Egypt is falling apart so Obama is giving them more F-16's
Egyptians are rioting because they have realized that Mohammed Morsy is no less a dictator than Hosni Mubarak. Egypt's economy is on the verge of total collapse. Egypt is continually issuing threats to abrogate its treaty with Israel. And the US economy is teetering on the edge. So what does the Hussein Obama administration do? It
gives the Egyptians another 20 F-16 fighter jets at US taxpayer expense of course (Hat Tip:
Shy Guy via
Jihad Watch).
The first four jets are to be delivered to Egypt beginning Jan. 22, a
source at the naval air base in Fort Worth, where the planes have been
undergoing testing, told FoxNews.com. The North African nation already
has a fleet of more than 200 of the planes and the latest shipment
merely fulfills an order placed two years ago. But given the uncertainty
in Cairo, some critics wonder if it is wise to be sending more top gun
planes.
'Fulfills an order'? How does someone with no money place an order? Let me guess.... The Egyptian government has credit cards. Who pays the bills?
“Should an overreaction [by Egypt] spiral into a broader conflict
between Egypt and Israel, such a scenario would put U.S. officials in an
embarrassing position of having supplied massive amounts of military
hardware … to both belligerents,” said Malou Innocent, a foreign policy
analyst at the Cato Institute. “Given Washington's fiscal woes, American
taxpayers should no longer be Egypt’s major arms supplier.”
Not to mention that most Americans would take Israel's side in such a conflict.
But about that order...
The U.S. government ordered and paid for
the
fighter jets for Egypt's military as part of foreign aid for Egypt back
in 2010, when Hosni Mubarak ruled. The fighter jets were supposed to be
delivered in 2013, and delivery will go ahead as scheduled even though
Hosni Mubarak has been removed from power and replaced by Mohamed Morsi,
who led the Muslim Brotherhood before becoming Egypt's president.
So let me get this straight: The US government ordered the jets, the US government paid for the jets... so why can't the US government just cancel the order or send the jets elsewhere?
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, (R-Fla.), who chairs the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, recently criticized U.S. 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,” Rep. Ros-Lehtinen said.
The $213 million order, which is paid for by U.S. taxpayers and is
part of Egypt's foreign aid package from America, had to be approved by
lawmakers in Washington.While the basic F-16 has been a military
workhorse for top air forces for more than 25 years, the cockpit
electronics are constantly updated and the models Egypt is getting are
the best defense contractor Lockheed Martin makes.
"This is a great day for Lockheed
Martin and a testament to the enduring partnership and commitment we
have made to the government of Egypt," said John Larson, vice
president, Lockheed Martin F-16 programs. "We remain committed to
providing our customer with a proven, advanced 4th Generation multirole fighter."
So Obama is trying to save jobs at Lockheed Martin? Let him give those jets to the US Air Force....
A Pentagon spokesman said the U.S. and Egypt have an important alliance that is furthered by the transfer.
"The U.S.-Egypt defense relationship has served as the cornerstone of
our broader strategic partnership for over thirty years," said Lt. Col.
Wesley Miller. "The delivery of the first set of F-16s in January 2013
reflects the U.S. commitment to supporting the Egyptian military's
modernization efforts. Egyptian acquisition of F-16s will increase our
militaries' interoperability, and enhance Egypt's capacity to contribute
to regional mission sets."
Name one to which the Egyptians have contributed.
Last month, State Department official Andrew J. Shapiro explained why
the administration plans to continue military aid to Egypt:
“I know that the uncertainty over the Egyptian transition has
prompted some in Congress to propose conditioning our security
assistance to Egypt. The administration believes that putting conditions
on our assistance to Egypt is the wrong approach, and Secretary Clinton
has made this point strongly. Egypt is a pivotal country in the Middle
East and a long-time partner of the United States. We have continued to
rely on Egypt to support and advance U.S. interests in the region,
including peace with Israel, confronting Iranian ambitions, interdicting
smugglers, and supporting Iraq,” he said.
None of which Egypt has done until now except for a cold peace with Israel, which may be on the verge of collapsing.
What could go wrong?
Labels: Egypt, Egyptian economy, Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty, Mohammed Morsy, Muslim Brotherhood, US foreign aid
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