by\u00a0Jo Erickson<\/a>, Mint Press Selling weapons used to be a cut-throat business. With a no-questions-asked policy, it has led in the past, to the selling of weapons to support\u00a0African conflicts<\/a>, leaving Angola, Somalia, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic Congo awash with AK-47 semi-automatic rifles and very little else.<\/p>\n Today\u2019s high-tech weapons manufacturers are enjoying record sales. The State Department\u2019s\u00a0Military Assistance Report<\/a>\u00a0stated that it approved $44.28 billion in arms shipments to 173 nations in the last fiscal year. One of the more controversial is the Defense Department\u2019s plans to sell Saudi Arabia $6.8 billion and the United Arab Emirates\u00a0$4 billion<\/a>\u00a0in advanced weaponry, including air-launched cruise missiles and precision munitions. The trouble is \u2013 has anyone asked where these weapons will ultimately end up?<\/p>\n Boeing Co. (BA)<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Raytheon Co. (RTN)<\/a>\u00a0sent a message of support from the Obama administration for setting up the deal with these two close allies in the Middle East.<\/p>\n This historic deal will be the first U.S sales of new Raytheon and Boeing weapons that can be launched at a distance from Saudi F-15 and U.A.E. F-16 fighters. But this is just part of Saudi Arabia\u2019s military shopping list.<\/p>\n The Saudi Kingdom is also purchasing the Boeing Expanded-Response Standoff Land\u00a0Attack Missile<\/a>\u00a0and Raytheon\u00a0Joint Standoff Weapon<\/a>, \u00a0which can strike at air defense sites and radar installations from beyond the range of enemy air-defense systems. The Royal Saudi Navy is acquiring Boeing missiles, a derivative of the Harpoon anti-ship missile that can be launched more than 135 nautical miles from a target and be redirected in flight. With such a big order should the U.S question the need for this military arsenal?<\/p>\n This deal was first struck by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel back in April and later this month Congress will decide whether this deal should be approved. With Congress\u2019 concern for job creation and security, thus far there has been little debate about the ethics of the arms sales and whether the country that buys weapons should be able to sell them to other countries struggling with conflict.<\/p>\n Saudi Arabia was the world\u2019s\u00a010th-largest weapons<\/a>\u00a0importer in 2008-2012, and that is expected to change by 2017, where they will be in the top five if outstanding orders are completed. With this increase fire-power some commentators are nervously looking at Saudi Arabia\u2019s influence in the Syrian civil war and also its strained relations with Iran.<\/p>\n Over the summer,\u00a0Saudi Arabia\u00a0<\/a>began funneling guns into Jordan, as well as conducting military training, where there are being used by Saudi-led armed rebel groups who cross the border into southern Syria. Jordan\u2019s role as a conduit for Saudi arms has had an adverse effect on its population. The increased amount of guns circulating in Jordan is contributing to more conflicts within Jordan\u2019s refugee camps and regions.<\/p>\n Taking full advantage of the tension, Syria rebels are moving in to recruit. Syrian rebels forces are using the\u00a0Zaatari refugee camp<\/a>\u00a0in Jordan to\u00a0recruit fighters.<\/a>\u00a0The rebel training camps have put the Jordanian and UN officials running the camp in a delicate position. Wary of further increasing tensions with the government in Syria, Jordan has sought to keep its support of rebels under the radar, officially denying that any training of anti-Assad fighters takes place on its soil, though both Jordanian and U.S. officials have acknowledged it.<\/p>\n The influence of Saudi Arabia in the Middle East political landscape is considerable. It has assisted in overthrowing Egyptian Prime Minister Morsi, and is currently\u00a0providing training<\/a>\u00a0to the interim military government. With the world already nervous of the unknown outcome of both the Syrian and Egyptian conflicts, should the U.S really be finalizing a $10.8 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia?<\/p>\n The United Nations\u00a0Arms Trade Treaty<\/a>\u00a0has been pushing for more transparency and greater accountability of arms sales by governments. Secretary of State John Kerry\u00a0defied Congress\u2019 objections<\/a>\u00a0and signed the treaty in New York.<\/p>\n The treaty establishes standards for the global trade in conventional weapons, with the goal of preventing such weapons from being sold to those who would use them to commit genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Despite the good intentions of this treaty, the U.S continues to provide weapons to Syria and Iraq.<\/p>\n Since 2006, Iraq has fallen into social and economic disarray, where al-Qaida forces are dominating certain regions.<\/p>\n Matt Olsen<\/a>, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, spoke at the Senate committee hearing on terrorism threats to the U.S. He warned of the growing threat that al-Qaida in Iraq poses, pointing out an increase in the pace of attacks this year.<\/p>\n \u201cThe group is exploiting increasingly permissive security environments in Iraq to fundraise, plan and train for attacks,\u201d Olsen said<\/p>\n Yet the Pentagon is looking to secure a military stronghold to contain Syria\u2019s civil war by using Iraq as a base. It proposed to send \u00a0$2.7 billion<\/a>\u00a0in weapons to Iraq, despite the country being\u00a0on the verge of civil war<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThis capability will provide Iraq with the ability to contribute to regional air defenses and reduce its vulnerability to air attacks and also enhance interoperability between the government of Iraq, the US, and other allies,\u201d the Pentagon said in a statement.<\/p>\n Human Rights advocates are pushing for more stringent controls on sale of arms but also for the U.S to abide by it on laws of trading with countries who practice human rights abuses or genocide.<\/p>\n
\nclick here for original article<\/a><\/p>\nThe U.S. sells to Saudi Arabia, but who buys Saudi weapons?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Does the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty work?<\/strong><\/h3>\n