Dreamliner is going nowhere. All the military work keeps the lights on and 'preserves jobs'.