US to Arm Egypt.

[HonestChieffan]

With the Muslim Brotherhood in charge, is this at all wise?


The US will supply Egypt with 20 F-16 fighter jets as part of a billion dollar aid package, FoxNews reported. The first four jets will be delivered on January 22, after undergoing examinations in Fort Worth, Texas.

The deal was signed in 2010 during the reign of Hosni Mubarak. But given the political instability sweeping the country, some have begun to wonder whether it is wise to donate fighter jets to an already 200 strong air force fleet.

Quoting Malou Innocent, a foreign policy expert, FoxNews said: “Should an overreaction (by Egypt) spiral into a broader conflict between Egypt and Israel, such a scenario would put US officials in an embarrassing position of having supplied massive amounts of military hardware … to both belligerents.” The report added that: “Given Washington’s fiscal woes, American taxpayers should no longer be Egypt’s major arms supplier.”

Republican Congresswomen Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, chairwomen of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, criticized the military aid to Egypt. “The Obama administration wants to simply throw money at an Egyptian government that the president cannot even clearly state is an ally of the United States,” she said.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7...318289,00.html

[Direckshun]

Let it be known that a lot of the weaponry Mubarak used to fight back the Egyptian protests were sold to him by the US of A.

This has been a game decades in the making.

[HonestChieffan]

I see the point Direck makes. I overreacted in the OP. Very cool deal we are building the balance of trade, crating some jobs, and helping to bring stability to a region of the world that is important.

[listopencil]

I think I should apply for military aid. If I promise not to invade Israel, and only cut a few people's heads off, can I get some planes?