Biddho.com Eritrea - Rising To The Challenges! - Bush Arming World Tyrants At Record Pace

Home

News

Bush Arming World Tyrants At Record Pace

Written by Sherwood Ross

Saturday, 19 January 2008

PRESIDENT BUSH ARMING FELLOW TYRANTS GLOBALLY

“In the last six years, Washington has stepped up its sales and transfers of high-technology weapons, military training, and other military assistance to governments regardless of their respect for human rights, democratic principles, or nonproliferation,” according to a report in the current(Jan.-Feb.) “Arms Control Today,” published online by the Arms Control Association(ACA)

“All that matters is that they have pledged their assistance in the global war on terrorism.”

You read it right. The Bush regime has been using 9/11 as an excuse for the reckless sale of weapons around the globe, working $16.9 billion in new arms deals in 2006, 41.9 percent of the world’s total. This compares to runners-up Russia, $8.7 billion, and Great Britain, $3.1 billion, writes Rachel Stohl, a senior analyst at the Center for Defense Information(CDI), which tracks such data.

Despots once banned from getting U.S. weapons and training are being showered with both. “By providing military assistance with a disregard for human rights(HR) conditions, the U.S. is not only giving up the opportunity to use military assistance as leverage to improve (HR conditions), but is also rewarding abusive governments for their unconscionable actions,” Stohl writes.

Noting that U.S. aid is growing “at the same time as human rights conditions are worsening,” Stohl cites the example of Ethiopia, “which is carrying out a brutal counterinsurgency campaign within its own borders” and Nepal, whose security forces “opened fire on peaceful strikers and anti-government demonstrations.” Bush is also funneling millions into Uzbekistan, where thousands of Muslims have been imprisoned without due process and many tortured to death.

One headline-making scandal, of course, is the $10 billion in taxpayer’s money Bush has funneled to the Pakistan military since 9/11, where General Pervez Musharraf has habitually disappeared his political foes, and recently invoked emergency rule, suspended the constitution and jailed thousands. Bush okayed the multi-billion dollar sale to Musharraf of F-16 jet fighters that can pack nuclear warheads, just as he okayed their sale earlier to India, escalating the capability of these long-time antagonists to inflict dreadful atrocities if they go to war.

Since 2001, CDI has tracked skyrocketing U.S. military aid to the following 25 countries that “have a unique role in the ‘war on terror’ through the strategic services they provide the U.S.”: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Bahrain, Oman, Yemen, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Algeria, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya.

CDI documented U.S. aid in foreign military, and direct commercial, sales to the 25 soared 400% over the five years prior to 9/11. This despite a 2006 U.S. State Department finding of “serious,” “grave,” or “significant” abuses committed by them against their own citizens.

CDI summarizes, “the U.S. is sending unprecedented levels of military assistance to countries that it simultaneously criticizes for lack of respect for human rights and, in some cases, for questionable democratic processes.”

According to reporter Stohl, what the U.S. is billing as “counterterrorism training” often is nothing more than “counterinsurgency training.” This results, she says, in the U.S. “involving itself in internal conflicts around the world and is in practice encouraging countries to continue their internal struggles that predate September 11, 2001.”

President Bush is just back from the Middle East where he preached the virtues of “democracy.” His arms sales, though, betray his forked tongue. #

(Sherwood Ross is a Miami-based writer who covers military and political topics. Reach him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )

Comments

Add New

RSS

Freedom

| 85.227.186.xxx | 2008-01-22 02:01:04

Time is running egenst you and the rest of the world , you stupid bush

Only registered users can write comments!

Last Updated ( Sunday, 20 January 2008 )

< Prev		Next >

[ Back ]

>> Download MP3 Song - "Egermenalo" by Wedi Tikabo

Victory To The People of Somalia!

President Isaias Afwerki's Letter to the UN Secretary General

Meeting the Challenge - Biddho Tours through Europe

Freedom!

EXPIRED - WOYANE and UNMEE!!

The Algiers Agreement is explicit that the parties are bound to honor the Commission�s decisions

Letter dated Nov. 30'07 from the Legal Adviser to the President of Eritrea to the president of the UNSC

Ethiopia rejects "virtual" border with Eritrea

Ethiopia - Meles Zenawi calls final and binding demarcation decision `legal fiction�!

From `legal nonsense� to `legal fiction�.

Who is the Blackmailer?

Ban-Ki Moon: Messenger versus the Message

ERITREA - ETHIOPIA: Security Council�s Moment of Truth

Seven Years After Algiers

DEMARCATION IS COMPLETE - TSZ EXPIRES

With effect from midnight tonight (30.11.2007), the demarcation of Ethio-Eritrean boundary will be as complete as any demarcated interstate boundary would be, if not better defined.

STATEMENT ON UNMEE�S �RELOCATION� FROM ERITREA

Permanent Mission of Eritrea to the United Nations

Eritrea - Statement on UNMEE's "Relocation"

Eritrea - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

UNMEE - United Nations Misson for the Exploitation of Eritrea

Ambassador John Bolton Blows UNMEE’s Transparent Cover

UNMEE-Another Failed UN Peacekeeping Mission

In Defence of Eritrea

>> Visit Alenalki Special Coverage "Hzbawi Mekete"

EEBC Files

EEBC Documents

>> EEBC Press Release OF 30 NOVEMBER 2007
>> EEBC STATEMENT OF 27 NOVEMBER 2006
>> LIST OF BOUNDARY POINTS AND COORDINATES

Overview Map (PDF / Graphik)

>> International Boundary between the State of Eritrea
and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

Victory! Zersenay Tadese of Eritrea won the men's world half marathon championship for the third time

EEBC ruling of 2002 indisputable!!

Algiers Agreement of Eritrea and Ethiopia is implemented!! EEBC ruling of 2002 indisputable!! All the chapters in the process have now reached a legal conclusion! President Isaias Afwerki. VIVA ERITREA!