Lantos supports Saudi arms sale

[Tom Joad]

Rep. Tom Lantos (D-San Mateo) is blocking an effort by Jewish Democrats in Congress to stop the planned sale of arms to Saudi Arabia.

Reps. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) and Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) asked colleagues to sign a letter to Lantos, the chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, asking him to convene the committee to block the arms sale.

“Chairman Lantos does not intend to ask the committee to consider any resolutions of disapproval on this matter,” Lantos spokeswoman Lynne Weill said Jan. 15 when asked about the letter.

In a statement last June, Lantos suggested that he would support the sale because it would help contain the Iranian threat.

“We welcome the development that the Saudis and other Gulf states have recognized that a nuclear weapons-equipped Iran is a mortal threat to them,” Lantos, Congress’ only Holocaust survivor, said at the time.
http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/34390/format/html/displaystory.html
___________________

In contrast, Rep. Barbara Lee (oakland-berkeley) has this statement on her website:
http://lee.house.gov/index.cfm?ContentID=1187&ParentID=0&SectionID=4&SectionTree=4&lnk=b&ItemID=1182
Congresswoman Barbara Lee (Oakland) issued the following statement regarding the proposal Bush administration has proposed to Congress to sell precision-guided bombs to Saudi Arabia, despite significant Congressional opposition:

“This arms package is a very dangerous move by this Republican administration. What they are proposing may potentially create a powder keg, ultimately sparking a regional arms race. It is reckless to think they can buy peace through arms. Selling precision-guided bombs to Saudi Arabia will only flare up an already volatile region and further weaken our national security.

“Ignoring Congressional opposition to this arms sale is yet another example of the ‘go-it-alone’ foreign policy style of the Bush administration which has repeatedly failed.

“I am fully supporting the Weiner-Wexler Resolution of Disapproval to block the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia and I am very proud to be an original cosponsor of this important legislation.”

[mmonk]

1. I'm not surprised.

[mikelgb]

2. Lantos is tied up in the Edmonds Scandal

[mmonk]

6. yep.

Involved.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

36. The arms proliferation scandal.

Yes.

[BuyingThyme]

3. You attack this country, we give you weapons.

You don't, we stage an incident and murder you.

Why would a country not attack?

[Tom Joad]

4. I think the main idea is to threaten Iran. That's why Lantos supports it

that and Israel is getting a big gift (an increase of 25% in their annual allowance 3 billion per year)
At least Saudi Arabia is paying for this shit. But i agree with Lee that the sale is insanity, i only wish she would go further and oppose sales or gifts of weapons to ALL nations in the Middle East, including Israel.

[BuyingThyme]

5. I forgot this was a "deal" with Israel.

That's sure a great deal.

Fuck you, Lantos. If you're so fond of Israel, go over there.

[Tom Joad]

7. The problem is not his "fondness" for Israel, it is

his politics of support for militarism ... that really hurts everyone. Including Israelis.

[BuyingThyme]

8. Do you think he would approve of this sale if it didn't hinge on

providing weapons to Israel?

[oberliner]

9. "If you're so fond of Israel, go over there."

What the hell?

[BuyingThyme]

11. If people want to endanger our country to the benefit of another,

they should get the fuck out and never come back.

[oberliner]

12. Why not tell him to go to Saudi Arabia?

The article is about his support for an arms deal with the Saudis.

[BuyingThyme]

13. Because I don't think he would support the deal

if not for the counterbalance provided by the thirty billion dollars going to Israel. I think he knows he's endangering our country, but it's worth it to him if Israel gets the cash.

[rockymountaindem]

14. Selling arms to Saudi Arabia potentially endangers Israel

That's why the others are trying to block it. I don't understand what you're trying to get at here, other than suggesting that anybody who supports Israel is supposedly more loyal to another country.

[BuyingThyme]

17. If the arms sale is wrong before adding the 30 billion,

it is wrong after adding the 30 billion.

Do you agree?

[rockymountaindem]

19. No

Actually I think that if you're going to sell arms to the Saudis, then adding the incentive to Israel is a good idea because it means that both sides of that divide can maintain relative parity and both sides have something to lose if they complain too loudly. Selling arms to Saudi Arabia alone would anger Israel, contribute to what is known as a "security dilemma", and wouldn't be a good idea. However, the whole thing is predicated on a "nuclear armed Iran" being a threat to regional stability, which is a crock, so the whole thing probably isn't necessary in the first place. However, if we're bound and determined to sell arms to the Saudis, then adding the 30 billion for Israel is a good idea, IMHO.

[BuyingThyme]

22. You said no but your post says yes.

[rockymountaindem]

25. I can see what you mean

My post is kinda convoluted, but then so is the entire issue. The sale is, IMHO, unnecessary without the 30 billion for Israel, but it is less harmful/troublesome with that money added than if the Saudi deal went forward alone.

[BuyingThyme]

26. I think the entire issue would be less convoluted if the guy in charge of the

committee hadn't been one of the most outspoken cheerleaders for the holocaust in Iraq.

[oberliner]

16. I think he thinks it's good for our country

He certainly may be wrong about that, but I do not believe that he is deliberately trying to endanger the United States.

[Tom Joad]

20. I agree that he may think its good for the US

and i have no problem with him being concerned about other peoples.

I do think it is a problem that he supports militarism. and military solutions. I don't think that is good for anyone.

I don't think this arms sale is going to directly endanger the US... but i agree with Lee that it is very bad for the region and we all live on the same planet.

[BuyingThyme]

23. How can selling arms to the people whose involvement in the 9/11 attacks

has been redacted from all public documents be good for the American people?

[Oilwellian]

28. I trust what Sibel Edmonds says

There's a reason why Lantos' picture is posted on her website. Money laundering, nuclear black market and the drug trade and Lantos is part of it.

[mmonk]

34. Good call.

People here still don't get our problems and the path we're on have been caused by members of both parties. Your trust in Sibel is well founded.

[The Stranger]

27. "Tom Lantos, go to Saudi Arabia!"

There, I did.

[oberliner]

30. He wouldn't be allowed to move there

But that's another story altogether.

[The Stranger]

31. Then I suppose telling him to move to Israel was correct in the first place.

:shrug:

[oberliner]

33. How about letting him stay in America?

How about embracing the idea that American politicians are allowed to propose sending aid to other countries without being told to move to those countries?

[Tom Joad]

35. Lantos, resign your office and stay in america.

sounds good to me.

[oberliner]

10. We really ought to disentangle ourselves from the Saudis

I support Wexler and Weiner in their opposition to this deal.

Is there a link to more info or the text of the letter they are asking their colleagues to sign?

[LeftishBrit]

15. I agree with you...

The UK have also had too many dealings with the Saudis IMO; and some of them not very 'clean'.

[oberliner]

18. Can't help but wonder what Middle Eastern politics would look like

If we were able to reduce or even eliminate our dependancy on oil from countries in the region. (referring to the US here, I'm not as familiar with the situation in the UK)

[LeftishBrit]

29. Britain is fortunate in having North Sea Oil; which reduces but does not eliminate the issue here

Despite this, we have been involved in some pretty shady arms deals with Saudi Arabia, in which our dear Tony played a fairly unethical role:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/baefiles/story/0,,2231496,00.html

[Tom Joad]

21. I think we should disentangle the US from support of military aid or sales from

any nation. especially in the Middle East. Including Israel.

[Tom Joad]

24. the only people this is good for are the merchants of death who get profits

from the sale of military arms to Saudi Arabia and the gift of military arms to Israel.

[Toots]

32. War is Good Business...Let's lay the seeds for future War and our Business Developement.

Here is an idea :think: Let's stir up the M.E. real good and then dump a bunch of guns and armaments right into the middle of it..I am sure enough stuff will get blown to bits and weapons destroyed so we will make a killing replacing it all. It's called "Forward Planning" and Republicans are very good at it...It also gets all those "Arabs" fighting among themselves and so we don't have to..kills two birds with one stone..sort of like introducing "Crack" into inner cities.