In Arms We Trust: US 'Post-Iraq Strategy' in the Making?

摘要

On 29 July 2007, the Bush Administration announced plans to provide an estimated $63 billion worth of advanced weaponry to several of its key allies in the Middle East. On the receiving end of this US arms package are Saudi Arabia, Israel, Egypt and the countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) - the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman. The underlining theory for the arms deal remains relatively simple: by transferring state-of-the-art weapons technology into the hands of governments 'friendly' to the United States (US), such allies will be in a better position — at least defensively - to counter the threats posed by ostensibly 'unfriendly' forces in the region.These forces include non-state actors, such as Al-Qa'ida and Hizbullah, and state actors like Syria and Iran.