Blockbuster story by Larisa -- US covert arming of Gulf States since 2004 LINK

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/US_has_been_covertly_arming_Gulf_0801.html

US has been covertly arming Gulf States since 2004, officials say

Larisa Alexandrovna

"$20b arms sale to Saudi Arabia ‘done deal’

A recently disclosed US agreement with Saudi Arabia for a 10-year, $20 billion dollar arms sale is a “done deal,” according to intelligence officials and experts familiar with the negotiations.

Yesterday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates made a rare joint visit to Saudi Arabia to meet with members of the monarchy, as well as representatives of other Gulf States including the United Arab Emirates, to discuss a $20 billion dollar arms deal to deliver weapons, training, and weapons systems upgrades to Saudi Arabia over the next ten years. Although officially the meeting is to negotiate an agreement, sources have confirmed to RAW STORY that the deal has already been approved.

“It is a done deal. Everyone who needed to has already signed off,” said a former National Security Council official, who wished to remain anonymous given the security aspects of the topic. The deal also includes massive aid packages to Egypt and Israel, which have not yet been formally announced.

According to current and former intelligence officials, however, the Bush administration has been arming Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states covertly since “at least” 2004, a year after the US-led invasion of Iraq in March of 2003.

The GCC is a union of regional allies, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Created in 1981, it is similar in structure and purpose to the European Union.


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The great battle between the Sunni and the Shi'a for Control of the Holy Places.

It could get bloody. Those Gulf States are at a disadvantage, though--their populations don't especially adore that military sort of work, preferring to contract it out.

The Saudis have done what they could to forestall the day, but they knew that it would come one day. They see that their fat, amiable Duck in the White House has gone lame, and they realize that it's likely that they won't find themselves with another pliable US President willing to rent out the US Army again anytime soon. So they've got to make plans.

They haven't stayed in power this long by being stupid. This is a very prudent move on their part:

Using backchannels and corporate partners, arms have been furnished to the Gulf states to beef up security against what the US sees as an increased risk posed by Iran. Along with sharing various resources, GCC members have agreed to jointly combine military forces.

According to the NSC official, the current Saudi deal serves two purposes, both of which are a direct result of the US-led war against Iraq and the regional instability it has caused. One is to support the Saudi rulers, while the other is to isolate Iran.

The most pressing concern for the Saudi royal family is their ability to maintain power. The Saudi royal family, who are Sunnis, see the election of Shi’a Muslim Nouri al-Maliki as Iraqi Prime Minister as a signal that the Shi’a state of Iran could become more powerful and threaten the sovereignty of the House of Saud. Beyond that, the royals also fear that their own people might overthrow the monarchy should instability in the region continue to worsen.

they've been successful so far, their agenda will be to use American firepower to knock down Iran and keep Bush-Cheney (or some other puppet) in office beyond 2008.

It's going to be very interesting 18 months.

:kick:

Congress is asked to approve $20 bil in weapons to Saudi Arabia, but Congress is bypassed when weapons are secretly sold to Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE.

Once these weapons are delivered there is no oversight, and who's hands do they end up in?

Congress does not know.

And what if they side against us and our foreign policy in the Middle East? Our troops are in the crossfire.

working for the Saudis building up their defenses and intelligence, all the time circumventing Congress. Now we learn that there are certain ties between al Qaeda and Saudi/Pakistani intelligence.

It's the same old spreading of arms these people engage in, this time in the most volatile region.

How effed up is THAT?!!!!

EW! I really can not take these bastards!!! They should be behind bars, damnit!!

:mad:

The BushCo/NeoCons no longer even make the pretense that Congress has a role to play in anything they want to do.

This means that the foreign policy of this country has been hidden from Congress and the people.

What else have they done and not told us?

Larisa has broken a big story here --which will have repercussions.

Good job Larisa!

It takes little thought as to "why" BushCo & the Neocons MUST keep everything secret.

The Saudis wanted US to shore up the Sunnis in Iraq. Big Dick said no. The Saudis then had Ahmadinijad over for tea, even though they hate him. Hey, they had to make nice while they weighed their options. Iran knows what the Saudis are thinking, just as the Saudis know that the Persians have imperialist designs on the entire region--they have their eye on everything from Teheran to Beiruth, in a great arc that runs through the Holy Places.

That's part of why you're seeing this well-established alliance of Gulf nations publicly snuggling in an almost wanton fashion once more. The best foot soldiers in the bunch come from Jordan--they have no money, no oil, but Saudi Arabia is VERY generous with them. They have a military tradition, thanks to the late King Hussein who acquitted himself very well years ago when his military (or his father's, Young Abdullah's grampa's, I should say) was thinking about revolting. Hussein was quite brave and manly in the face of this revolt, and inspired the troops in a story that is retold to this day. They're gonna have to do a lot of the heavy lifting in the Next Holy War For Mekkah and Medina, should it break out. Abdullah knows this, it's why he is polite, but doesn't kiss our ass. He may need our weapons but he can't be seen as associating with us overmuch--doesn't play well locally. It's also why the Iraqis don't especially like Abdullah much; they know what's down the road with that guy if things get Shi'a--Sunni shirty.

They're gonna go to it, eventually. It's been building for centuries, ever since a couple of guys started bitching about what is the "correct" line of succession from the Prophet Muhamad (PBUH). We just need to get out of the way and let it happen. The Khomeini v. Saddam Iran-Iraq War-Stalemate was just a small dress rehearsal with only a few of the actors onstage.

This next clash, when it happens (and that could be soon, or way, way in the future--they're very patient out that way), will be World War Friken Three. I hope no one lights up one of those Nuke-Yew-Lar things while it goes on...or if they do, they aim poorly, and light it up at the one damned place they're fighting over--it would serve the baaasstids right.

http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/070515/2007051502.html

Saudi - Iran ties to foil enemy plots: Rafsanjani
Saudi Arabia-Iran, Politics, 5/15/2007

Regular consultations between Iran and Saudi Arabia would prevent enemies of Islam from achieving their goals particularly on creating discord among Shiite and Sunni Muslims, Iran's Chairman of the Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said yesterday.


Rafsanjani made the remark in a telephone conversation with Saudi King Abdullah. The two sides exchanged views on ongoing developments in the region particularly the latest situation in Iraq.

They discussed problems of the Islamic world and expressed hope that cooperation between Iran and Saudi Arabia would lead to settlement of such issues.

...

King Abdullah said Iran has established a consolidated bond among Islamic nations and governments through its wisdom and farsightedness.

They wish each other DEAD. The Gulf States getting together is making Rafsanjani nervous. If Egypt pipes up (loaded to the gills with Sunni, that place) they'd sit way back in their seats.

For example, King Abdullah II? He's a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhamad, PBUH--according to the SUNNI version of things. So are the members of the House of Saud.

All those guys in black turbans over in Iran? They make the same claim, a claim that is disregarded by the Sunni, because they follow a different "line."

While it seems like a big, fat SO WHAT? to those people in the West who don't care, it's an INHERITANCE issue, really--the DIRECT descendants should be the ones to guard the Holy Places, the Cornerstone of the Faith, after all!!!

The real title of that Arab News report should be "Rafsanjani makes some Taruf (polite) Remarks to Keep the Lid On the Fact That the Iranians Fucking HATE the Arabs, and Vice Versa! This Means The Shi'a Don't Yet Think They Have The Clout to Beat The Sunni Like A Rented Mule, and they're Afraid the Sunni Might Just Turn the Tables!!!"

Remember, these are the guys who invented that whole "enemy of my enemy" bullshit. They're good at chess, too. They know how to look a long way down the road. And they're patient.

But what really makes me laugh is Rafsanjani's assertion that BushCo wants to drive a wedge between the two sects--like BushCo has the ability to think in that fashion, with that degree of intelligence. BushCo didn't even realize there was more than one Islamic crew until someone sat his ass down and explained it to him--and by then, we were already up to our asses in Iraq.

Thanks for posting that article, BTW--it's always fascinating to watch both sides parsing like crazy!!

may also be related by way of the "Sang Real" to right-wing groups related to the Knights of Jerusalem and such. Just to stir things up....

weapons - got it! Makes perfect sense. /sarcasm

as the Sunni (True Faith, per them) Guardians of the Holy Places. The Iranians, who as Shi'as and the place where most of the Ayatullahs (along with the GRAND Ayatullah) hang their turbans, are the 'bastard sect' of Islam, want what the Saudis have.

Now that the Sunni Gulf States are beefed up with weapons to kick Shi'a ass if they get any ideas, the Iranians are going to have to put their "Shi'a Crescent from Teheran to Beiruth" plans on ice...for awhile. They won't give up, though.

They'll just lay back and wait for a better shot...or think of another way to get at what they want.

It's always handy to blame us, though. We're the Devil, thanks to BushCo. And the irony is, all that stupid idiot wanted was some OIL. He could give a shit about the rest of the games being played in the region...he's like a dumb bear, shoving his paws in the beehive looking for honey, and then getting all bullshit when the bees come out a-stinging!!!

We should expect this to be reported in the NYTimes or the Washington Post. If not why not?