Truemors
Flag this story
Digg
del.icio.us
AddToAny
is reporting from
Member
NP Rank:
NP Rank:
US accused of fuelling arms race with $20bn Arab weapons sale
The Bush administration is facing claims that it is fuelling an arms race in the Middle East following the disclosure of a plan to sell $20bn (£9.8bn) of advanced weaponry to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.The plan, which will be announced today, will be balanced by a 25% increase in US military and defence aid to Israel. A further $13bn will be pledged to Egypt.
"This administration does not have an arms sales policy, except to sell, sell, sell," said Daryl Kimball of the Arms Control Association. "That approach in the Middle East can be like throwing gasoline on a brush fire."
Add a comment
Comments (1)
at 02:09 on July 30th, 2007
Bush faces Saudi arms hurdle
By Patti Waldmeir in Washington
Published: July 29 2007 20:24 | Last updated: July 29 2007 20:24
The
Bush administration’s plans for a giant package of arms sales to Saudi
Arabia and military aid to Israel ran into congressional opposition at
the weekend, with some congressmen vowing to introduce legislation to
block the proposal.
The deal, is expected to include $20bn (€14.7bn, £9.9bn) in advanced arms
for Saudi Arabia and five other Gulf countries, offset by $30bn in aid
to Israel.
It
is being presented as part of an effort by the Bush administration to
counter the rising influence of Iran. Another part of the package will
be military assistance worth some $13bn in the next decade for Egypt.
The $20bn
Saudi package would be one of the biggest arms deals negotiated by the
Bush administration. Human rights groups also criticised the deal.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/43b7ca24-3dff-11dc-8f6a-0000779fd2ac.html