Wait a minute, I thought only jews and americans were responsible for arms races
Iran-backed missile program for Hizbullah stuns Saudis into action
Gertz again...
After years of hesitation, Saudi Crown Prince Sultan has gone on a weapons shopping spree. Sultan, who is also the kingdom's defense minister, has determined an emerging threat from Iran exists and needs an answer quickly.Over the past few months, Sultan has sewn up several major deals with Britain, France and the United States. The projects include military platforms, maintenance and lots of training. Unlike the free spending days in the 1970s, Sultan wants to provide the kingdom with indigenous capabilities and technology.
"There are two facets to the Saudi defense procurement," a Western diplomat in the Gulf said. "One is the conventional weaponry that Riyad needs to bolster its military and maintain air superiority and maritime protection in the Arabian Sea. The other is a secret nonconventional program meant to match that of Iran's."
Over the past few weeks, Iran's conventional military threat has stunned Riyad. Like other Gulf Arab countries, Sultan sees the Hizbullah rocket war against Israel as an offensive by Iran. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has equipped, trained and even directed Hizbullah fighters in Lebanon in waging a conflict more fierce than anything since the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.
Sultan has selected the United States as the lead country in helping train and equip Saudi military and security forces. On July 21, the Bush administration approved the sale of more than $6 billion worth of military platforms and equipment to Saudi Arabia, the largest U.S. arms sale to Riyad in more than a decade.
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