Bush to Urge $20 Billion Arms Sale to Saudi Arabia, Gulf States
 

July 28 (Bloomberg) -- The Bush administration is planning to ask Congress next week to approve an arms-sale package to Saudi Arabia and five other Persian Gulf countries that may total more than $20 billion, Rebecca Goodrich-Hinton, a Defense Department spokeswoman, said.

Included in the package are advanced satellite-guided bombs, fighter-aircraft upgrades and new naval vessels. The administration also plans to announce a new 10-year military aid package to Israel and Egypt. The steps are part of an effort by the Bush administration to counter Iran's rising influence.

The $20 billion price tag on the arms-sale package is more than double what officials originally estimated this past spring, and would be the largest arms deal negotiated by the Bush administration. It would likely include air-to-air missiles and Joint Direct Attack Munitions.

The military assistance agreements would provide $30 billion in new U.S. aid to Israel and $13 billion to Egypt over a decade, Goodrich-Hinton said.

In addition to Saudi Arabia, the six countries to receive the arms would be the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.

Plans for the sale will be announced Monday ahead of a trip to the Middle East by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

News of the proposed sale was first reported in today's Washington Post and New York Times.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...i6qwI&refer=us

:disgust

:1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh

They will NEVER learn ..... :2 cents:

..BTW, isn't it the US complaining about IRAN supplying arms ... :)

sell them weapons, "include air-to-air missiles" it will not be cool when those missle will hit US planes.

Passing weapons around advanced technology like this is how you create enemies as powerful as you currently are..

Historically this is always what happens

These arabs sell us their oil! Sell them our military!

These arabs won't sell us their oil! Send them our military!

Of course it will be, then there will be solid reason to go to war again!

lol, sad but true...

My thought exactly..

:disgust

U.S. will sell to them wholesale so they can resell at retail...

This comes on the heels of the Democrats passing a funding bill in both Congress and the Senate to approve money for more homeland security. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6920198.stm

Democrats did something in less than a year the the Republicans couldn't seem to get done even 7 years after 9/11. The Republicans always give us lip service while the Democrats get the job done. Reason? Because the Democrats made it a top pirority.

Of course this one comes on the heels of the Democrats once again getting us another 3 billion for our boarder security on the Mexican/US boarder. Bush the tuff guy on terror that he is, had planned on vetoing the funding because it was too much money. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,291022,00.html

Once again the Democrats walked the walk while the Republicans talked the talk.

They are probably just getting rid of outdated technology... It's kinda like selling your old 386 to some sig whore in India, what could go wrong with a deal like that?

i hope you all realise this is coming out of US tax payers money, along with the $4 billion a year to israel.

Israel has the 4th largest army in the world for a country the size of New Jersey, I read that somewhere once, stuck with me.. Can you say scary?

Egypt *and* Iran attacked Israel in the 1970's on a holy day if I remember right. Now the US is giving Egypt weapons?

It's all to "secure the region" and protect their valuable Israel. If they actually lost it, they wouldn't be able to ever go back to that region with any degree of success.

The map tells the story.

http://www.reisenett.no/map_collecti...rael_nbr90.jpg

Israel is the 51st state of america, we all know that. America runs Israel. But, America and Israel will never be able to defeat the whole east. Hezbollah defeated the IDF (one of the most advanced armies in the world) last summer without breaking a sweat.

but yeah its all out of your tax money, scary shit.

I Thought, Saudi Arabia was the origin of the Terrorists from the 9/11/01 attack. Why would We arm the Country?

Haha, yep. Also the majority of terrorists and insurgens in iraq are saudi's. The goverment in saudi arabia was put in place by america, they are under the influence of america, so if they ever have a war with iran or w/e saudi will be on their side.

but recently tensions have been getting high with saudi arabia, so i think this is why they have done this arms deal. But havent america learned the lesson from history? this is EXACTLY what they did with saddam hussein, they wont be able to keep this monster on its leash for too long.

I hope you dont belive that, because that is far from the truth.

they dont have the 4th largest army, but one of the most advanced. the thing is, israel forces people to join the army, its compulsary

also to add, how can they have the 4th largest army, israels population is only like 6 million lmao.

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Yep:Oh crap

Oh well, that's politics for ya.

That's because EVERY CITIZEN must serve a number of years, and is subject to be recalled at any time.

So essentially their whole population except the diapers... kids and old folk... are in the military.

But it's far from a "standing" army.

:2 cents: