What's Wrong With This Picture?

[Annie]

hello? Anyone home? I believe this, the idiots are running the asylum.

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=21670_Pentagon_OKs_$6B_in_Arms_Sales_to_Saudi_Arabia&only

Thursday, July 20, 2006
Pentagon OKs $6B in Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia

The Pentagon—the same Pentagon that was attacked on 9/11 by five Saudi citizens—has just approved a huge sale of weaponry to the world’s locus of radical Islam and hatred of the West: Pentagon OKs $6 bln in arms sales to Saudi Arabia. (Hat tip: sr_soph.)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration said on Thursday it approved the sale to Saudi Arabia of 24 UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters, radios, armoured vehicles and other military equipment worth more than $6 billion (3.25 billion pounds).

Congress has 30 days to block the sales, although such action is rare.

The Pentagon’s Defence Security Cooperation Agency said the principal contractors for the different sales included Sikorsky Aircraft, a unit of United Technologies Corp., General Electric Co., Harris Corp., ITT Corp., General Dynamics Corp., and Raytheon Corp..

The agency said in a mandatory notice to Congress that the arms sales would help strengthen Saudi Arabia’s military and its ability to help the United States fight terrorism around the world. The deal comes amid escalating fighting between Israel and Hizbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.

Saudi Arabia had asked to buy 24 Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters, spare parts, communications and other equipment valued at $350 million, if all options were exercised, according to the agency, which oversees foreign arms sales.
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Now we know why Saudi Arabia has been issuing luke-warm condemnations of Hizballah, in advance of the announcement of this deal—to soften up their image.

 

[CSM]

hello? Anyone home? I believe this, the idiots are running the asylum.

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=21670_Pentagon_OKs_$6B_in_Arms_Sales_to_Saudi_Arabia&only

Strangely enough, the Pentagon doesn't approve the sale of military equipment to foreign states. They can recommend sale/no sale but they have no approving authority.

 

[William Joyce]

My guess is that because the Saudi royal family is "friendly" to us and has vowed to keep a check on Islamic radicals, they get special treats like this.

 

[theHawk]

What do you expect? Liberals won't let us drill in our own backyard for oil, so we have no choice but to bend over backwards to the people they prefer we get our oil from. Oh yea, but then they turn around and critisize us for doing that too.

 

[Abbey Normal]

My guess is that because the Saudi royal family is "friendly" to us and has vowed to keep a check on Islamic radicals, they get special treats like this.

That's my take as well. We don't know what goes on behind the scenes, though I'm sure the NYT would love to tell us all about it.

 

[Gunny]

That's my take as well. We don't know what goes on behind the scenes, though I'm sure the NYT would love to tell us all about it.

However, CSm is quite correct .... the Pentaon does not have approval authority for sales while the misleading title of the article implies that it does.