Posted on 08/02/2007 8:00:29 AM PDT by SJackson
All international arms sales have to be approved by the gubmint. U.S. arms dealers can’t just go selling to whomever they want (at least not legally).
(at least not legally)
correct
I think they might be up to a 10/90, right to wrong ratio.
There is also the issue of them reselling, or lending the weapons we sell them to the Chinese, Russians, N. Koreans, etc.
Anything we sell them should not be technology that they couldn't get somewhere else.
At that point, it really becomes a business decision. If they can get the weapons from a number of sources, why not lower the costs of our own weapons by economies of scale by selling them weapons ourselves instead of having them buy them elsewhere.
We just need to make sure our own defense industry doesn't get overzealous and sell such countries weapons with capabilities that they couldn't get elsewhere in an attempt to compete for their business.
Then again, we know the arms aren't for use on their jihadist brothers.
To allay concerns in Israel, a $6 to $8 billion increase in aid, paid for by American taxpayers.
To prevent hurt feelings, and additional $13 billion to Egypt paid for by US taxpayers.
Total $40 to $45 billion, just under half paid by taxpayers.
As I occasionally note, our commitment to Israel is to maintain their military superiority over the Arabs. If we don't sell the Arabs (part cash, part aid) weapons at 4 times the rate we sell Israel, then we don't have to subsidize Israeli purchases with foreign aid.
Weapons exports require Congressional approval. GWB's role is the negotiate the deal and push it through.
It would seem easy to change the frequencies or IP addresses upon receipt of the weapons, making it difficult to communicate with these devices.
$20 billion, some sources say $23 billion, to the Saudis and Gulf states, paid for by them.
THanks,
so who are the saudis buying from? US, the weapons manufacturers? some broker? Why the hell are we involved?
ok,
our posts crossed, so the Saudis are buying from US?
Are we selling at a profit?
- I’m not trying to break your balls, I just really don’t know enough about the way this sort of thing works.
Thanks for your answers
I doubt that changing these in SOSCOE is as easy as doing it on a laptop computer. First, they would need to be aware of its existence, then they would need to know how, then bypass the passwords or encryption, then bypass any redundant systems, then know about and bypass any SOSCOE systems hidden in the engineering of the hardware..
It wouldn’t be easy, butit can be done.
they are paying for them with petrol dollars.
because the article was written by a rat. and not a very smart one at that
think export license
I agree.
The contractors/manufacturers are selling at a profit, the govermnent isn’t involved in the financial side of the transactions, only in getting the necessary approval through Congress and granting the export licenses. Why are we involved? It’s a way of thanking the Saudi’s, for what I’m not sure, presumably their cooperation in the wot and in Iraq.
I see, thanks, now I understand.
I jumped to a conclusion, as I am sure many people have done, that a $20 Billion arms deal meant $20 billion in additional spending (or foreign welfare as I like to call it) THis was an incorrect assumption on my part, thanks for your answers and preventing me from making ignorant remarks in the future. (at least on this topic)
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