U.S. approves possible $15 billion sale of THAAD missiles to Saudi Arabia

[rooster59]

U.S. approves possible $15 billion sale of THAAD missiles to Saudi Arabia

 

FILE PHOTO: A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor is launched during a successful intercept test, in this undated handout photo provided by the U.S. Department of Defense, Missile Defense Agency. U.S. Department of Defense, Missile Defense Agency/Handout via Reuters/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department has approved the possible sale of a THAAD anti-missile defence system to Saudi Arabia at an estimated cost of $15 billion, the Pentagon said on Friday, in a statement citing Iran among regional threats.

 

Saudi Arabia asked to purchase 44 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) launchers and 360 missiles, as well as fire control stations and radars.

 

"This sale furthers U.S. national security and foreign policy interests, and supports the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in the face of Iranian and other regional threats," the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation agency said in a statement.

 

Iran has one of the biggest ballistic missile programs in the Middle East, viewing it as an essential precautionary defence against the United States and other adversaries, primarily Gulf Arab states and Israel.

 

THAAD missile systems are deployed to defend against ballistic missile attacks.

 

Lockheed Martin Co <LMT.N> is the prime contractor for the THAAD system, with Raytheon Co <RTN.N> playing an important role in the system's deployment.

 

The United States deployed THAAD to South Korea this year to guard against North Korea's shorter-range missiles. That has drawn fierce criticism from China, which says the system's powerful radar can probe deep into its territory.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-10-07

 

[ResandePohm]

Preparing Saudi for a war with Iran and making a handsome profit at the same time. However by spreading the technology will eventually lead to the enemy also getting it. Then what happens?

[than]

43 minutes ago, ResandePohm said:

Preparing Saudi for a war with Iran and making a handsome profit at the same time. However by spreading the technology will eventually lead to the enemy also getting it. Then what happens?

 

Well China sell ballistic missile to Saudi too and France has sell a P4 class laboratory to Saudi.......

[FritsSikkink]

That was the country where most people of the 9/11 attack came from, no invasion but give them more weapons?

Edited October 7, 2017 by FritsSikkink

[Golgota]

18 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

That was the country where most people of the 9/11 attack came from, no invasion but give them more weapons?

This is also the country who creates a disastrous situation in Yemen. This is the country which behead people in public, this is the country which shares wahabism with al qaeda, Daesh and others... In fact it is everything Trump complains about when it comes to Iran... Usa and europe should really be ashamed for dealing with them. I wonder how pro trump think about this, as they are deeply linked to 9.11 and yet no ban for them

[khunken]

3 hours ago, Golgota said:

This is also the country who creates a disastrous situation in Yemen. This is the country which behead people in public, this is the country which shares wahabism with al qaeda, Daesh and others... In fact it is everything Trump complains about when it comes to Iran... Usa and europe should really be ashamed for dealing with them. I wonder how pro trump think about this, as they are deeply linked to 9.11 and yet no ban for them

 

Yes. It's Yemen that needs protection against a Saudi invasion and continuing atrocities there. But money for the US 'defense' industry trumps (sic) everything - again.

Edited October 7, 2017 by khunken
spelling

[Grouse]

6 hours ago, ResandePohm said:

Preparing Saudi for a war with Iran and making a handsome profit at the same time. However by spreading the technology will eventually lead to the enemy also getting it. Then what happens?

Yes, show some moral fortitude to the Persians! After all, what did Saudi ever do to the USA?

 

Delta Tango strikes again. What a F***** m****!

[Grouse]

5 hours ago, than said:

 

Well China sell ballistic missile to Saudi too and France has sell a P4 class laboratory to Saudi.......

What wrong with a P4 lab?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biosafety_level

 

We all have them

 

However, I wouldn't even sell Saudi a bump stock (whatever that is)

 

[midas]

At the same time Russia also does a deal with them 

 

Saudi Arabia agrees deal for Russian S400 missile defense systems

 

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2017/10/05/Saudi-Arabia-agrees-deal-for-Russian-S400-missile-defense-systems.html

[Skeptic7]

20 hours ago, ResandePohm said:

Preparing Saudi for a war with Iran and making a handsome profit at the same time. However by spreading the technology will eventually lead to the enemy also getting it. Then what happens?

Same mistake over and over. Never learn. And in this case, the enemy is getting it directly...Saudi Arabia!

[stevenl]

Glad to see the USA is stopping with meddling in the ME and stopping with supporting an abhorent dictatorship.

[Naam]

1 hour ago, Skeptic7 said:

Same mistake over and over. Never learn. And in this case, the enemy is getting it directly...Saudi Arabia!

every child knows that Saudi Arabia has plans to launch these missiles in order to destroy Los Angeles and San Francisco.

[Naam]

1 hour ago, stevenl said:

Glad to see the USA is stopping with meddling in the ME and stopping with supporting an abhorent dictatorship.

the majority of the people of this abhorent dictatorship beg to differ.

[baboon]

12 minutes ago, Naam said:

every child knows that Saudi Arabia has plans to launch these missiles in order to destroy Los Angeles and San Francisco.

That comes later when they are of no more use...

[Skeptic7]

4 hours ago, Naam said:

every child knows that Saudi Arabia has plans to launch these missiles in order to destroy Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Not my point at all, oh exalted POTY. (btw these are defense missiles) Saudi Arabia is the antithesis to Western civilization...including basic freedoms and personal liberties.aka human rights.

 

A theocratic dictatorship that is totally against civilized values and human rights. A terrorist country supporting other terrorist countries and activities. And a threat to the USA in spreading extremist Islamic and Jihadist ideals. Definitely one of the world's top human rights violators and certainly an erratic untrustworthy country that is a burden at best and an enemy to the USA and western world in every way except militarily...for the present anyway.

 

With a "friend" like SA, certainly don't need enemies. 

Edited October 8, 2017 by Skeptic7

[Naam]

8 minutes ago, Skeptic7 said:

Not my point at all, oh exalted POTY. Saudi Arabia is the antithesis to Western civilization...including basic freedoms and personal liberties.aka human rights.

 

A theocratic dictatorship that is totally against civilized values and human rights. A terrorist country supporting other terrorist countries and activities. And a threat to the USA in spreading extremist Islamic and Jihadist ideals. Definitely one of the world's top human rights violators and certainly an erratic untrustworthy country that is a burden at best and an enemy to the USA and western world in every way except militarily...for the present anyway.

 

With a "friend" like SA, certainly don't need enemies. 

you just proved that you possess a wealth of no idea concerning Saudi Arabia. keep up the good job of parroting from sources with an agenda.

[Skeptic7]

37 minutes ago, Naam said:

you just proved that you possess a wealth of no idea concerning Saudi Arabia. keep up the good job of parroting from sources with an agenda.

 and POTY just proved?...nothing. Just wrote down a bunch of words that amounted to less than zero. Utter drivel. Expect more from the esteemed POTY!  

 

Not boding well for a repeat...

[khunken]

1 hour ago, Naam said:

you just proved that you possess a wealth of no idea concerning Saudi Arabia. keep up the good job of parroting from sources with an agenda.

Normally I respect your viewpoint Naam - not this time.

With comments like this: 'the majority of the people of this abhorent dictatorship beg to differ.' not helping as well as the above.

 

There is no opportunity for the citizens of SA to express any viewpoint other than support for their rulers, in fact they dare not express any dissent beyond 'ladies being allowed to drive sometime'.

Saudi has not only supplied many extremists to AQ, ISIS and all the Wahabi-supporting fundamentalist groups in Syria and was only one of two countries (with UAE) to recognise the Taliban before the invasion of Afghanistan. It is currently invading and comitting atrocities in Yemen, just some years after a bloody put-down of the Bahraini majority Shias via an invitation from another abhorrent dictatorial family - the Al Khalifas.

[than]

22 hours ago, Grouse said:

What wrong with a P4 lab?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biosafety_level

 

We all have them

 

However, I wouldn't even sell Saudi a bump stock (whatever that is)

 

in P4 lab you can work in dangerous virus and easily made biological weapons. For your information US refuse to sell it to Saudi, France do....

[Naam]

1 hour ago, khunken said:

Normally I respect your viewpoint Naam - not this time.

With comments like this: 'the majority of the people of this abhorent dictatorship beg to differ.' not helping as well as the above.

 

There is no opportunity for the citizens of SA to express any viewpoint other than support for their rulers, in fact they dare not express any dissent beyond 'ladies being allowed to drive sometime'.

Saudi has not only supplied many extremists to AQ, ISIS and all the Wahabi-supporting fundamentalist groups in Syria and was only one of two countries (with UAE) to recognise the Taliban before the invasion of Afghanistan. It is currently invading and comitting atrocities in Yemen, just some years after a bloody put-down of the Bahraini majority Shias via an invitation from another abhorrent dictatorial family - the Al Khalifas.

KhunKen,

may i draw your attention to the fact that you also also generalise as does Skeptic by not differentiating between the country Saudi Arabia, the ruling "royal" clan, the anachronistic ridiculous Wahhabi clerics and financially powerful individuals. the latter are the actual culprits as far as globally spreading and financing a perverted interpretation of the Qr'an is concerned.

 

i would like to elaborate on this and your other points but this forum is not meant for these kind of discussions. 

 

 

 

[khunken]

7 minutes ago, Naam said:

KhunKen,

may i draw your attention to the fact that you also also generalise as does Skeptic by not differentiating between the country Saudi Arabia, the ruling "royal" clan, the anachronistic ridiculous Wahhabi clerics and financially powerful individuals. the latter are the actual culprits as far as globally spreading and financing a perverted interpretation of the Qr'an is concerned.

 

i would like to elaborate on this and your other points but this forum is not meant for these kind of discussions. 

 

 

 

No Naam, I'm not generalising.

 

I said that the citizens don't have an opportunity to voice their disagreement with the rulers which in practice includes the Wahabi clerics.

 

Apart from that I agree with the rest of your comments.

[tonbridgebrit]

So, Mecca might be attacked. So, that's why THAAD is needed in Saudi Arabia. Who wants to attack Mecca ?

 

[Grouse]

29 minutes ago, tonbridgebrit said:

So, Mecca might be attacked. So, that's why THAAD is needed in Saudi Arabia. Who wants to attack Mecca ?

 

Me

[Naam]

2 hours ago, tonbridgebrit said:

So, Mecca might be attacked. So, that's why THAAD is needed in Saudi Arabia. Who wants to attack Mecca ?

 

Sir,

your comment and question proves without doubt that you are a genius. hats off!

[Credo]

Weapons are sold internationally.   A country does not even have to be an ally to get weapons, just not an enemy, or at least not an enemy at the time of purchase.   

 

If weapons aren't sold by the US, then they will be sold by Russia, France, the UK and some even get purchased from North Korea.    

 

Linking large sales of weapons to human rights might be a worthy ideal, but it does nothing to make the world any safer.   

[Thorgal]

1 hour ago, Credo said:

Weapons are sold internationally.   A country does not even have to be an ally to get weapons, just not an enemy, or at least not an enemy at the time of purchase.   

 

If weapons aren't sold by the US, then they will be sold by Russia, France, the UK and some even get purchased from North Korea.    

 

Linking large sales of weapons to human rights might be a worthy ideal, but it does nothing to make the world any safer.   

 

Didn't Trump visited SA, Jerusalem and the Vatican lately?

 

Those visits ended with a huge arms sales afterwards.

 

At least it's clear who got him elected...

Edited October 8, 2017 by Thorgal

[stevenl]

7 hours ago, Credo said:

Weapons are sold internationally.   A country does not even have to be an ally to get weapons, just not an enemy, or at least not an enemy at the time of purchase.   

 

If weapons aren't sold by the US, then they will be sold by Russia, France, the UK and some even get purchased from North Korea.    

 

Linking large sales of weapons to human rights might be a worthy ideal, but it does nothing to make the world any safer.   

Got you. Whatever happens, money before principles. Well, that's a principle in itself.

[Naam]

7 hours ago, Thorgal said:

 

Didn't Trump visited SA, Jerusalem and the Vatican lately?

 

Those visits ended with a huge arms sales afterwards.

 

At least it's clear who got him elected...

what did Pope Francisco order? 

[boomerangutang]

Put 300 million guns in the US population, and you get lots of gun violence.

 

Put $15 billion worth of high tech weapons in the M.East, and you get lots of added carnage.

[boomerangutang]

6 minutes ago, Naam said:

what did Pope Francisco order? 

Ha, that's funny.  Francisco's role was to try to give Trump some little of bit of cred with US Catholic voters.   It didn't work.   Something to do with 'polishing a turd with holy water.'