The Biggest Arms Deal in U.S. History, Obama-Approved

Sixty billion dollars. Anyone who secures a deal for that much would go down in business hall of fame. But anyone who gets that much for selling weapons is an arms dealing warmonger of historic significance, worse than a gang member who sells another a revolver a few million times over. President Obama today authorized an arms deal for that much to Saudi Arabia, fueling an arms race with Iran and making Cold War arms races seem like a rotten appetizer to a poisonous main course that's still to come.

The secret negotiations for the record arms deal have apparently been ongoing since 2007, before Obama was President. However, this in no way excuses him for signing off on the weapons sale, which he has the authority to shut down immediately, aimed at shoring up Arab allies in the Persian Gulf against Russia-backed Iran. In its notification to Congress, the Obama Administration authorizes "the Saudis to buy as many as 84 new F-15 fighters, upgrade 70 more, and purchase three different types of helicopters – 70 Apaches, 72 Black Hawks and 36 Little Birds," the Wall Street Journal reported.  With Israeli nuclear subs already stationed in the region, it will be a miracle historians will debate for decades if World War III doesn't start there, and soon. Just what a Nobel Peace Prize winner should do, right?

If this sounds like a bloodbath of genocidal proportions waiting to happen, it should. As is well known, the U.S. is already the world's largest arms supplier, and with this unprecedented deal it's making clear to the world it aims to stay that way. The companies that stand to profit most from the deal are Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and General Electric. They claim the arms deal will support up to 75,000 jobs. That's just a fraction of the number of people these weapons can potentially kill – in a few hours. On top of the $60 billion package of fighter jets and helicopters, U.S. officials are discussing a potential $30 billion package to upgrade Saudi Arabia's naval forces.

Only the U.S. Congress now has the power to stop this Obama-approved, biggest arms deal in U.S. history. Are they likely to do so? They say there's no such thing as a stupid question, but this is one. The election year timing of the notification, coupled with a failing economy, makes saying no to it as purportedly un-American as being against the Patriot Act was after 9/11. Oh, and we just commemorated that too, didn’t we?

"We appreciate the administration's efforts to maintain Israel's qualitative military edge, and we expect to continue to discuss our concerns with the administration about the issues," said Michael Oren, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S.

But who will appreciate the total insanity of this arms deal and stop it?

Photo Credit: Ted Lipien