Persian Gulf States Plan Weapons Buying Binge

[Doondoo]

Deep fears about the war in Iraq and growing tension between the United States and Iran are driving the wealthy oil states of the Persian Gulf to go on shopping sprees for helicopters, ships and tanks, officials say.

Some 900 weapons makers and security firms from around the world, including the U.S. and Russia, will compete for those military buys at the IDEX military show that opens Sunday in Abu Dhabi. At stake are contracts predicted to soar past the $2 billion signed at the last such show two years ago.

"The shopping lists are directly correlated to the threat perception," said military analyst Mustafa Alani of the Dubai-based Gulf Research Center. "For the past 15 years, these countries didn't invest a lot in rearming."

But now they're rushing to upgrade.

The biggest fear in the region is that Iraq will collapse into civil war and its violence will spill into nearby Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, Alani said.



http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070216/D8NAN7900.html

[SpiralHawk]

1. "This is fabulous news for my Republican cronies." - George AWOL Bush

"Let the counting of the munitions profits begin.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. Ahhh, too bad about YOUR
sons and daughters in uniform."

- Dickie "Five Deferments' Cheney

http://www.isn.net/pjohnburden/cartoons%20+%20issues%2001/war-profits.jpg

[youngdem]

2. Ah yes, I can hear the roar of Jeffersonian Democracy racing across the region

Good job, Chimp.

Why on EARTH does anyone trust this man. His only experience is failure, and he is admittedly ignorant on the issues.

Ugh.

[frogcycle]

3. money trumps peace

[C_U_L8R]

4. That's the motto of this whole Bush nightmare

I cannot believe he was actually honest enough to say it

[Bandit]

5. "Mission Accomplished"

War is good business and America is in that business "Big Time"