[The Wisdom of a Distracted Mind] Umm... err... Huh?!?

Now, I'm not anywhere near an expert on Middle Eastern politics, but I'm thinking this isn't really going to help anyone:

Bush Delivers Arms Sale to Saudi Arabia
By ANNE GEARAN, Associated Press
Posted: 2008-01-14 11:59:11

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) - President Bush, on his first visit to this oil-rich kingdom, delivered a major arms sale Monday to a major ally in a region where the U.S. casts neighboring Iran as a menace to stability.

Bush's talks with Saudi King Abdullah also were expected to cover peace between Israelis and Palestinians and democracy in the Middle East.

The administration was notifying Congress of its intent to sell $20 billion in weapons, including precision-guided bombs, to the Saudis. It is "a pretty big package, lots of pieces," national security adviser Stephen Hadley told reporters on Air Force One.
(full story)

This will end well for everyone, I am sure. In fact, I give it about a month --maybe two-- before things start flying around. I mean, this is pretty much like giving the most psychotic bully on the playground a handgun. Eventually, he's going to get bored and start squeezing the trigger.

The troubling bit is that I don't really see how forking over twenty-freakin'-billion dollars worth of weapons to a country whose citizens are responsible for the greatest attack in America's history is any step toward keeping America safe from the nebulous threat of global terror. If anything, giving this gift of death to the Saudi's has the veneer of being a reward for the staggering death toll of 9-11, and it's as if our nation is essentially saying "thanks, guys!"

Add to this the fact that Bush is on some quest to establish "peace" in that region, and the hypocrisy is astounding.

I don't know. If anyone knows a good locksmith in the DC area, perhaps we can change the locks on the White House while our idiot in chief is out of town. Then, when the asshole is picking up his belongs on the front lawn, put him in chains and leg-irons and haul him off to The Hague to be tried for his support of terrorism asa result of arming the very nation who harbors those who wish to do us harm.

Then again... As I said, I don't know Middle East politics. Maybe this is just seen as a nice sort of olive branch fruit-basket to the people of Saudi Arabia? Maybe Bush is just saying, "Please don't send any more of your people to attack us. Here. Have some nice, shiny bombs! Please like us."

-DP

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Posted By Dan to The Wisdom of a Distracted Mind at 1/14/2008 12:40:00 PM