Sunday 11 November 2012

Arms Deals – Pentagon supports Saudi Arabia, Iraq under Pressure

By Reem

Iraq and its Russian arms deal. Qatar ordered 11 Patriot air defence systems.

A current not completely transparent information is making its round in the media about the recently personally by Nouri al-Maliki sealed arms deal with Russia in Moscow, which should go through a total of 4.2 billion U.S. dollars. Iraq has cancelled the weapons deal, it should be renegotiated.

At the same time there should have been a denial of the refusal by the Iraqi Ministry of Defence on Al Jazeera. A not immediately transparent “corruption risk” or just the corruption as a fact was appointed as the reason for the cancellation of the deal.

The thing is that with most of the countries, especially the “third world”, are hardly larger deals, in which not a little bit cash back is also included in the game. This should be meant with “corruption.”

It is only the thing that the deal with Russia is not the only major arms deal of the Iraqis in recent times; just think of the delivery of armoured vehicles from Ukraine or the deal with the Czech Republic that was almost simultaneously signed with the deal with Moscow.

Just yesterday, in addition to all this, there was the official call by Iraq, that the Russian Gazprom Neft should reconsider all its separate deals with the Iraqi Kurds. So the Russians are not much better off than the poor ExxonMobil.

If the information about the exposure of the arms deals with Russia is in the end correct, then one is hardly able to speak of an independent decision by al-Maliki. There was pressure, in fact, sustainable pressure. Then the whole Russian hopes for at least a minimal presence in the region would be scattered.

Thereto the “loss” of Syria means the final farewell of Russia from the Middle East. Perhaps this perspective will finally cause the Russian government to take a really clearer and tougher position on Syria. It is hard to imagine what all still needs to happen that this will finally happen.

As long as Russia is anxious to avoid any friction, as the ostrich with the head in the sand, and fights for stability and status quo, it will be displaced from anywhere. Till back to Khimki.

Whereas, the Pentagon has by the way announced an arms deal with Saudi Arabia over 6.7 billion U.S. dollars. This arms deal is about 20 transport aircraft of the type C-130 and 5 refuelling aircrafts. The Saudis pay Boing further 4 billion dollars to modernize its air force.

Qatar orders 11 “Patriot” air defence systems with accessories and 246+768 matching rockets for the total sum of 10 billion U.S. dollars. This is in addition to the reports of the jointly with the UAE purchase of THAAD missile defence systems (Terminal High Altitude Area Defence) for 7.6 billion U.S. dollars (share of Qatar: 6.5 billion).

These latest expenses of Qatar are similar to the previous total investment in its LNG tanker fleet, which amounts to about 15 billion U.S. dollars. These are all very fresh news – and the Gulf monarchies have indeed previously not suffered under pacifism.

It’s getting slowly impossible to ignore the increasing level of armament of the Middle East. Apparently, the time of revolutions is slowly passing by. It’s probably soon about to handle with some more seriously opponents.

Somebody just needs to bring a petrol can and a matchstick round. The only question is when that happens.

Source: apxwn.blogspot.de

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