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U.S. approves $1.15 billion sale of tanks & military equipment to Saudi Arabia

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L

Lime

Member
The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of more than 130 Abrams battle tanks, 20 armored recovery vehicles and other equipment, worth about $1.15 billion, to Saudi Arabia, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.
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"The Saudi-led coalition’s campaign in Yemen has been devastating for civilians (and) the U.S. should be suspending arms sales to Saudi Arabia, not approving more," said Kristine Beckerle, a researcher with Human Rights Watch.

U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut who has been critical of arms sales to Saudi Arabia, said in a statement that he was concerned about the high civilian casualty rate in Yemen. Murphy said Saudi Arabia had "largely backed away from" the fight against Islamic State militants "and I’d like to see them commit to rejoin that fight as part of major new military sales."
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http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-saudi-defense-idUSKCN10K1JR

The Pentagon announced an additional $1.15 billion in weapons sales to Saudi Arabia this week, even as a three-month cease-fire collapsed and the Saudi-led coalition resumed its brutal bombing campaign of the Yemen capital Sana.

The U.S. has already sold more than $20 billion in weapons to Saudi Arabia since the war began in March 2015, defying calls from Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International to cut off support. The Saudi-led coalition is responsible for the majority of the 7,000 deaths in the conflict, which has left more than 21 million people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. Saudi Arabia has been accused of intentionally targeting homes, factories, schools, markets, and hospitals.
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https://theintercept.com/2016/08/11...ume-yemen-bombing-and-u-s-sells-more-weapons/

Some related news: Cluster bombs were also sold to Saudi Arabia back in June and a potential ban on this sale suffered a narrow loss.
 
H

Hycran

Banned
How long until someone blames this on Barack "the Islamic Shock" HUSSEIN Obama?

Oh fuck it, I'll just do it myself.

Thanks Obama

Seriously though, why is anyone surprised or upset that America is exporting weapons. It's about the only thing anyone wants from them nowadays other than hamburger patties and DJ Khaled tracks
 
D

DragonSworne

Banned
So we work a deal with Iran but in turn provide military equipment to Saudi Arabia so they can attack Iran and other countries that share their religion views?
 
P

PeskyToaster

Member
what are we gonna spend all that paper on? schools? infrastructure? Trump's wall?

jk jk mexico is paying for that.

DragonSworne said:
So we work a deal with Iran but in turn provide military equipment to Saudi Arabia so they can attack Iran and other countries that share their religion views?
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It's the kind of deal you call a win-win.
 
G

GringoSuave89

Banned
Mael said:
Did the US relationship with Saudi Arabia turn sour recently?
Where exactly is the problem?
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I don't think it's so much sour, so much that Saudi Arabia has been doing shady/fucked up things, but the US wants to stay friendly so as to have access to money and resources. It's nothing new, but every new story like this further shows the US is doubling down, as it were, and a great many people aren't happy about it.
 
K

Kyzer

Banned
"How is ISIS getting these Toyotas?"

"I don't know, that's crazy, its like they must have some super rich benefactor. Anyways, you brought the tanks right?"
 
F

Future

Member
I know this news is shocking but doesn' the US pay Saudis Arabia lots of money already for oil? It's business
 
J

justjohn

Member
And they'll still preach to some poor country somewhere about human rights while killing their own citizens in cold blood and selling weapons to racist dictatorships. Freedom.
 
S

spekkeh

Banned
Laekon said:
Wait Democrats voted for selling cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia and Obama and the Republicans were against it? Blows my mind.
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No it's incredibly confusingly written, but it's the other way around. However, the Obama administration wanted the sale to go through so advised against voting to ban cluster bombs. So interestingly we have an isolated occurrence of bipartisanship where Republicans support Obama and Democrats don't.

Basically thanks but no thanks Obama.
 
4

4Tran

Member
Saudi Arabia has been designated by American media as a good-guy in the Middle East so we're not going to hear a lot of criticism about this kind of deal. They're probably the #1 buyer of American arms so there are strong vested interests to not rock the boat.
 
Y

yanipheonu

Member
3024402-iron-man-explosion-o.gif

16-quotiron-man-1quot.gif


To peace.
 
Audioboxer

Audioboxer

Member
Absolutely disgusting. Something to actually be ashamed about.

As usual blood money lining pockets is what big countries care a lot about. Gotta make that dosh and be rich and powerful.

SA should be banned from trade given its human rights abuses but as usual oil is a blood currency the big boys go crazy over.
 
L

Lime

Member
Bumping this:

According to a new report, offers over eight years totalled more than any previous administration and were intended to replenish arsenal after war in Yemen

The Obama administration has offered to sell $115bn worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia over its eight years in office, more than any previous US administration, according to a new report.

The surge in sales is in part to reassure the Saudi monarchy of US backing in the wake of last year’s nuclear deal with Tehran, which raised fears in the Gulf that Washington would tilt more towards Tehran in its foreign policy.

The report’s author, William Hartung of the Centre for International Policy, said another factor was a drive by US arms manufacturers to boost sales to compensate declining procurement by the Pentagon. However, the most recent deals – such as the offer to sell more than 150 M1A2 Abrams battle tanks for an estimated $1.15bn – were principally intended to replenish the Saudi arsenal, depleted in the war in Yemen.

“I think that though the Obama administration is not thrilled about the Yemen episode; it feels it can’t stay out of it, because of the need to reassure the Saudis,” Hartung said.

His report found that since taking office in January 2009, the Obama administration has offered to sell $115bn in weapons to Saudi Arabia, half of which are accounted for by deals that are still in the pipeline.
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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...fered-115-billion-weapons-saudi-arabia-report
 
BeforeU

BeforeU

Oft hope is born when all is forlorn.
$115 billion weapons. Damn thats nuts. Do Arabs even have that many people in their arm forces to actually use them?
 
D

Deleted member 80556

Unconfirmed Member
By comparison, the United States is going to help with 450 millions (2.5 times less money than this) for the peace project in Colombia (supporting mine destruction efforts, supporting demobilized guerrilla, etc).
 
womfalcs3

womfalcs3

Banned
Trojita said:
Wow
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BeforeU said:
$115 billion weapons. Damn thats nuts. Do Arabs even have that many people in their arm forces to actually use them?
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Saudi Arabia is the third-largest military spender in the world, and first if you look at military spending as a percentage of GDP. Sad.

The US is happy that Saudi Arabia is involved in Yemen.

1.) They don't have to have any boots on the ground.
2.) They (along with the UK, etc.) sold Saudi Arabia the military equipment it has, and will replenish the material that will be consumed in the war.

What's more? The US doesn't give SA the latest and greatest equipment. It's always one step ahead of Saudi militarily.

Saudi Arabia is run by paranoid individuals who don't have a local military industry, but have a bunch of money from a natural resource the US helped extract for them.
 
B

Blader

Member
The cognitive dissonance of the same government both selling billions of dollars in weapons to Saudi Arabia and wanting to sue Saudi Arabia over 9/11.
 
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