Shamelss Weapons Sales line the Pockets of US Companies, supports trampling of Human Rights and Crimes Against Humanity

U.S. Defense Firms Make Billions from UAE and Bahrain Dictatorships
Sunday, June 12, 2011

Tiny oil-rich sheikdoms of the Persian Gulf have been great customers for U.S. defense contractors, which have enjoyed arms deals worth billions of dollars from the region.

In order to become a stronger military presence in the Gulf and challenge potential threats from Iran, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has made huge military and defense investments. American defense companies have been the beneficiaries of this effort by the UAE, which was the largest foreign purchaser of U.S. arms in 2009.

But the deals began before that. In 2008, Raytheon agreed to sell $3.3 billion in Patriot missiles to the UAE.

This year, the company is working on another billion-dollar deal involving the Theatre High Altitude Defense (THAAD) system in partnership with Lockheed Martin.

Other UAE agreements include Boeing selling four C-17 aircraft, Lockheed Martin delivering 12 C-130 transport planes and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems making its first sale of the Predator drone to a foreign buyer: the UAE.

In addition to the UAE, Bahrain has opened its wallet to U.S. arms merchants, buying $200 million in military equipment in 2010—only months before the government began cracking down on protesters fed up with the country’s authoritarian rule…with the help of 500 police from the UAE. The sales to the Bahraini government included aircraft, military electronics, assault weapons, and rifles.
-Noel Brinkerhoff …source