US world leader in arms sales, Saudi Arabia no 1 buyer

[kayell]

This story is more than 12 hours old (about 24 hours old) but I haven't been able to find it on the first 6 pages, don't know if it was ever posted. Mods, please do as you see fit.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1521&e=6&u=/afp/iiss_2003_weapons

LONDON (AFP) - The United States sells more arms than any other country, and Saudi Arabia leads the world for buying arms among developing countries, a report from the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) said.


AFP/File Photo



The United States holds a 40.3 percent market share in arms sales, raking in 10.241 billion dollars (8.8 billion euros) from sales in 2002, according to the IISS annual report "The Military Balance 2003-2004", on arms around the world.


Saudi Arabia spent an estimated 5.2 billion dollars in 2002 buying weapons, despite having reduced arms purchases from the 1995-1998 period, the report said.


Britain, the world's second-largest arms seller, sold 4.7 billion dollars worth of weapons in 2002 and has a 18.5 percent market share. It is followed by Russia (3.1 billion dollars and 12.2 percent market share) and France (1.8 billion dollars and 7.1 percent market share).

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"Making the world safe for democracy"

[pfitz59]

1. 'Saudi Arabia' is a US creation!

House of Saud has ruled for less than 100 years! Takes a lot of guns to prop up "The House of Fraud"!

[ze_dscherman]

2. That's why the world has to remain unstable.

Kick!

[ConcernedCanuk]

3. __ Just 'nuther dumm canuck observation ___

. . wouldn't a nation that sells weapons be considered promoting terrarism ?

I mean, like really, without weapons, would not the world be safer ?

oh right, the USA is only supplying 40% of the weapons, and Britain is only supplying 18%

and gee - I don't see Iraq listed in there anywhere, so tell me again

why did the USA and Britain bomb the sh_t outta Iraq ??

Silly me

- I forgot

O-I-L

:dunce:

[fla nocount]

4. Because UN sanctions prevented Iraq from buying weapons.

Thus making Irag useless to Bush/bin-Laden/Carlyle except of course for one thing O-I-L.

Makes one wonder as well what SA does with all those with all those weapons. It's sorta like Rush's 30,000 hits of crazy lady pills. No way it's for personal use.

[ConcernedCanuk]

5. Hmm makes alot of (non)sense,

. . bombing the sh_t out of one of the few countries that DOESN"T buy weapons ??


. . silly me again

I keep furgetting the O-I-L thing

:dunce:

[fla nocount]

6. Damn, someone else is up?

No sense at all. It's all about money, old favors and old grudges. Saddam make a suckers bet that the US wouldn't act against him in defiance of world opinion, that his oil deals with France and Russia would protect him.....he was wrong.

Don't call yourself dumb though, I spent my high school years in Newfoundland and we're the ones that are cousins to codfish. Just one highway for decades and still re-electing Joey Smallwood, now, that's dumb.

[qb]

7. Saudi Arabia: #1 Exporter of 9-11 terrorists (n/t)

[htuttle]

8. It's just bidness, says Dick

Saudi Arabia feels it needs an ultra-modern air force (no doubt the bulk of the expenditure), because it worries about Israel having an ultra-modern air force. Which, of course, US taxpayers mostly paid for.

Related to that, we also pay Egypt a few billion to keep them complacent about our giving Israel so much military aid.

It's really just one big contract for Halliburton and Carlyle from the Nile to the Persian Gulf.

Who pays for most of it?

As Bush is so fond of saying, "It's YOUR money..."

[malachi]

9. We're No. 1!

USA, USA, USA! Another proud momnet in American history. I for one just cannot understand how the rest of the is not madly in love with us and our "values".

[fla nocount]

10. It's 1 o'clock Saturday morning & I'm going to kick this.

Just because I'm awake.......that and shits and giggles of course.

[anakie]

11. that's why

Kinda explains why there has been deafening silence from the Bush Administration about Saudi Arabia.

[fla nocount]

12. Welcome ozscott.

Welcome to DU. Great first post, to the point one liner that invites discussion and refers to the original thread. Once again, welcome, you're going to love this place.