…high-powered weapons being provided to someone who should not pass a basic background check.
The first four F-16 fighters are on their way to Mohamed Morsi’s Egypt. The total package will be 20 planes, all being paid for out of your tax dollars.
As I noted here, each F-16 is equipped with a M61-A1 Vulcan gun—the capabilities of which vastly exceed those of any “assault rifle”—in addition to considerable other weaponry.
And while providing this weaponry to the Morsi regime, the Obama administration actually wanted to send a bill to our traditional ally, France, for the logistical support we have provided them during their Mali operation. The total amount of the payment demand (which was dropped after France went public with its criticism) was about $17-19 million. This amount of money is very close to the cost of one of the 20 F-16s we are providing to Egypt.
I should note that last Tuesday the Obama administration did manage to issue a statement criticizing Morsi’s rants against Jews and Israel, calling them “deeply offensive” and counter to the goal of peace in the region.
Evidently, they were not “deeply offensive” enough for Obama to stop the F-16 shipments.
“We believe that President Morsi should make clear that he respects people of all faiths and that this type of rhetoric is unacceptable in a democratic Egypt,’’ said White House spokesman Jay Carney.
How, Mr Carney, is former Muslim Brotherhood leader Morsi (who has asked Egyptians to “nurse our children and our grandchildren on hatred”) supposed to “make clear that he respects people of all faiths” when he obviously doesn’t? Is the objective to get him to lie about his beliefs so that the Obama administration can in turn continue to misrepresent the situation in Egypt to the American people?
It would certainly seem so.
I have given some thought to this – and given the history – Anwar Sadat, who lost his life to the very people now in power in Egypt, took the courageous step of making peace with Israel. You might say that this was really Jimmy Carter’s only achievement worth noting, bringing Israel and Egypt together.
I toured Port Said and the Suez area in 1983, and there was still a lot of war damage from the Yom Kipper (1973) war.
So he (Sadat) was rewarded with an aid package almost the scope of Israel , both economically and militarily.
Ironic that the aid continues given the circumstances.
Obama has to keep in mind who his mentors were.
You have provided Israel with a vast arsenal they have used many times. Many innocent people have died by American arms wielded by Israeli forces.
The Egyptians have attacked no one since the 1973 war.
It is to keep Egypt as an ally. That’s why Obama has given them, a very few, weapons. You understand, I hope, that is probably better for Israel if Egypt stays in the western camp at the moment.
Pushing too hard will just bring the Russians into the game. One could argue that he would be further ahead as a Russian ally these days. They would probably give him SU 27s and where would the west be then?
Would it be too much to hope that the US has a way to render these planes inoperable if need be?
Of course, the likelihood is that Egypt cannot afford the Jet A to keep them in the air long enough to cross Egypt’s borders.
See today’s Spengler:
Denial still is a river in Egypt
January 22nd, 2013
http://pjmedia.com/spengler/2013/01/22/denial-still-is-a-river-in-egypt-cross-posted-from-asia-times-online/
PenGun: You are a f***ing anti-Semite. Get Lost.
“PenGun: You are a f***ing anti-Semite. Get Lost.”
Actually, he shows all the insight and education of a former garbage truck driver.
“Actually, he shows all the insight and education of a former garbage truck driver.”
Got yourself a theme I see. It is common to denigrate the person if one cannot win an argument with them. It actually amazes me that you are a doctor.
“It actually amazes me that you are a doctor.”
No doubt.
Would it be too much to hope that the US has a way to render these planes inoperable if need be?
Yes. But I’m sure the Israelis can do it.
The usefulness of the planes could be reduced by cutting off the supply of spare parts…the Egyptians will probably have been given enough of most items to keep the planes operational for a good while, but sooner or later a cutoff of spares would have an impact.
David – I learned something a bit creepy about the F14s that we sold to the Shah of Iran. Of course we cut off the parts but they were refitted with Russian engines.
These planes proved devastating for the Islamic Republic – why is why they will do almost anything to keep them flying. (don’t know their current status though)
Still the F16 is a lot more software driven.
Read Carolyn Glick on The Left’s Campaign to Destroy a Friend of Israel–Michele Bachmann:
As a member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, and as a contender in the Republican presidential primaries, Bachmann has been one of Israel’s most passionate and articulate defenders and one of Obama’s most effective critics on everything from federal spending to Obama’s abandonment of the US-Israel alliance to his opening of the US federal government and intelligence apparatuses to members of the Muslim Brotherhood – that is to members of a movement dedicated to the destruction of the American way of life.
For her efforts, Rep. Bachmann has been the target of repeated media smear campaigns, often joined by skittish Republicans like John McCain who failed to recognize the danger of the Muslim Brotherhood’s rise in Libya and Egypt, and failed to understand the danger that the penetration of the US federal government by Muslim Brotherhood members constitutes to US national security.
Read the whole thing. There is a petition of support for Bachmann (specifically,for retaining her on the Intelligence Committee) at the link.
O/T except for guns, but those are some interesting specimens of the Ruling Class you have there in Chicago. The vet BTW have home in common. As well as I suspect the same wars.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/01/22/listen-to-this-veterans-epic-defense-of-the-second-amendment-at-chicago-anti-gun-forum-i-went-to-war-for-my-country/
Here’s where the smugs are very, very wrong: Go and look at any picture of Koba, or Adolf, or Himmler, or ANY of them..or for that matter America’s First Generation Philosopher Kings – The New Dealers. You will NOT see them smirking. Or sneering. Nor is it seen on the face of any aristocrat in history I can name. Smiling yes. But they would not DARE to smirk and sneer.
No man ever ruled the earth as Koba, a living god feared by all, tremble at his very name. But he did not dare sneer.
“Pushing too hard will just bring the Russians into the game. One could argue that he would be further ahead as a Russian ally these days. They would probably give him SU 27s and where would the west be then?”
Elementary. We would be in exactly the same position, except the Russians would have to pay for the airplanes.
I am quite certain the gods have decided to destroy you Progs..for they have made you mad.
You see when they threw down the New Dealers in 68 [LBJ was a New Dealer] they also spurned all their lessons or knowledge on how to rule. Indeed all Human History. All gods. They have no one to show them how to rule..properly, but rule they do. I’m convinced that lacking any instruction or template they imitate…art. They caricature Aristocracy without knowing they are…they think this is how Rulers act…not knowing they monkey what was satire. The early capitalists were not the stuff of Dickens. The French Aristos were not Tale of Two Cities. What happened on the Titantic was not what happened in the Movie…they are taking their cues from god help them Hollywood. And by that I mean the views of coked up, strung out screenwriters on how THEY are treated. Which isn’t the truth either. If it’s true anywhere it’s true in American Academia and the fools don’t realize they weren’t at a faculty meeting. They were insanely showing their American subjects their true face.
I wonder which country Morsi plans to use F16s against. Just which countries have an air force and would enter Egypt air space ‘by accident’. Italy? Greece? France? Qatar? Albania?
$17-$19 million is close to the cost of one of Michelle’s ski trips
“We would be in exactly the same position, except the Russians would have to pay for the airplanes.”
Not really, the SU 27 is a far better airplane than the F16, which is why I said that.