Morocco's U.S. Arms Purchase
U.S. Authorities Arrest Israeli Arms Dealer
Up in arms for fresh air
Congress May Block Saudi Arms Deal
U.S. Ending Syrian Embargo
U.S. Bombing in Yemen
This is what the United States considers a strategic relationship with an Arab nation:
"US defence group Lockheed Martin has won a contract worth $841.9m (£528.2m) to supply Morocco with 24 F-16 fighter aircraft and support equipment."
The U.S. is usually reluctant to sell such high-grade weaponry to Arab nations for fear of offending Israel. But Washington and Tel Aviv do not mind selling F-16s to Morocco because it's a client of the former and secretly (but not really) cozy with the latter. Morocco supported the Gulf War - and sent troops then - and the Moroccan monarchy was even part of Bush's famed "Coalition of the Willing". The Moroccan government was too afraid of domestic riots if it sent troops this time, so instead it offered landmine-"detecting" monkeys. Those were a lot of help! The monkeys such run across a field and if they blowup: Viola: there is a mine there! Where is PETA on this abuse of poor monkeys?!
And for decades the monarchy has had secret relations with Israel. Why would Israel fear such F-16s in Moroccan hands when they will be used to kill fellow Muslims in the Western Sahara before they ever are used in defense of Palestinians?
This arming of Arab regimes is why so many Arabs dismiss American pious rhetoric of democracy promotion. The Arabs know that the United States is one of the primary reasons for the authoritarianism in the region. The U.S. sells weapons so that Arab regimes can either fight against one another - i.e. Morocco and the W. Sahara - and/or to suppress their own people - i.e. the rest.
Since 1979, $50billion in U.S. aid to Egypt has been used to build up a massive secret police structure. And increased aid to Jordan is doing like wise. Call it the Bush-Obama-no,no--Bushama Doctrine.
