Blue Herald
28
Jul
U.S. Plans Arms Deal With Saudis
by QuestionGirl • 7:54 am

Arms Arms and more arms. Just what the world needs. Israel is like the spoiled child. Well if Johnny got two new toys, I need to get 8 new toys because I’m better than Johnny. What Israel wants, Israel gets.
Israel and some of its supporters in Congress
We didn’t put you there to support Israel. Israel is not one of the states. We still have a gulf coast in shambles. How about you support rebuilding it?

The Bush administration is preparing to ask Congress to approve an arms sale package for Saudi Arabia and its neighbors that is expected to eventually total $20 billion at a time when some United States officials contend that the Saudis are playing a counterproductive role in Iraq.

The proposed package of advanced weaponry for Saudi Arabia, which includes advanced satellite-guided bombs, upgrades to its fighters and new naval vessels, has made Israel and some of its supporters in Congress nervous. Senior officials who described the package on Friday said they believed that the administration had resolved those concerns, in part by promising Israel $30.4 billion in military aid over the next decade, a significant increase over what Israel has received in the past 10 years.

But administration officials remained concerned that the size of the package and the advanced weaponry it contains, as well as broader concerns about Saudi Arabia’s role in Iraq, could prompt Saudi critics in Congress to oppose the package when Congress is formally notified about the deal this fall.

In talks about the package, the administration has not sought specific assurances from Saudi Arabia that it would be more supportive of the American effort in Iraq as a condition of receiving the arms package, the officials said.

More at the New York Times



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