Posted on 07/10/2011 4:11:19 PM PDT by Amerisrael
On Friday President Barack Hussein Obama informed the US Congress that he intended to sell 125 M-1A1 Abrams Tanks to the Egyptian Military.
With the nation of Egypt in turmoil, and the fact that the Muslim Brotherhood is poised to assume total control over Egypt, why would any sane and rational person sell tanks (or any weapon) to a nation bent on not only destroying its neighbor, but who would turn the same weapons on the US to destroy it.
From the Jerusalem Post:
The US signaled last week that it plans to continue business as usual when it comes to arms sales to the Egyptian military, despite the recent revolution in Egypt and continued anti-government demonstrations there.
On Friday, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible sale of 125 M1A1 Abrams tank to Egypt – the first large arms deal since Hosni Mubarak was ousted from power in February – including associated weapons, equipment, parts, training and logistical support at an estimated cost of just over $1.3 billion.
If approved, the deal would increase the number of Abrams tanks in Egypt from around 1,000 to 1,130.
According to the notification to Congress, Egypt would receive 125 tanks, parts of which would be produced in Egypt, as well as M256 Armament Systems, M2 .50 caliber machine guns, 7.62mm machine guns, spare parts, maintenance, support equipment, personnel training and other related elements of logistics and program support.
The Pentagon told Congress – which has 30 days to object to the deal – that the sale of the tanks would “contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country that has been and continues to be an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East.”
The sale would “provide Egypt with a modern tank fleet, enhancing its capability to meet current and future threats,” the Pentagon further stated.
News of the deal raised eyebrows in Israel, which has carefully watched arms sales to Egypt ever since Cairo began to receive annual military aid of some $1.3b. from the United States following the peace treaty the two neighbors signed in 1979.
Israel has in the past lobbied Congress against specific arms deals to Egypt. In the past few years, Egypt has purchased 24 F-16 fighter jets, Hellfire missiles, Harpoon antiship missiles, TOW anti-tank missiles, Chinook transport helicopters and Apache attack helicopters.
Israel is concerned that Egypt might take a radical shift in elections expected to be held in the fall and might once again turn into an enemy state, depending on the identity of the new president and the number of seats the Muslim Brotherhood wins in parliament.
The IDF has taken a cautious approach to the developments in Egypt, with Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz choosing a long-term plan formulated by the Planning Directorate, under which the army would grow over a number of years and not launch an immediate procurement plan to counter the possible threat evolving in the South.
Gantz’s thinking is based on the assumption that any war with Egypt would not take place any time soon, and that an immediate procurement plan announced by the IDF could be detrimental and increase tension between the countries. The signs point to Egypt attacking Israel within the next 6 months (sooner if they can). The addition of more M-1A1 Abrams tanks will only increase the livelihood of this happening.
Contact your Congressman and let them know that you do not support this idea and demand that they vote against this deal.
And they will buy the tanks with the foreign aid WE give them.
And they will buy the tanks with the foreign aid WE give them.
>>> I’m surprised at so many other misinformed comments on this thread.
I’m not.
>>> One would wonder why Egypt needs more tanks
Replacing worn-out older model tanks. Such as the aforementioned M60s. Consolidation also offers maintenance and supply efficiencies.
>>> I understand the concern, but saying that we’re selling then to the Muslim Brotherhood is bullshit.
Yep.
Keeping open our tank manufacturing facilities as the US military is not or may not be buying new tanks.
Negative... They will get brand new tanks and not used.
Selling brand new weapons to foreigners is NOT the story. The story is WHO we are selling tanks to.
The Muslim Brotherhood is trouble plain and simple.
“Abrams would win. The weapon systems are statiscally even so it would come down to the men inside the tank. Since Americans are better at combat than anybody the Abrams would prevail.”
Yes, American tank crews are damn good, but the context of the question involved Egyptians in M1 tanks vs. Israelis in Merkavas. Both tanks are good with similar systems: thick armor (edge to the Merkava while sacrificing manuvaribility to the Abrams), 120mm guns, range finders, barrel stabalization, sights, advanced electronics, etc.
I guess it would come down to training and gunnary. Israelis therefore win.
With aircraft involved in the fight(fixed and helo), again the Israelis win.
Numbers of armor or aircraft mean nothing if the users cannot employ them properly and 125 more Abrams won't make a difference. My guess that if an Israeli Merkava 4 took on an Egyptian M1A1 Abrams, the Israelis will win. If the tank is run by the typical Muslim Brotherhood flunky, the Israelis have the MB tankers for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Considering the Muslim Brotherhood is now poised to be the controlling party in Egypt, your argument is also bullshit.
Then we should just give our foreign aid directly to the tank manufacturers.
” I just see more of the same behavior I would have expected from a Senator who voted “ Present !!”
As in Mr. Ellison. And don’t forget the dhimmi lap dogs Jim Moram, Barbara Lee, Maxine Waters, and Sheila Jackson Lee.
My fellow Jews who helped put Fuhrer Obama in office should be ashamed of themselves. When this blows up, and there’s no doubt in my mind that it won’t, they will be responsible for igniting the next Holocaust. Those tanks are heading straight to Jerusalem.
Merkava, reverse slope defense.
Doesn’t really matter.
Israel has more than enough capacity to figure out how to effectively kill the M1A1. Not only are we arming enemies of the US Constitution, we have given our capable allies incentive to target our tactics and develop counter weaponry and tactics to defeat our military in combat.
You mean America has sold weapons to the Muslim Brotherhood before? Which administration?
Egypt is not presently under the control of the MB, although it may very well end up there. Of course, this has always been true, and is a potential problem with arms sales to any Muslim state.
Look at the arms and military aid we gave to the Shah, all of which eventually wound up in the mullah’s hands. Or Pakistan, which could be taken over by the MB or its equivalent at any time. Or Afghanistan, which might be taken over by the Taliban again.
But saying we are selling arms to the MB is at present untrue.
The country we should sell tanks to is Serbia.
Y’all know why!!!!
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i agree!
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