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Arabia
Congress Mulls U.S. Embargo On Saudis
2005-06-18
The Senate has begun to examine legislation that could halt U.S. arms sale to Saudi Arabia. Sen. Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, has introduced the Saudi Arabia Accountability Act of 2005 into the Senate. The co-sponsors of the bill, designated Senate bill 1171, are Senators Evan Bayh, Susan Collins, Russ Feingold, Tim Johnson, Patty Murray and Ron Wyden.

The legislation, introduced on June 7, establishes sanctions for Saudi Arabia unless the kingdom complies with United Nations Security Council resolution 1373, which calls on states to deny haven to terrorist financiers and planners. The bill asserts that Riyad has failed to arrest Saudi nationals deemed to have funded terrorism. The proposed sanctions against Saudi Arabia include a ban on the export of advanced U.S. weaponry and technology to Riyad. Saudi Arabia has been the leading importer of U.S. weaponry although orders by the kingdom dropped significantly since 2001, when it bought $2.7 billion worth of air-to-air missiles missiles and aircraft systems. Riyad has been negotiating with the United States for the purchase of Black Hawk multi-role helicopters.
Posted by:Fred

#14  gromguru: But EU weaponry is even more TLC demanding than US.

You're not getting the point. These weapons systems are trophies. In just about every weapons system they possessed, the Saudis had a serious qualitative edge over the Iraqi military. But if Uncle Sam hadn't inserted into Saudi Arabia a Desert Shield force involving two infantry divisions after the Iraqis conquered Kuwait in 1990, the Saudis would have folded like a cheap suit under an Iraqi onslaught.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2005-06-18 22:44  

#13  TW: But it is a nice little shot across the Saudi bow, to remind them that America isn't nearly as fooled as they would like.

Actually, it isn't. They can buy gold-plated weapons systems that they can't use effectively from other countries. They know that Afghanistan and Iraq are our way of sticking it to Muslim supporters of terrorism for 9/11. It's one thing to warn them of future consequences - it's quite another to slap them in the face like this. How many Boeing civilian jet deals aren't being done because of stupid grandstand plays like this?

Red dog: If they do embargo U.S. weaponry, the Saudis will just buy arms from some other supplier.

gromguru: Like who? Euros?

That's right - Euros. Russians. Chinese. Et al. Arms salesmen are lining up around the block. All of whom will have fewer qualms than Uncle Sam about the kinds of conflicts during which they will resupply the Saudis. I am sure that the area's rulers remember that Carter embargoed the Shah during the Iranian Revolution in 1979 (that brought the Ayatollah Khomeini to power). They don't need another reason to avoid buying US weaponry. A reason that Specter just supplied to them on a plate.

The big red flag here is the fact that Patty Murray supports it. This is the same senator that believes that bin Laden is popular in the Muslim world because of his exploits as a social worker. The fact is that Christian organizations do a lot more than bin Laden - or Muslim charities - in the Muslim world. But they're not particularly popular for one simple reason - unlike bin Laden, they're non-Muslims and they haven't killed Americans in large numbers.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2005-06-18 22:38  

#12  "publicized" I don't know what the other means, but it certainly shouldn't be written in public. My apologies ;-)
Posted by: trailing wife   2005-06-18 22:28  

#11  Even if the House does pass such legislation, the Senate won't. But it is a nice little shot across the Saudi bow, to remind them that America isn't nearly as fooled as they would like. The next step is to regulate the private schools -- are they meeting U.S. national standards for their American students, which requires examining curricula and textbooks. Unacceptabilities in either should be widely pubicized, inasmuch as the inspectors will be shocked that our friends the Saudis would teach such horrible, bigotted things to our children and theirs.
Posted by: trailing wife   2005-06-18 22:20  

#10  #8,

But EU weaponry is even more TLC demanding than US.
Posted by: gromgoru   2005-06-18 22:00  

#9  I think raptor and Zhang Fei expressed my reaction to this legislation better than I did.

Posted by: Red Dog   2005-06-18 12:39  

#8  Yes gromgoru, and yes the $2.7 billion will even tempt some of our own allys to work around the embargo and sell US tech. (btw US tec rules)

I think raptor expressed my reaction to this legislation better than I did.
What are these gas bags trying to accomplish?

Since Saudi madrasses spreading Wahhabism are the greatest propagator of terrorism, this *legislation* is in an incredably inept tool to address the problem (WOT).
In fact I think it will have just the opposite effect, adding fuel to Muzzy terrorism while at the same time hurt our own tec industry.

It's a total foot shoot, because madrasses and hadji boombers don't need/use Black Hawk helicopters etc.



Posted by: Red Dog   2005-06-18 12:37  

#7  Just what is this supposed to achieve? The Saudis are a bunch of incompetents with a yen for buying gold-plated weaponry they can't use effectively because their manpower can't handle it. This is a grandstanding move by Specter and his liberal friends on the Democratic side of the aisle. All it will do is increase the trade deficit without affecting Saudi Arabia's military capability - which was probably degraded by their inability to figure out complicated American weapons systems. What is it with Specter and completely useless legislation?
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2005-06-18 11:42  

#6  Red dog
If they do embargo U.S. weaponry, the Saudis will just buy arms from some other supplier.

Like who? Euros?
Posted by: gromgoru   2005-06-18 10:51  

#5  I'm puzzled by the senate lately,on the one hand we have the filibuster and lack of Border control buls$%t,on the other we have them wanting to cut U.N. funds and putting an arms embargo on the Sauds.Are they schizophrentic or what?
Posted by: raptor   2005-06-18 09:12  

#4  gruesome 7
Posted by: Red Dog   2005-06-18 02:25  

#3  "Congress Mulls U.S. Embargo On Saudis"

If they do embargo U.S. weaponry, the Saudis will just buy arms from some other supplier.

but.. if the jellyfish do manage to pull it off, would there be enough time for the gruesome
8 to grow spines, Before the Sand Tribes retaliated by lowering their own/OPEC production and exports?

/In his dreams, Arlen wishes he had that much hair.
Posted by: Red Dog   2005-06-18 02:19  

#2  Ore is it KEEMOOE
Posted by: Captain America   2005-06-18 02:16  

#1  Obviously b4 KEEMOO
Posted by: Captain America   2005-06-18 02:15  

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