Grassroots effort to block Bush-Saudi arms deal

In order to protect the United States from terrorism, as experts would agree, we need to address the many root causes behind Islamic extremism -- such as the Saudi government.  45% of all foreign-born insurgents now in Iraq are Saudi.  15 of the 19 hijackers on 9/11 were Saudi.  135 foreigners now in US detention facilities are Saudi.  Also, documents show the Saudi government paid $5,340 to the families of suicide bombers back in 2002.  So while the Bush Administration engages in tough talk about terrorism, they turn around and offer Saudi Arabia a $20 billion military arms deal.

But the $20 billion US-Saudi arms agreement will not slide through as easily as the White House had hoped.  Two House Democrats have introduced legislation that would block the deal from going through:

Standing in front of theSaudi Consulate, Reps. Anthony Weiner, a Democrat of Brooklyn andQueens, and Jerrold Nadler, a Democrat of Manhattan and Brooklyn,yesterday condemned Saudi Arabia as a sponsor of terrorism unworthy ofAmerican military support.

"The folly of this arms deal is beyond belief," Mr. Nadler said."Saudi Arabia is the no. 1 exporter of terrorism in the world today."

He continued: "They are not our friends. We cannot trust how theywill use their arms. … We don't have to give them high-tech weaponswhich may be turned against our friends or us."

These two lawmakers need our help.  The Saudis have been able to effectively lobby the US government for years.  We need everyone to contact the House representative in their district, and tell them to block the Saudi arms deal.

If we can push this through the House, the Senate will have to debate it.  And while in the Senate, we dare the Republicans to filibuster a fill that blocks arms for a state sponsor or terrorism.  Nothing looks more hypocritical than a party that wants people to live in fear, yet gives arms that could be used against our own troops.

Comments

[Bill in Chicago]

In case people fail to grasp the magnitude of the problem here, you might want to point them to this:

www.asecondlookatthesaudis.com

[George]

We gave the government weapons to kill their terrorist population. duh. It all make a lot of sense I think.

So Iranian population is good. Iranian govt is bad.
Saudi govt = good. Saudi people = bad.

It's all black and white. BLACK AND WHITE I SAID!

[mike]

Perhaps you mean, nothing IS more hypocritical...

[R Hampton]

Sarri Singer, survivor of a 2003 bus bombing in Israel and daughter of NJ State Senator Robert Singer, said she supports Weiner and Nadler's call to block the deal. "We need to feel safe here and abroad," she said. "A deal like this ... is not going to make us any safer. In fact, it may make terrorism more prevalent in our lives every day."
-- Lisa L. Colangelo, New York Daily News

I track the Saudi-backed expansion of militant, extremist Wahhabi (Salafi) Islam on my blog, Wahaudi.

http://wahaudi.blogspot.com

[Sandra]

And, what happens then?

1) the Saudis take their US "gifts" and attack Iran.

2) Bush declares a national emergency and...
--employs signing statement 51 and takes over all arms of the US government
--cancels elections for the "national good"
--attempts to disband Congress
--escalates the wiretapping programs
--makes a "I have no choice speech"

3) the US becomes a dictator state, not unlike Saudi Arabia

[granny]

You got it, Sandra!