The Cost of Peddling Arms in the Middle East
Patricia Morris | Apr 27, 2011 |
0 If the U.S. ties to the Egyptian military made you uneasy, brace yourself for more anxiety.
It's no surprise that the U.S. sells weapons abroad and that it's not always a great idea, but recent protests and revolts in the Middle East have (again) raised questions (and rightfully so) about the consequences of our arms sales abroad.
Check out the article here.
Security Matters, Arms Control, Arms Sales, Middle East (all tags)
US Announces $60 Billion Arms Sale to Saudi Arabia
Laicie Olson | Oct 20, 2010 | 0 
The Obama administration notified Congress today of a "a significant defense package that will promote regional security and enhance the defensive capabilities of an important Gulf partner with whom we have had a longstanding and close security relationship.” The deal with Saudi Arabia, worth up to $60 billion, will become one of the largest-ever single US arms deals.
The State Department and Pentagon informed lawmakers that the delivery of weapons would be spread over 15-20 years. Weapons systems include 84 new F-15 fighter jets, 70 upgrades of existing Saudi F-15s, 70 Apache attack helicopters, and 72 Black Hawk helicopters as well as a wide array of missiles, bombs, launchers and equipment.
Andrea Shalal-Esa notes that in these tough economic times, with increasing budgetary pressure on both the US and Europe, US defense firms have begun to look to the Middle East and Asia for continued weapons sales in the coming years. This particular deal might help to offset the UK's decision to trade its planned buy of 138 F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing versions of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter for the F-35C carrier variant.
While Congress has 30 days to block the deal, it seems unlikely that they will. “Congress is a big place and there's a lot of members, and there may be differing opinions about the sale,” said Assistant Secretary of State for Political Military Affairs Andrew Shapiro, “but we feel comfortable that we have done adequate pre-consultations with members of Congress that there will not be a barrier to completing this sale.”
And don’t expect any flack from Israel. While it has not been stated directly, the deal has been widely acknowledged as a move to counter the perceived threat of Iran to its neighbors. Israel has traditionally been wary of arms sales to nearby Arab countries, but in this moment of uncertainty, the rules have changed. Israeli strategists now predominantly consider Iran, rather than the Arab countries, to be the greatest external threat to Israel’s security. Some rumors have even speculated that Saudi Arabia has already granted Israel permission to use its airspace in the event of an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
On the question of “where these arms may be in 10 or 20 or 30 years’ time?” Shapiro remarked that after extensive review, the administration is, “comfortable that this sale will serve to enhance U.S. national security.”
Iran Watch, Security Matters, Nukes on a Blog, Saudi Arabia, Obama Administration, Arms Sales (all tags)
U.S. Arms Sales Up 465% in Last Decade
Travis | Oct 26, 2009 | 0 Andrew previewed it over the summer, but now the DSCA provides confirmation:
With Fiscal Year 2009 figures tallied, and looking back at our projected total sales of $40 billion, we can take pride in the fact we achieved a new record of $37.9 billion in sales. To put that in historical perspective, that is a 465% growth from a low point of $8.1 billion in FY 1998 and slightly over our previous record figure of $36.4 billion in FY 08.
(h/t Matt Schroeder)
The Obama administration recently announced its support for an international Arms Trade Treaty that would “promote the same high standards for the entire international community that the United States and other responsible arms exporters already have in place to ensure that weaponry is transferred for legitimate purposes.”
I guess $37.9 billion per year constitutes “high standards” that “we can take pride in.”
U.S. Arms Sales May Top $40 Billion in 2009
Andrew | Jun 22, 2009 | 0 
Choo choo?
A big focus of President Obama’s foreign policy has been to build consensus with other countries in order to tackle international security issues. Unfortunately, a rise in arms sales may result.
Last week, it was reported that U.S. arms sales are on pace to top $40 billion in 2009. That is up from at least $32 billion in 2008 and $25 billion in 2007.
Numerous Obama administration officials have stressed the importance of international coalitions and partnerships in dealing with security challenges. Implicit in these statements is an offer to sell weapons to countries that are considered key U.S. allies.
There are, of course, other factors at work. For example, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, funded mainly by the U.S. in partnership with eight other countries, is expected to result in over 4,000 fighter orders in the coming years. There has also been a more aggressive pursuit of foreign sales by U.S. companies since Secretary Gates’s defense cuts were announced in April.
Arms sales should not become the cornerstone of Obama’s drive to reinvigorate America’s standing in the international community. Particularly in the developing world, arms sales to repressive regimes discredit the United States in the eyes of local populations. How can we say we stand for freedom and liberty while providing undemocratic governments with weapons that allow them to remain in power and crack down on internal dissent?
