for 24-Hours of Propaganda
The best thing to do is assume that those bombs are going to land on people we would drop them on ourselves if we cared enough.
As lameduck American President George W. Bush and his allies in Washington approach the final months of their 8 year reign, gigantic sized arms sales are taking place with expanding markets worldwide.
No doubt The Bush Administrations many ties with arms manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, and various armed groups the world over are the biggest beneficiaries of the unbeforeseen rush on armaments of all sizes and capabilities.
The US Department of Defense has notified Congress of a potential sale to Israel of 1,000 smart bombs capable of penetrating underground bunkers, which would likely be used in the event of a military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.
The deal is valued at $77 million and the principal contractor would be Boeing Integrated Defense Systems.
Proponents argue that The Bush Administration is pushing through a broad array of foreign weapons deals as it seeks to re-arm Iraq and Afghanistan, contain North Korea and Iran, and solidify ties with onetime Russian allies.
As long as they use US Supplied Equipment and Arms, we don't care who they kill.
From tanks, helicopters and fighter jets to missiles, remotely piloted aircraft and even warships, the Department of Defense has agreed so far this fiscal year to sell or transfer more than $32 billion in weapons and other military equipment to foreign governments, compared with $12 billion in 2005.
The surging American arms sales reflect the foreign policy tides, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the broader campaign against international terrorism, that have dominated the Bush administration. Deliveries on orders being placed now will continue for several years, perhaps turning out to be one of President George W. Bush's most lasting legacies. The onrushing tide of unprecedentded arms sales
is most pronounced in the Middle East, but it reaches into northern Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe and even Canada, through dozens of deals that senior Bush administration officials say they are confident will both tighten military alliances and combat terrorism.
The United States has long been the top arms supplier to the world. In the past several years, however, the list of nations that rely on the United States as a primary source of major weapons systems has greatly expanded. Among the recent additions are Argentina, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Georgia, India, Iraq, Morocco and Pakistan, according to sales data through the end of last month provided by the Department of Defense.
Somebody has to give them the bullets and assault rifles.
Cumulatively, these countries signed $870 million worth of arms deals with the United States from 2001 to 2004.
For the past four fiscal years, that total has been $13.8 billion.
"Sure, this is a quick and easy way to cement alliances," said William Hartung, an arms control specialist at the New America Foundation, a public policy institute. "But this is getting out of hand."
"This is not about being gunrunners," said Bruce Lemkin, the air force deputy under secretary who is helping coordinate many of the biggest sales. "This is about building a more secure world."
God of War, Bruce Lemkin, The World's Current Leading Gunrunner.
