From: Adam <""4thwormcastfromthemolehill\"{at}the field.near
the bridge">

Rich Gauszka wrote:
> So why shouldn't the Saudis align themselves with Russia and China  on arms
> sales?

Or the EU (France/UK).

They're buying Typhoon. They've got a large collection of French kit. etc.

However it's horses for courses. The best Manpad (starstreak) is UK, the
best long range sam systems are Russian (S400 etc) so buy a best of breed
approach mucho like say the Indians are doing.

e.g. the US is useless wrt conventional subs nowadays where the Baltic
types especially (Denmark, Sweden, Germany) have nearly perfect
air-independent machines for the Saudis & others.

Most Arabs have got used to the Israeli veto which is why they tend to only
buy as a thankyou (e.g. Kuwait post 1990).

Remember the Saudi AWACS & F15 scrap?

The real fun will come if Russia ever decides to flog kit like the S400
+ AWACS to Israel's neighbors. Then everything flying above Israel will
be killable at will.

Personally I am amused at the amount of pressure the US has placed on
others not to let Lebanon defend itself by such means.


Ship Lebanon some batteries of S400. Splash some IAF aircraft. Stand back
& admire.

Adam

>
>
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/05/world/middleeast/05weapons.html?ei=5065&en=
9cdce962bc943746&ex=1176436800&partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print
>
> WASHINGTON, April 4 - A major arms-sale package that the Bush administration
> is planning to offer Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf allies to deter
> Iran has been delayed because of objections from Israel, which says that the
> advanced weaponry would erode its military advantage over its regional
> rivals, according to senior United States officials.
>
> The United States has long committed to preserving what is known as Israel's
> "qualitative military edge," or Q.M.E. "Israel has
expressed concern that
> this proposal could affect the Q.M.E.," said a Defense Department official.
> "We don't want to go to Congress until we've got everybody on
board." Israel
> and the United States have been in discussions over a new military aid
> package that could increase American support for Israel's military to around
> $3 billion from $2.4 billion.
>
>

--- BBBS/NT v4.01 Flag-5