Saudi Arabia probably knows that with modern day electronics it is easy to make these weapons unusable against US or Israel. They buy these products just to keep our Military/Industrial complex happy. A kind of protection/extortion money.

$audi Arabia is our ally?

Sorry... but Old Coyote Knose differently! They are the enemy... and giving them sophisticated weaponry is like giving them the rope to hang us.

Rome is burning... with barbaians at the gates (our broken borders). Every Amerikan should prepare for civil war and revolution in the streets. That day is coming! That day is comming!

Olive Shoot and Ronald Hume have written identical response, it appears that some organization is encouraging a bunch of blog writers to spread lies about Islam. Moon God? who has invented that term? Certainly not the Muslims. Allah is the term Arabs use for God, even Arab Christians use the same name.

Islam is a continuation of the message of Jesus, may peace be upon him, who never claimed to be the son of God. Until the 3rd century a large number of Christians did not believe him to be the Son. Unitarians even now do not believe that. Jews too do not accept him as Son of God, they do not even accept him as a Prophet. So why do you have a beef with Muslims who at least accept him as a great Prophet?

Do not confine your reading to what is provided by the right-wing war-monger evangilists. That is the only way to save your soul and save the world. Spread love and peace not hatred and war.

Robin in your comment you claim that the Muslims are awaiting the return of Jesus to reign, I don't know which Jesus you are referring to because its not the LORD Jesus Christ of the Bible. Muslims claim that Jesus is just a prophet less than Mohammed. The Bible states clearly that He is the Son of God.
Muslims are unfortunately deceived by Satan, Allah is just one of the many pagan gods (moon god) that Mohammed made the Muslims god, Mohammed was a false prophet demonically inspired (his owe admission) to write the satanic verses, the Quran. Islam is anti-Christ and it would not surprise me if the ANTI CHRIST spoken of in the Bible arises out of Islam.
Islam is waiting for the Mahdi the 12th imam to be revealed and then they believe that Islam will take over the world. The Mahdi will lead a cataclysmic battle against a descendant of Muhammad's archenemy. Muslims believe that 'the Mahdi will come with Jesus son of Mary accompanying him.' This is not the Jesus of the Bible but another false prophet.
Also you talk very disparaging about the Jews. The MOST HIGH GOD, the GOD of Israel, warns that if anyone curses the Jews He will curse that person (Genesis 12). Israel is still God's chosen people even though they do not yet acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Messiah Yeshua), the Lamb slain for the sins of the world and rose again victorious. There are Jewish believers in Jesus, they are often referred to as Messianic Jews, but when Christ Jesus returns as the Lion of Judah all Israel will acknowledge Him as LORD, (see Zechariah 12: 10). Christ will come again and receive all who have accepted Him as their Saviour. Read the Gospel of John it explains clearly who Jesus is and that He offers eternal life to all who believe and accept the gift of salvation.

Robin in your comment you claim that the Muslims are awaiting the return of Jesus to reign, I don't know which Jesus you are referring to because its not the LORD Jesus Christ of the Bible. Muslims claim that Jesus is just a prophet less than Mohammed. The Bible states clearly that He is the Son of God.
Muslims are unfortunately deceived by Satan, Allah is just one of the many pagan gods (moon god) that Mohammed made the Muslims god, Mohammed was a false prophet demonically inspired (his owe admission) to write the satanic verses, the Quran. Islam is anti-Christ and it would not surprise me if the ANTI CHRIST spoken of in the Bible arises out of Islam.
Islam is waiting for the Mahdi the 12th imam to be revealed and then they believe that Islam will take over the world. The Mahdi will lead a cataclysmic battle against a descendant of Muhammad's archenemy. Muslims believe that 'the Mahdi will come with Jesus son of Mary accompanying him.' This is not the Jesus of the Bible but another false prophet.
Also you talk very disparaging about the Jews. The MOST HIGH GOD, the GOD of Israel, warns that if anyone curses the Jews He will curse that person (Genesis 12). Israel is still God's chosen people even though they do not yet acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Messiah Yeshua), the Lamb slain for the sins of the world and rose again victorious. There are Jewish believers in Jesus, they are often referred to as Messianic Jews, but when Christ Jesus returns as the Lion of Judah all Israel will acknowledge Him as LORD, (see Zechariah 12: 10). Christ will come again and receive all who have accepted Him as their Saviour. Read the Gospel of John it explains clearly who Jesus is and that He offers eternal life to all who believe and accept the gift of salvation.
God bless Israel and all the Jews of the world.
from a born again Christian.

What about our own military? My belief is this--As long as the Military Industrial Complex and their many minions control the military, we will never win a war. They are blinded by their greed that is presently dooming our children and grandchildren to higher taxes in the future and to a lesser life. The Bush administration is well on it's way in doubling the National Debt and guaranteeing themselves and their chronies a bright future.

==Partly I think it's anti-semitism, especially in this case, and partly it's beccause liberals support the goals, if not the methods, of the islamo-nazis. it's a shame that this once great paper allows anti-semitic columnists to spew hate and propoganda equivalent to the protocols of the elders of zion.==

Most American jews are against the war in Iraq, a position at odds with that of the government of Israel, which most often supports Bush. Does that make American jews "anti-semitic"? Does anyone who holds a view that is different to that of the government of Israel "anti-semitic"? The mainstream jewish lobby (which represent a minority view of the American jewish community) would like it to be so. Is a view against Israeli occupation of the West Bank "equivalent to 'Protocols of the elders of Zion'"?

Are you just a wee bit over the top? A tiny bit?

Posted by: Master Guru

"One thing that we know is that countries who can defend themselevs well are not attacked much."

Remember 911? At the time of the attack the United States was militarily the most powerful nation in the histroy of the world. Sometimes a strong defense can be seen as an offence and cause an attack.

Arkin never stated or implied giving weapons to Iran and Syria. Although your statement that Israel and Saudi Arabia are our friends is not always true. In regards to Israel, remember the "liberty" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Liberty_incident) and the majority of the 911 highjacker's were Saudi's. Israel is only a democracy if you are Jewish; all people of other religions, including Christians, are second class citizens. Saudi Arabia is no where near becoming a democracy and is one of the principle instigators of Jihad by publishing text books for schools though our the Middle East that glorify Jihad. As for the remainder of your ranting; you're from Alabama that speaks for itself.

Posted by: Jim from Alabama

"I stumbled across this column and can't believe my eyes. It seems that you- Arkin- would prefer we give our weapons to Iran and Syria instead of our allies Saudi Arabia and Israel. Israel is a tiny country in the mideast and a staunch ally and a democracy. saudi arabia is reforming quickly to become a democracy very soon. by giving them arms, we will encourage them to keep reforming. Why is it that liberals hate Israel so much? Partly I think it's anti-semitism, especially in this case, and partly it's beccause liberals support the goals, if not the methods, of the islamo-nazis. it's a shame that this once great paper allows anti-semitic columnists to spew hate and propoganda equivalent to the protocols of the elders of zion.

==Remember only Muslims and Christians believe that Jesus is the Messiah and will return to conquer earth.==

Then I would expect the Taliban Muslims to release the Korean Christian hostages tomorrow, instead of slaughtering them, like they already have done to two of them.

Saudi Arabia is a far greater ally to the US then Israel ever has been or could be. Don't believe the hype. The whole middle east is a natural ally to the USA and Europe - THATS WHY so much propaganda is put forth by jews. The jewish agenda is a jewish homeland at any cost - lies, genocide, deception, wars.... anything to maintain the objective of the jewish state. Its only a matter of time when most people will realise this great fallacy played on the American people orchestrated by Jesus haters. Remember only Muslims and Christians believe that Jesus is the Messiah and will return to conquer earth. The jews consider Jesus to be a magician and a devil.

Hawk58 wrote "It will promote regional stability in the face of the growing Persian threat to acquire nuclear weapons."

Well first of all this deal has nothing to do with anybody's national security.

Some of the Emirates of the Persian Gulf waste more than 50% of their national budget on this junk, knowing that they do not have the resources to ever utilize it.

This is a nice way for the US military industrial complex to make a buck.

Secondly with these resources stored in the Middle East the United States will be better positioned to utilize it itself when she decides to engage Iran militarily.

What the United States and its allies keep forgetting is that military conflict is not a baseball game where everyone has to play by the same rules. That is where Asymmetric Warfare comes into picture.

We believe there are enough people in east Saudi Arabia to give the Saudis hell if they piss us off and the same goes for Bahrain where the majority of people prefer to join their motherland of Iran anyway.

Hawk58 what do we need a nuclear weapon for? To give the US more excuses to impose sanctions or destroy our civilian industrial infrastructure as they have planned to do? We will use the weapons of our choice you stu... a.. . Palestine and what you call Jerusalem is holly land to us. Why on earth would we want to nuke it where Israel is bound to wipe itself off the map by all the savagery and injustices that it imposes on its neighbors.

==Saudi Arabia is not an aggressive country, and poses no threat to anyone.==

9/11

==Do they have a Satellite to guide the bombs?==

GPS

------------------------------------------

Ironic, isn't it?

Mr. Arkin,

Regarding the proposed $50B arms sale to the Middle East you state: "There isn't one weapon in the package that will enhance American interests or security -- or Saudi security, for that matter -- and there certainly isn't one that threatens Israel."

I believe your entire article, and this key assertion overlook the regional impact of increased military preparedness.

The administration is actively strengthening the offensive and defensive capabilities of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates and Israel. The enhanced military posture of all of Iran's regional competitors will complicate Iran's war planning and suppress their regional influence. It will promote regional stability in the face of the growing Persian threat to acquire nuclear weapons.

Improved regional stability has been a goal of this administration, and every administration since the fall of the Ottoman Empire. The potential impact on al-Qaeda recruitment has yet to be quantified, and may be small compared to the value in containing Iran.

One thing that we know is that countries who can defend themselevs well are not attacked much. This bodes well for stability in the area. This also provides a valuable source of military data should war break out. Are the advanced weapon systems we will give to Israel really better than those old systems their neighbors have/get (as they are less helpful)? Of course, this is just the tiny publicly disclosed part of the deal.
Time will tell. Proxies are useful. IF these idiots would all just get along they would really prosper. Divide and seperate is a good stragedy when dealing with idiots. Go to your corners. Step 2. Poke both.

In the not too distant future we will all
exist by consuming Chinese products and
food stuffs, we will all speak Espanol as
we toil for our Hidalgo Masters and pray
toward Mecca five times times each day. I
mean no disrespect to the Chinese, the
Hispanics, nor the Muslims. I'm just saying
what most of you already realize is coming
upon us soon. It's called Historical
Necessity and it overrides our opinions,
beliefs and perspectives. It doesn't care
who we vote for, pray to, work for, listen
to, or consult. Remember that term folks: Historical Necessity. Forget about arms to
the Mideast and look at the big picture.
Read some Toynbee, Spengler, Wells, Durant,
Arndt and other major historians. Then
watch the news and get a whole new slant
on things. Welcome to the decline and fall.

As the ME conflict began before we were even born as a Nation I can never understand why we are so involved

Other conflicts come and go but Europe and us keep meddling in their affairs. Replacing governments, arming them upto the teeth than arming the other guy, then threatening and attacking them, then giving them more arms

Very weird ideology, how do we gain exactly?

Thats always puzzled me

Why are we giving Billions of Dollars to Israel?

Should it not be the UN mediating their conflict?

We need money to improve our own education and social services.

How can giving this money away help our kids and under-privileged?

We are quickly falling behind Europe as an advanced society

Sadly Clinton was not much better, just not as brash and obvious as Bush.

It appears the only peaceful president we ever had got assassinated.

I cant see a light at the end of this one.

We seem to be losing ground as a developing nation when we encourage War and Trade Restrictions on most of the world.

We need a modern day Ghandi to save us from the corruption at the top. But then passive resistance would probably just mean the guy gets shot down.

This is one of your best commentaries, and we have no disagreement. Saudi Arabia is not an aggressive country, and poses no threat to anyone. Do they have a Satellite to guide the bombs?
My major complaint is that it is more corporate welfare for defense contractors that does not contribute to the defense of Saudi Arabia or Israel.
Israel has wisely already rejected "up grades" on worthless American missile defense systems. Less wisely, they are building their own system, but, at least, they are wasting their money in their own country.
I would advise every country in the region and the world to be suspicious of any weapons systems coming from U.S. Defense Contractors. A10s and Harriers are the most useful for insurgent type activities. Israel is threatened by low tech rockets, and not sophisticated missiles. Diplomacy and peace agreements are the best routes to security

We should stop bickering about the bad actions and address the root of the problem. Impeach Bush and Cheney and put sensible people back in office.

I don't care what party replaces them, I just want the extremist removed from office. We can't complain about foreign extremists until we deal with our domestic extremists!

WAKE UP GUYS,
We sell guns and arms for a living. this is how we make our nation so GREAT. It even put the GREAT in our good friends GREAT BRITAIN.

We make money from War, Famine, Natural Disasters and any other world event that needs fixing. And the profit does not all go to the military

Who funds more than 90% of all conflicts in the world? THE BANKS DO. (including our own)

If we had no war in the ME or Africa we would have an economy on the run.

Where there is War, there is opportunity.
So we should appreciate Bushs actions as its another step to boosting our economy and keeping our long-term allies in good-stead

Make love not war!

we should be promoting PEACE not WAR

It sounds to me like we are fueling both sides of the ME conflict

And whose making out of this? Not us. (except through the odd tax cut)

Its the Corps AGAIN.. fueling fear to make a quick buck

The underlying issue is not arms or money; it's ideas and personal ignorance. To justify the killing and/or murder of a human being for the sake of religious advancement is the biggest oxymoron of all time.

What's the easiest crowd to indoctrinate? - the uneducated and poor. They are already pissed-off because of their social situation, so they have nothing to lose - "Let's go after the infidel USA." Where on this earth do you find a high concentration of pissed-off, uneducated people? In countries like Irack, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and so forth. Sadly, Islam is the predominant religion there, so sorry Islam, you loose by majority.

Want to make a difference? Don't sell them guns; sell them education. But, the Saudis don't want an educated or well-trained citizen because once they know the difference and see who the real oppressors are, they will turn against their masters. That's where the comment on the Saudis having high-tech gadgets for show is coming from.

Selling guns to the Middle East is like me giving my 15 year old a gun so he can take it to school when he is pissed-off; we all know how that story ended - TRAGEDY.

Learn from your mistakes; don't sell guns to grown-ups with kid mentalities unless you want more "Columbine's" and "911's." A mind is a sad thing to waste; an ignorant person is a dangerous person to arm.

Interesting point Robert -
We are funding something, but so is Britain, France, Germany and countless others..
This is how we maintain peace for the majority of the world and fulfill pledges made after WW2 where Israel was established as a state.

If Iran or any other nation were to erupt, it would send shock waves to Asia as well as Europe and us.

And if a Democratic Nation such as India or Turkey were to feel threatened by Iran, it could spell the end of the middle east.

We are doing as much good with our manipulating of the politics in the Middle east as we are bad. And as Russia are clearly arming Iran, we have to make sure all the other states in its vacinity (including Israel, its prime target) have something to fight with. (This also allows people to solve their own problems, using violence or not and take control, instead of our boys going out there all the time)

I stumbled across this column and can't believe my eyes. It seems that you- Arkin- would prefer we give our weapons to Iran and Syria instead of our allies Saudi Arabia and Israel. Israel is a tiny country in the mideast and a staunch ally and a democracy. saudi arabia is reforming quickly to become a democracy very soon. by giving them arms, we will encourage them to keep reforming. Why is it that liberals hate Israel so much? Partly I think it's anti-semitism, especially in this case, and partly it's beccause liberals support the goals, if not the methods, of the islamo-nazis. it's a shame that this once great paper allows anti-semitic columnists to spew hate and propoganda equivalent to the protocols of the elders of zion.

You all know the melody

What the world needs now is guns, more bombs.
That's the thing George says that there's just too little of.
What the world needs now is guns, more bombs.
No, not just for Jews, but for Arabs, too.

Lord, we don't need another country.
There are countries and nations enough to fight
There are Sunnis and Shiites enough to fight--
Enough to bring the end of time.

What the world needs now is guns, more bombs.
It's the thing Bush says that there's just too little of.
What the world needs now is guns, more bombs.
No, not just for Jews, but for Arabs, too.

Lord, we don't need another desert.
There are battle fields and wastelands enough to glow.
There are oil wells and ocean ports enough to burn.
Oh, listen Lord, 'Cause the world is gonna blow!

What the world (whoa, whoa) needs now,
Is love sweet love
What the world (whoa, whoa) needs now
Is love sweet love!

"...although American domination of the arms supply will solidify the American empire in the region, at least militarily".

Then,
is this the cost of peace, to give (payoff)everyone a little piece of what they desire in order to keep them quiet, or, so that the empire can continue along on its venal path?

It is disturbing that some individuals, monarchies and countries are so easily bought-off/assuaged.

From a security perspective, this does not bode well for the future of any of us, given that the decisions that are being made by some countries are not value based decisions.

Sellouts!

Its very obvious that "old friends" are always looked after. If we keep backing the Saudis we're proving those conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones right.

There are countless terrorist links to that kingdom and the Bush administration keeps telling us the opposite.

There is a clear agenda to keep the middle-east waring and WE'RE (like Russia) funding it. Does not not seem a bit inhumane to anyone?
And a bit like an extension to the Cold War?

The "old-boys-network" with their toys!!!

http://www.asecondlookatthesaudis.com/

Common sense told me 6 years ago what you can now read on this website. I said it in 2003, we attacked the wrong country ... Saudi Arabia is our true enemy. They are pulling many strings in the ME and the close ties with the Bush dynasty is also very troubling. When will we wake up and smell the oil?

Israel has acquiesced and "understands" the need for the sale, of course it cost $30 Billion in aid to gain their blessing. But nonetheless, Israel approves and the Saudis have historically had the "Delorean" of the world's military forces. They look great, but actual performance is dismal. William Arkin at the Washington Post had an interesting point in that our military will be required to train and operate these weapons systems until the Saudis are allowed to do it themselves. This will no doubt revitalize al Qaeda as the infidels will once again be based in the Holy Land. The Saudi Royals have kept their military somewhat inefficient on purpose to avoid the very real possibility of a military coup. But Arkin makes no mention of the Saudis recognizing the Taliban as a legitimate government (one of two in the entire world) and more recently endorsing the now-defunct Unity Government in Palestine. He also ignores the widespread reports of nuclear ambitions and meetings with Musharaff in Pakistan that reportedly yielded nuclear technology and promises of hardware in exchange for cheap oil. Arkin's opinion is "much ado about nothing" with regard to the actual weapons and that is based on a false impression that the Saudi military is the like the gang that couldn't shoot straight. With the US occupation next door and Iran threatening to become THE regional power, my opinion is that Saudi Arabia is truly raising the bar and has entered the nuclear proliferation game in the name of "deterrence" and the advanced weapons systems build-up is a necessary step. Realizing that the Kingdom has spawned the majority of insurgents in Iraq and that Sunnis are drawn to al Qaeda, the potential-for-future-crisis alert system should be ringing bells and flashing red lights. In fact, it is, but the alert has been drowned out by the sound of gold coins flowing into US Corporations.

We're not giving the Saudis anything. We're selling them arms, getting back some of our oil money. (20% of our oil is imported from Saudi Arabia, just so we can keep some leverage with them) The arms dealers pay taxes on those profits and the US benefits on many levels. We also increase our influence over the outcame of events in the gulf states which is not a bad thing.
The US is the greatest force for good in the world. All you liberals meditate on that fact and think about who is for peace, freedom and happiness in this world....and who is not. Just think.

---"Isn't it time that the world addressed the threat by Isreal, or at least, let us ---here handle it once and for all ?"

---Posted by: SomeoneFromthemiddleEast | July 30, 2007 10:26 AM

Sounds like he is suggesting a "Final Solution". Himmler would be proud.

As the article said the Saudis will do absolutely nothing with the arms deal. They will neither use them nor even threaten to use them. All countries in the Middle East use their armies to protect their rulers from their people not to protect the country its enemies. Infact, countries like Egypt have TWO armies to protect its ruler, one army to protect against an uprising by the other army. This paid off in the late 80's when one army (called Central Security) rebelled and attacked the goverement and even the people. The other army put the rebellion down.

This deal will only result in one outcome - Isreal getting a larger Arms deal than usual and it is Isreal not Iran nor Bin Laden that is the biggest threat to the Middle East and even the wolrd as we recently discovered.
Isn't it time that the world addressed the threat by Isreal, or at least, let us here handle it once and for all ?

Brilliant. Truth so simply put.

I would imagine that bombs are more fun to play with than treasury bonds....

So now, according to the WAPO, Saudi Arabia is Islam now?

I'm glad that our schools and healthcare systems are still well underfunded. They couldn't each use even 1 percent of that money....

Why are we dealing with them? We paying high gas prices in part because the Saudis hare decreased production to keep prices high. Thank you for such a great deal, Mr. Bush!

Why are we dealing with them? We paying high gas prices in part because the Saudis hare decreased production to keep prices high. Thank you for such a great deal, Mr. Bush!

Why are we dealing with them? We paying high gas prices in part because the Saudis hare decreased production to keep prices high. Thank you for such a great deal, Mr. Bush!

Why are we dealing with them? We paying high gas prices in part because the Saudis hare decreased production to keep prices high. Thank you for such a great deal, Mr. Bush!

It's about the oil.

Let's see now: that's another 50 billion dollars for the military-industrial complex. Envision an enormous camouflage painted teeter-totter laden with money-bags which are leaking a rain of dollars on hordes of enthusiastic contractors with outstretched hands. A brilliant move, a diplomatic master-stroke worthy of Ms. Rice and her bosses.

The Saudis are the major source of suicide bombers in Iraq, they were the major source for 9/11 terrorists and fund wasabi radical islam.

If these are our friends we don't need more enemies.

Politics is dirty, even when you read about it

Mr. Arkin's article re: arms sales to the Saudi's leaves out a few key points. We've already got a lot of military contractors and oil contractors in Saudi Arabia. It's not clear how many more would be needed to bolster this sale, but Bin Laden already sees too many Americans in Saudi Arabia, because more than one is too many for him. No add'l anger will be fueled here, because these guys operate on a slow boil all the time.

Second, this is really a response to the deal Iran just announced to buy dozens of modern Russian fighter-bombers with long-range capability. Iran is the clear source of instability and violence in the region, and they are dead set against a negotiated Palestinian state. Add'l arms to the Saudis sends a clear message to Iran that Sunni nations are not going to allow them to dominate the region. Only time will tell how this will play out, but more arms in the hands of the Iranian regime is not good for anybody.

In keeping with the current administration's goal of fostering and spreading democracy in the Middle East, I believe we should not be selling arms to dictatorial regimes. The Saudi monarchy has pursued a non-democratic, tyrannical policy that is bent on the continued domination of the Arabian Peninsula. Al-Qaeda is a direct result of this situation.

Any assistance that the US government gives the Saudi family is in direct opposition to the stated administration policy of democratic proliferation. Congress should pass laws requiring the executive branch to certify the democratic policies of any government acquiring military assistance from the USG.

To Silverstein: Do you find it acceptable that the US creates jobs through selling arms to both sides? Seems a little hypocritical that the US continuously fronts as lover of democracy and human rights, but that Americans accept that selling arms to create job security could possibly be a good thing. I agree that this has nothing to do with religion, but the bigger issue to me is the power of the arms industry lobby. I think we should support industries which work for the people's advantage, both in peacetime and in war. Constructive foreign policies which continue to protect our allies is one thing, but shameless money laundering by companies like Haliburton (now moved to Dubai to shelter its profits from those who gave them to them in the first place) should have no place in US foreign policy-making.

Given the continual shiunanigans of the current executive one has to wonder what the real deal is. Is this an outright gift or is it a "you scratch me and I'll scratch you" deal where the Saudis pay but not cash and not directly? Let us face it, the US military contractor complex needs new sources of income to fund the latest and greatest.
In regard to the author's comments on the ineptness of the Saudi military; was it necessary or is it true. Given past performance of US intelligence all their prognoses have to be suspect.

Actually, it was 15 out of the 19 hijackers on 9/11 who were Saudis. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. Check out:

www.asecondlookatthesaudis.com

Something is truly wrong with this picture.

Read Senator Bob Graham's book "Intelligence Matters" if you want to see how cozy the Bush administration is with Saudi Arabia and how far they will go to cover up that country's involvement with 9/11. And Mr. Arkin is absolutely right: it will only make Muslims (and everyone else) hate us that much more. However, Bush and those that think this is a great thing will never get it if they haven't by now. We just need to get him and his ilk out asap.

I don't see the problem with taking lots of Saudi oil money and then giving them worthless toys that they are too stupid to operate or maintain themselves. It doesn't change any balance of power, all it does is change Lockheed Martin's balance of payments. And Lockheed Martin employs a lot of Americans.

Israel can have all the weapons it can pay for, and may they have good use for them. I just wish they would stop taking our aid money, and then giving it back to us in exchange for weapons to kill Palestinians with.

A newspaper of Washingtonpost's caliber use this title, that is a shame. The arms deal between USA, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Gulf has nothing to do with Islam or Judaism or christiany for that matter. Why use this kind of title to malign Islam? Stop using these cold war tactics on Islam they will only not work and only backfire as Islam is not communism. Communism was a forced idealolgy. Islam is inherent in people's hearts.

Note to sondi: The article is about a sale, not a gift to the Saudi's. The aid to Israel is a gift.

Note to William: Kuwait is not Saudi Arabia, so can you explain your comment about how the Gulf War was an example of the Saudi's not being able to defend themselves.

An interesting, if not completely biased article. I think the missing piece of the puzzle is that after the winding-down of the multi-billion contracts that Haliburton, KBR and others have gotten would lead to their increased lobbying to maintain current profit levels. The real frightening fact is that war as been increasingly privatized, often with consequences unforseen. (http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-na-private4jul04,0,5808980.story?coll=la-home-center)

My theory, for what it's worth, is that Japanese people actually don't *have* private parts-- just blurry digital mosaics in their pants. You would think, with all those fancy digital cameras they make, they could at least make some decent porn.

It seems that the only alternative to pissing off those who are connected with Islam is to acquiesce to their requests...but then again, when a religion such as Islam unabashedly admits that it wants America wiped off the earth, doesn't it seem a little self-contradicting for America to be concerned with what Islam wants?

This article has nothing to do with Islam, only middle east politics... Terrible title

well maybe this is in effect taking the fight to Bin Laden's homeland. Say attacks in the kingdom surge, this could turn the public opinion against Bin Laden. And our new (old) arms sent over could be used against them. While I don't like American arms and technology sold, at least Israel is getting 33% more.

well maybe this is in effect taking the fight to Bin Laden's homeland. Say attacks in the kingdom surge, this could turn the public opinion against Bin Laden. And our new (old) arms sent over could be used against them. While I don't like American arms and technology sold, at least Israel is getting 33% more.

It seems that the only alternative to pissing off those who are connected with Islam is to acquiesce to their requests...but then again, when a religion such as Islam unabashedly admits that it wants America wiped off the earth, doesn't it seem a little self-contradicting for America to be concerned with what Islam wants?

As usual, Arkin is an idiot. It doesn't matter what the strategy is with him. If the Bush-led government is proposing it, he's against it. Every diplomat since Carter has said you don't back away from an ally, especially when that ally is not doing what you think they should. You give then reasons to rethink what they're doing. Stop putting Americans in the Middle East, isolate Saudi Arabia, cut off military sales into the region are all good strategies for ensuring American influence, meager though it is, will drop to zero in the region. Iran, China, and the suddenly saber-rattling Russia will step in to complete the 'Let's Hate America' mantra and Bin Ladin will sit in the hills of Pakistan laughing himself silly.

Were not 13 of the 19 hijackers on 911 Saudi's. Aren't the Saudi's one of the riches countries in the World? We shouldn't be giving them anything!!!!!!