Listen to Rep. Paul deliver this speech by clicking here. This month the U.S. administration notified Congress that it intends to complete one of the largest arms sales in U.S. history to one of the most repressive regimes on earth. Saudi Arabia has been given the green light by the administration to spend $60 billion …
Continue reading “Saudi Arms Deal Is About Iran”
Back before e-mail, a world traveler who wanted to keep in touch and couldn’t just pop into the nearest Internet café might drop you a series of postcards from one exotic locale after another. Pepe Escobar, that edgy, peripatetic globe-trotting reporter for one of my favorite on-line publications, Asia Times, has been doing just …
Continue reading “Pipelineistan’s New Silk Road”
We’re getting ready to sell $60 billion worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia, largely in the form of F-15 Eagle fighter jets. In other news, we’re getting ready to sell all of our old elephant guns to the Eskimos. The Eskimos will probably get more use out of the elephant guns than the Saudis will …
Continue reading “Where Eagles Double-Dog Dare”
A number of seemingly random news items caught my attention this relatively uneventful weekend, but by the time we get to the end of this column a pattern is bound to emerge: Hypocrisy Watch: Christopher Hitchens, the professional warmonger turned professional atheist, is demanding the Catholic Church be “held accountable” for the crimes of pederastic …
Continue reading “Weapons Bizarre”
Despite an unusual dip in global weapons sales in 2009, the United States retained its spot as the world’s top arms supplier of developing countries, according to an authoritative new report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). The report, the latest in an annual series produced by CRS on conventional arms sales, was released Monday …
Continue reading “US Still Top Arms Supplier to South as Record Sale to Saudis Pends”
Two of the United States’ closest allies in the Middle East, Israel and Saudi Arabia, are on the brink of signing large arms deals with the US in a move designed to ratchet up the pressure on Iran, according to defense analysts. America has agreed to sell Saudi Arabia 84 of the latest model of …
Continue reading “US Arms ‘Bonanza’ in Middle East “
Despite indications of a surge in violence, U.S. President Barack Obama promised to end U.S. combat operations on schedule this month and shift the Iraq mission to civilian and diplomatic efforts. Still, at least 14 Iraqis were killed and 36 more were wounded in new violence. Meanwhile, Kuwait marked the 20th anniversary of the country’s invasion by Iraqi troops and start of the first Gulf War. Also, Saudi Arabia is welcoming the opportunity to strengthen relations with Iraq and reign in Iran’s influence in the region.
Updated at 7:15 p.m. EST, Feb. 23, 2010
With elections just a couple weeks away, the Iraqi government will continue using fraudulent bomb-detection devices even as Baghdad residents brace themselves for more pre-election violence. At least 14 Iraqis were killed and 16 were wounded in light violence today. Also, a U.S. soldier was killed in a vehicular accident in Baghdad today.
Updated at 10:15 p.m. EST, Dec. 9, 2009
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki asked for patience following yesterday’s massive bombings in Baghdad. The attacks continued today, but they were not as successful. At least 11 Iraqis were killed and 28 more were wounded in the new violence.
Pro-Israel lobbyists won the support of 77 senators (out of 100) for a letter sent to President Barack Obama that urged him to "press Arab leaders" to consider making dramatic, upfront peace overtures to Israel. But one key Arab state, Saudi Arabia, has already clearly communicated its refusal to make any such gestures at this …
Continue reading “Saudi Arabia May Not Follow Obama’s Israel Plan” 
