Good News! Saudi Arabia wants to buy a few billion dollars worth of weapons.

 

Media/Public Contact: 

Lorna Jons (703) 604-6618 

Transmittal No: 

13-49

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2013 – The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress on Oct. 11 of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Saudi Arabia of various munitions and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $6.8 billion.

The Government of Saudi Arabia has requested a possible sale of:

• 650 AGM-84H Standoff Land Attack Missiles-Expanded Response (SLAM-ER), 
• 973 AGM-154C Joint Stand Off Weapons (JSOW), 
• 400 AGM-84L Harpoon Block II missiles, 
• 1000 GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs (SDB), 
• 40 CATM-84H Captive Air Training Missiles (CATM), 
• 20 ATM-84H SLAM-ER Telemetry Missiles, 
• 4 Dummy Air Training Missiles, 
• 60 AWW-13 Data Link pods, 
• 10 JSOW CATMs, 
• 40 Harpoon CATMs, 
• 20 ATM-84L Harpoon Exercise Missiles, 
• 36 SDB Captive Flight and Load Build trainers, 
• containers, 
• mission planning, 
• integration support and testing, 
• munitions storage security and training, 
• weapon operational flight program software development, 
• transportation, 
• tools and test equipment, 
• support equipment, 
• spare and repair parts, 
• publications and technical documentation, 
• personnel training and training equipment, 
• U.S. Government and contractor engineering and logistics support services, and 
• other related elements of logistics support. 

The estimated total cost is $ 6.8 billion.

This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country that has been and continues to be an important force for political stability in the Middle East.

Original, complete with bureaucratic double-talk here. 

Well, this is good news. Saudi Arabia, our "friend" and the prime motivator for all the jihadists in the world, is sending one percent of their oil revenue to the American defense industry. What's not to like?

You know, I don't think the powers that be really care about terrorism. I mean how much effect does it really have on the global economy, I mean other than causing the military and security services all over the world to go crazy? And what would the media agonize over if there wasn't a horrific bombing every few days? High-level corruption? Nah, the media knows which side their butter is breaded on.