• U.S. approves $1.15 billion sale of 130+ tanks, other equipment to Saudi Arabia
    45 replies, posted
[quote]The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of more than 130 Abrams battle tanks, 20 armored recovery vehicles and other equipment, worth about $1.15 billion, to Saudi Arabia, the Pentagon said on Tuesday. The approval for land force equipment comes at a time when Saudi Arabia is leading a military coalition in support of Yemeni forces loyal to the exiled government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi who are trying to oust Iran-allied Houthi forces from the capital, Sanaa. The coalition's air strikes have come under criticism from rights groups for the deaths of civilians. The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which oversees foreign arms sales, said that General Dynamics will be the principal contractor for the sale, adding it would contribute to U.S. national security by improving the security of a regional partner. "This sale will increase the Royal Saudi Land Force’s (RSLF) interoperability with U.S. forces and conveys U.S. commitment to Saudi Arabia's security and armed forces modernization," the agency said in a notice to lawmakers posted on its website. Lawmakers have 30 days to block the sale, although such action is rare. Saudi Arabia and its mostly Gulf Arab allies intervened in Yemen's civil war in March 2015 after the Houthi movement had pushed the Hadi administration into exile in Saudi Arabia.[/quote] [url]http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-saudi-defense-idUSKCN10K1JR[/url]
Don't we have a massive surplus of tanks we aren't using? I mean, hopefully we are at least selling THOSE if ANYTHING don't know about the sale itself though, I think that debate I'd rather stay out of :v:
I'm not really mad about the whole "selling tanks" thing, that's pretty standard. But of all the people to sell them to, they're deciding to go with Saudi Arabia. Typical. Now if India was the one being sold all that hardware, then I wouldn't be so disappointed.
If we had any sort of moral standards with international relations, the uk and us would be telling the Saudis to sort themselves the fuck out, but we never have, so we continue to see arms which are then used to bomb food supplies/crucial civilian infrastructure which is causing children to starve to death. It's pretty horrifying.
[QUOTE=ironman17;50855635]I'm not really mad about the whole "selling tanks" thing, that's pretty standard. But of all the people to sell them to, they're deciding to go with Saudi Arabia. Typical. Now if India was the one being sold all that hardware, then I wouldn't be so disappointed.[/QUOTE] I believe India's got over 300 Russian T-90s, though.
[QUOTE=NeonpieDFTBA;50855680]If we had any sort of moral standards with international relations, the uk and us would be telling the Saudis to sort themselves the fuck out, but we never have, so we continue to see arms which are then used to bomb food supplies/crucial civilian infrastructure which is causing children to starve to death. It's pretty horrifying.[/QUOTE] It's partly why I wish India would sort them out. That and the modern-day slavery, the psychotic dogma that passes for law, and a whole lot else besides. Though I suspect that, if such a war did break out, America would support the madbeasts whose pockets they're in, and paint India as "yet more damn commies" due to their affiliations with Russia and China.
[QUOTE=ironman17;50855781]It's partly why I wish India would sort them out. That and the modern-day slavery, the psychotic dogma that passes for law, and a whole lot else besides.[/QUOTE] You mean in SA? If India invaded Saudi Arabia, not only would it cause a huge portion of the world's billion-plus Muslims to declare war on them, the US and western countries wouldn't side with India either, because oil.
[QUOTE=archangel125;50855780]I believe India's got over 300 Russian T-90s, though.[/QUOTE] thats because India's previous MBT was the T-72 which is nearly the same as the T-90 parts and maintenance wise.
[QUOTE=codemaster85;50855807]thats because India's previous MBT was the T-72 which is nearly the same as the T-90 parts and maintenance wise.[/QUOTE] Russians do seem to be able to make pretty impressive hardware at a lower cost for both production and maintenance.
[QUOTE=archangel125;50855796]You mean in SA? If India invaded Saudi Arabia, not only would it cause a huge portion of the world's billion-plus Muslims to declare war on them, the US and western countries wouldn't side with India either, because oil.[/QUOTE] Plus it might drag Russia and China into the conflict, unless those two giants decide to distance themselves for some reason. Which would make things even more insane. It's more of a wish, than an overwhelming desire. Some men want to watch the world burn, others just wonder about what would actually happen.
[QUOTE=ironman17;50855781]It's partly why I wish India would sort them out. That and the modern-day slavery, the psychotic dogma that passes for law, and a whole lot else besides. Though I suspect that, if such a war did break out, America would support the madbeasts whose pockets they're in, and paint India as "yet more damn commies" due to their affiliations with Russia and China.[/QUOTE] you know india and saudi arabia are like on seperate continents right? india aint gonna do shit to the saudis because they have very little overlap other than the slave workers whom india has been very aware of for decades and hasnt done anything about because the class system there is so fucked up its rediculous the saudis arent the only country abusing indian migrant workers either
[QUOTE=Sableye;50855834]you know india and saudi arabia are like on seperate continents right? india aint gonna do shit to the saudis because they have very little overlap other than the slave workers whom india has been very aware of for decades and hasnt done anything about because the class system there is so fucked up its rediculous the saudis arent the only country abusing indian migrant workers either[/QUOTE] This. You guys see pictures of Dubai, right, in the UAE? Those glittering skyscrapers and green streets like an oasis in a desert? [img]http://i.imgur.com/XRXoyyy.jpg[/img] Slave labour.
Can't wait for more of our equipment to be used on civilians!
nothing new, US has been selling equipment to us for a long time, dont know why we keep buying tbh, our militarys already good enough [editline]9th August 2016[/editline] [QUOTE=ironman17;50855781]It's partly why I wish India would sort them out. That and the modern-day slavery, the psychotic dogma that passes for law, and a whole lot else besides. Though I suspect that, if such a war did break out, America would support the madbeasts whose pockets they're in, and paint India as "yet more damn commies" due to their affiliations with Russia and China.[/QUOTE] wait wait wait do you have any proof that we use slaves at all? im actually curious, it doesnt say this on Amnesty or any other humanitarian site I look at. [editline]9th August 2016[/editline] if your talking about the incredibly cheap labor which by the way, isnt india, its usually Phillipenes, we arent the only people who do it. look at the US, with Apple and basically 90 percent of your companies. the entire world uses cheap labor.
[QUOTE=Maadz;50855968]nothing new, US has been selling equipment to us for a long time, dont know why we keep buying tbh, our militarys already good enough [editline]9th August 2016[/editline] wait wait wait do you have any proof that we use slaves at all? im actually curious, it doesnt say this on Amnesty or any other humanitarian site I look at. [editline]9th August 2016[/editline] if your talking about the incredibly cheap labor which by the way, isnt india, its usually Phillipenes, we arent the only people who do it. look at the US, with Apple and basically 90 percent of your companies. the entire world uses cheap labor.[/QUOTE] [url]http://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/2008/105389.htm[/url] Human trafficking in Saudi Arabia is well known. Saudi Arabia also spawned Wahhabism, which in turned spawned ISIS. Why we work with theocracies, I have no idea. We shouldn't trade or engage in any form of negotiation with Saudi Arabia.
[QUOTE=ironman17;50855635]I'm not really mad about the whole "selling tanks" thing, that's pretty standard. But of all the people to sell them to, they're deciding to go with Saudi Arabia. Typical. Now if India was the one being sold all that hardware, then I wouldn't be so disappointed.[/QUOTE] Keep in mind these Abrams are down graded versions of our own. Like every other country we only export shitty or outdated versions of existing equiptmemt to make cash.
[QUOTE=Maadz;50855968]nothing new, US has been selling equipment to us for a long time, dont know why we keep buying tbh, our militarys already good enough [editline]9th August 2016[/editline] wait wait wait do you have any proof that we use slaves at all? im actually curious, it doesnt say this on Amnesty or any other humanitarian site I look at. [editline]9th August 2016[/editline] if your talking about the incredibly cheap labor which by the way, isnt india, its usually Phillipenes, we arent the only people who do it. look at the US, with Apple and basically 90 percent of your companies. the entire world uses cheap labor.[/QUOTE] No offense, but it's something SA is notorious for. [url=http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/143188.pdf]From the 2010 US State Department Report[/url]: [quote]Saudi Arabia is a destination country for men and women subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically forced labor. Men and women from Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, and many other countries voluntarily travel to Saudi Arabia as domestic servants or other low-skilled laborers, but some subsequently face conditions indicative of involuntary servitude, including restrictions on movement and communication, the withholding of passports and other travel documents, threats, physical or sexual abuse, and non-payment of wages. In some cases, arriving migrant workers have found the terms of employment in Saudi Arabia are wholly different from those they agreed to in their home countries. The Indian government no longer permits its female nationals under age 40 to take jobs as domestic workers in Saudi homes due to the high incidence of physical abuse by employers. Women, primarily from Asian and African countries, were believed to have been forced into prostitution in Saudi Arabia; others were reportedly kidnapped and forced into prostitution after running away from abusive employers. Yemeni, Nigerian, Pakistani, Afghan, Chadian, and Sudanese children were subjected to forced labor as beggars and street vendors in Saudi Arabia, facilitated by criminal gangs. Unconfirmed reports indicated fewer Yemeni children may have been forced to work in Saudi Arabia during the reporting period. A 2009 doctoral study submitted to Naif Arab University for Security Sciences concluded Jeddah may be a hub for an international child trafficking network exploiting the Hajj and Umrah visas (visas for religious pilgrimages to Mecca). Some Saudi nationals travel to destinations including Morocco, Egypt, Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh to solicit prostitution. Some Saudi men used legally contracted “temporary marriages” in countries such as Mauritania, Yemen, and Indonesia as a means by which to sexually exploit migrant workers. The Government of Saudi Arabia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so. In a positive development, the government enacted antitrafficking legislation during the reporting period, and published a National Plan for Combating Trafficking in Persons. However, the new law did not provide criminal sanctions for the prohibited but still common practice of withholding passports and denying exit visas, and did not provide provisions for trafficking victims to remain in Saudi Arabia during investigations and court proceedings. There was no confirmation the government criminally prosecuted or punished trafficking offenders under the new or existing laws. Victim protection efforts in Saudi Arabia continued to be weak. Many Saudis, including some government officials, continued to deny certain kinds of trafficking occur, particularly cases involving sexual exploitation. Government officials also conflated trafficking with smuggling and the problem of religious pilgrims overstaying their visas to work illegally.[/quote]
[QUOTE=GunFox;50856041][url]http://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/2008/105389.htm[/url] Human trafficking in Saudi Arabia is well known. Saudi Arabia also spawned Wahhabism, which in turned spawned ISIS. Why we work with theocracies, I have no idea. We shouldn't trade or engage in any form of negotiation with Saudi Arabia.[/QUOTE] my mistake, I stand corrected then. i have never ever heard of this, this is something that I thought maybe happened in the UAE, at worst. EDIT: so i decided to read more, and I actually know what your talking about now. never really thought of it as slavery, but I have heard of this EDIT EDIT: to clarify further, i mean i've heard of people not getting what they agreed to, or being forced to stay here, but they still got payed, but I've never heard of kidnappings or etc etc
There was also a story of a British contractor who went to SA to work, and ended up being a "slave" for a time. Iirc he was forced to live in company housing, he was not paid (they told him it was coming), and one day he found he was just locked out of the building and couldn't get into contact with anyone from the company. He had to fly home on his wife's dime with nothing to show for it.
[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;50856118]There was also a story of a British contractor who went to SA to work, and ended up being a "slave" for a time. Iirc he was forced to live in company housing, he was not paid (they told him it was coming), and one day he found he was just locked out of the building and couldn't get into contact with anyone from the company. He had to fly home on his wife's dime with nothing to show for it.[/QUOTE] ????????????????????? mate its company policy for most contractors for them to live in company housing also known as compounds if you dont know this, the reason being for security and also because they dont want them to mingle with saudi nationals due to some incidents in the past, in fact nearly every foreign person in saudi arabia lives in a compound and im not exageratting [editline]9th August 2016[/editline] [QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;50856118]There was also a story of a British contractor who went to SA to work, and ended up being a "slave" for a time. Iirc he was forced to live in company housing, he was not paid (they told him it was coming), and one day he found he was just locked out of the building and couldn't get into contact with anyone from the company. He had to fly home on his wife's dime with nothing to show for it.[/QUOTE] im not even joking, it says it when you sign up for the job
[QUOTE=Maadz;50856149]????????????????????? mate its company policy for most contractors for them to live in company housing also known as compounds if you dont know this, the reason being for security and also because they dont want them to mingle with saudi nationals due to some incidents in the past, in fact nearly every foreign person in saudi arabia lives in a compound and im not exageratting [editline]9th August 2016[/editline] im not even joking, it says it when you sign up for the job[/QUOTE] And the bit where they refuse to pay him?
[QUOTE=archangel125;50856207]And the bit where they refuse to pay him?[/QUOTE] bad, common issue with contractors. they typically pay at the very last minute when its too late
Maadz, I'm curious, what is your current general insight of the Saudi workforce?
[QUOTE=Sableye;50855834]you know india and saudi arabia are like on seperate continents right?[/QUOTE] no not really
[QUOTE=Shirt.;50856308]Maadz, I'm curious, what is your current general insight of the Saudi workforce?[/QUOTE] Saudi Arabias whole workforce or Saudi nationals? SAs workforce is basically 90 percent foreign, considering how like, theres triple foreigners then saudis. Saudi nationals can either have one of the greatest work ethics or the arab work ethic 'ye habibi if I cant do it someone else will do it'
[QUOTE=Maadz;50856430]Saudi Arabias whole workforce or Saudi nationals? SAs workforce is basically 90 percent foreign, considering how like, theres triple foreigners then saudis. Saudi nationals can either have one of the greatest work ethics or the arab work ethic 'ye habibi if I cant do it someone else will do it'[/QUOTE] Hope your using a VPN the Saudi Arabian government might have you killed.
[QUOTE=Maadz;50856430]Saudi Arabias whole workforce or Saudi nationals? SAs workforce is basically 90 percent foreign, considering how like, theres triple foreigners then saudis. Saudi nationals can either have one of the greatest work ethics or the arab work ethic 'ye habibi if I cant do it someone else will do it'[/QUOTE] Wow, I never thought FP will have someone from Saudi Arabia
[QUOTE=GunFox;50856041] Why we work with theocracies, I have no idea. We shouldn't trade or engage in any form of negotiation with Saudi Arabia.[/QUOTE] It's called oil.
Lets sell tanks to the guys most likely to have funded most of the 9/11 attacks. Good plan
More military material for ISIS and other islamic radicals sponsored by Saudi Arabia!
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