January 24, 2012 02:20 AM
By Raja Kamal
The Daily Star, Lebanon

The Obama administration recently concluded a deal to sell $30 billion in sophisticated weapons to Saudi Arabia, including 84 F-15 fighter jets. Not to be left behind, British Prime Minister David Cameron made his first visit to Saudi Arabia to win lucrative weapons deals valued at $23 billion.

These deals have been presented as useful arrangements to promote stability in a Middle East, allegedly threatened by Iran’s ambitions. However, seen through a different lens, it appears that arms-producing nations such as the United States and the United Kingdom are using Saudi Arabia as an automated teller machine, from which billions of dollars can be secured to bolster their troubled economies.

It is unfortunate that the U.S. Congress did not seize the opportunity to block the F-15 sale on the grounds that arming the Arab world is in the best interests neither of the region nor of the U.S. or the West in the long run. As the Arab Spring had made abundantly clear, every corner of the Arab world faces daunting and diverse challenges. Economic stagnation, the rise of fundamentalism, terrorism and the denial of personal liberties are among the more pressing issues.

Despite the record rise in the price of oil, the economic wellbeing of most Arabs is worsening. If oil and natural gas were excluded from the economies of the Arab nations, which together have an estimated 400 million inhabitants, their cumulative gross domestic product would amount to less than that of Finland, with a population of just over 5 million people. With the exception of a few isolated pockets, the Arab world has failed miserably to match the economic growth visible in most other regions. It certainly does not need a new regional arms race that is likely to result in further destabilization.

The U.S. and Europe face serious economic challenges that may persist for years to come. It is, perhaps, understandably tempting for political leaders there to look for quick fixes. An injection of billions of dollars into an anemic American economy will certainly provide a needed boost to industries reliant on arms sales, potentially creating as many as 50,000 jobs in 44 states. Likewise, the U.K. could see a short-term economic benefit from selling armaments to Saudi Arabia and other Middle East nations.

However, the proposed arms sales are the wrong tool. Why does the region need additional sophisticated armaments? Whom would the recipient countries fight? Iran? Not likely.

Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Opinion/Commentary/2012/Jan-24/160869-more-weaponry-will-not-help-the-arabs.ashx#ixzz1kMeglkZ1
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)