The Independent: Bloody reality bears no relation to the delusions of this President - Robert Fisk
Bloody reality bears no relation to the delusions of this President - Robert Fisk
The President sat chummily beside the all-too-friendly monarch yesterday, enthroned in what looked suspiciously like the kind of casual blue cardigan he might wear on his own Texan ranch; he had even received a jangling gold "Order of Merit" – it looked a bit like the Lord Chancellor's chain, though it was not disclosed which particular merit earned Mr Bush this kingly reward. Could it be the hypocritical merit of supplying yet more billions worth of weapons to the Kingdom, to be used against the Saudi regime's imaginary enemies.
Over the past decade, the Gulf Arabs have squandered billions of their oil dollars on American weapons. The statistics tell their own story. In 1998 and 1999 alone, Gulf Arab military spending came to US$ 78bn. Between 1997 and 2005, the sheikhs of the United Arab Emirates – Mr Bush's hosts before he continued to Riyadh – signed arms contracts worth US$17bn with Western nations. Between 1991 and 1993 – when Iraq was the "enemy" – the US Military Training Mission was administering more than US$ 27bn in Saudi arms procurements and US$23bn in new US weapons acquisitions. By this time, the Saudis already possessed 72 American F-15 fighter-bombers and 114 British Tornados.
Note EU-Digest: Unfortunately several EU states are also playing along with this weapons sale charade in the Middle East. Unfortunately one day these weapons will be turned around and used against the countries which sold the weapons."
Labels: Cécilia Sarkozy, EU, George Bush, USA, Weapons Industry
