Arms Dealer

Have you ever wondered where all the weaponry comes from for the middle easterners to fight these ongoing wars?

The New York Times leads with news that the Bush Administration is negotiating a $20 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia, as part of a major effort to counter Iran by arming its regional rivals.

At the request of Saudi officials, who hope to avoid a repeat of the controversy that surrounded its efforts to buy fighter jets during the Reagan administration, Pentagon and State Department officials have been briefing Congress on the as-yet uncompleted deal for sophisticated weaponry, including satellite guided bombs. Now, as in the 1980s, the main opposition is expected to come from Israel's supporters in Congress. To mollify them, the administration is proposing $30 billion in additional military aid to Israel. Egypt would also receive $13 billion in similar assistance. If consummated, the arms deals would be the "largest negotiated by this administration," the WP says.

So let's review the bidding. We're going to further arm Saudi Arabia, the country from which the 911 attackers originated and the country that is currently arming and funding insurgents to fight Americans in Iraq. We're also going to further arm Israel, who is hated by everyone in the middle east including the Saudi's.

Just what is to gain in all this?

Answer: A lot of defense contractors making boatloads of money and a whole bunch of more fighting in the middle east