It should also be noted that the Iranian Air Force still operates the F-14 despite now being the only user of the Tomcat, being the only user of the F-14 ever besides the US Navy, and having fought an eight year long war with Iraq with them.
Of course, by that rationale every country should keep on selling weapons to any fucker with a target and a chequebook and nothing shall ever, ever change that.
I do so hate the “if we don’t do it, someone else will anyway, so let’s do it” argument, in every aspect of life. It’s rationalization at its finest. One that you’ll probably find behind most every unethical or unabashedly evil policy out there.
“Evil regime” and “US allies” are, unfortunately, not even close to mutually exclusive. As for invading their neighbours, the first country that comes to mind (past, present and “foreseeable future”) is Israel - one of America’s favourites.
At the very least I hope we are putting some software mods on the weaponry. It’s not like the Saudis could ever find it, and it would be nice to be able to spoof the weapons systems if they are ever used in a manner we deem unfit.
But it does concern me that a nation as evil and corrupt at Saudi Arabia is that big a customer.
Ah ! Yeah. Brown people are dumb, amirite ?
To clarify: I’m not implying that you, silenus, are a racist. But this assumption, in and of itself, sort of is. Weapons and/or software aren’t all that complicated, and the average Saudi isn’t all that uneducated either.
The US sold weapons to both Iran and Iraq. Your friends today may not be your friends tomorrow.
You’ve made me giggle. I wish national-level politicians had the cajones to talk like that.
No, it’s not racism. Guns and bullets might not be complicated, but aircraft and missiles are. If you don’t give a buyer access to the code, they’re not going to be able to do much you don’t show them.
Aye, the link I gave earlier on the HAWK was actually an article on Iran recently test firing a home grown improved version of it.
LOL
I suspect that the Saudis are looking to beef up their military not because they’re afraid of all-out war against Iran, but of general instability in the middle east which could lead to disorder and violence. If Syria falls and Iran and Israel duke it out, pretty much the entire power structure of the middle east will have been turned on its head. This is exactly the kind of environment that leads to new wars and general lawlessness. The Saudis have a lot of money and a lot of resources. They could be targets from many quarters.