"If We Arm the Terrorists, Who Detains Us?

[kpete]

If We Arm the Terrorists, Who Detains Us?
By Mike Lillis 02/13/2008 04:06PM
Illustration by: Matt Mahurin

"The problem with selling arms to Saudi Arabia is there is a clear pattern here of the royal family in Saudi Arabia basically aiding and abetting the enemy."

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Bush announced on Jan. 14 that he intends to sell the Saudis the weapons—mostly in the form of "smart bomb" kits that transform ordinary missiles into precision-guided models—as part of a much broader deal to deliver $20 billion in arms to allies in the Middle East. The White House says the weapons are vital to keeping both terrorists and Iran in check.

But Republican Reps. Frank Wolf (Va.), Zack Wamp (Tenn.) and Sue Myrick (N.C.) wondered yesterday who will subsequently rein in the Saudis. Between the three of them, they managed to take shots at the country’s religious intolerance, its support for Wahhabist maddrassas, and its dissemination of textbooks that encourage violence against non-Muslims. (Did they forget to mention that 15 of the 19 terrorists responsible for the 9-11 attacks were Saudi nationals? They did not.)

Here’s Wamp: "The problem with selling arms to Saudi Arabia is there is a clear pattern here of the royal family in Saudi Arabia basically aiding and abetting the enemy."

Said Myrick: "If they’re our friends, like we keep hearing out of the State Department—Oh, they’re our friends—then they need to act like our friends and stop financing radical elements of terrorist organizations, because as Zach already said, that is exactly what they’re doing."

Added Wolf: "Saudi-associated individuals and organizations are providing material support for terrorist organizations … So before Congress approves this weapon sale, the administration has to demonstrate that the Saudis have improved their record and are going to cooperate. And as of now, they have not."

more at:
http://www.washingtonindependent.com/view/if-we-arm-the