Atlas Shrugs / December 12, 2012 _Obama sending more F-16s and Tanks to Muslim Brotherhood Egypt _ (http://p.feedblitz.com/r.asp?l=70871970&f=26412&u=13042656&c=4514635) Why is Obama arming the enemies of freedom? This cat is dangerous and scary. Why the support of Islamic revolutions whose stated goal is sharia and a universal caliphate? What's he doing to protect the oppressed religious minorities in peril? America, time to remove your morphine drip. Wake up! More tanks for _Egypt_ (http://p.feedblitz.com/t2.asp?/26412/13042656/4514635/http://www.examiner.com/topic/egypt) this year than the entire Marine Corps has... For the new Egyptian _Muslim Brotherhood_ (http://p.feedblitz.com/t2.asp?/26412/13042656/4514635/http://www.examiner.com/topic/muslim-brotherhood) dominated government, the Obama Administration is ensuring another $1.3 billion annual shipment of state-of-the-art weaponry. _More Perspective..._ (http://p.feedblitz.com/t2.asp?/26412/13042656/4514635/http://www.examiner.com/article/egypt-obama-sends-muslim-brotherhood-ruler s-more-tanks-and-fighter-jets) This year alone, Obama will be sending the Egyptians 200 M1A1 Main Battle Tanks. Egypt already maintains the world's 7th largest tank force, numbering in at 4,000. The active-duty Marine Corps has less than 150 M1A1 Abrams tanks in its inventory at any given time. Under the new Obama budget, the tank force for The Corps, along with the rest of the U.S. Armed forces are facing a $1,000,000,000,000 cut over the next decade. Obama has been arming Egypt to the teeth. And last year Obama _tried to slip through a questionable arms dea_ (http://p.feedblitz.com/t2.asp?/26412/13042656/4514635/http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2011/07/10/stop-obamas-egypt ian-tank-sale/) l that got little attention -- 125 M1A1 tanks to Egypt, as well as other weapons, equipment, parts, training and logistical support. "US sending 20 more F-16s to Egypt, despite turmoil in Cairo" _FOX News_ (http://p.feedblitz.com/t2.asp?/26412/13042656/4514635/http://www.foxnews.com/ world/2012/12/10/us-sending-20-more-f-16s-to-egypt-despite-turmoil-in-cairo/ ?intcmp=obinsite#ixzz2ElYheiix)
Instability in Egypt, where a newly-elected Islamic government teeters over an angry population, isn't enough to stop the U.S. from sending more than 20 F-16 fighter jets, as part of a $1 billion foreign aid package. The first four jets are to be delivered to Egypt beginning Jan. 22, a source at the naval air base in Fort Worth, where the planes have been undergoing testing, told FoxNews.com. The North African nation already has a fleet of more than 200 of the planes and the latest shipment merely fulfills an order placed two years ago. But given the uncertainty in Cairo, some critics wonder if it is wise to be sending more top gun planes. "Should an overreaction [by Egypt] spiral into a broader conflict between Egypt and Israel, such a scenario would put U.S. officials in an embarrassing position of having supplied massive amounts of military hardware "to both belligerents," said Malou Innocent, a foreign policy analyst at the Cato Institute. "Given Washington's fiscal woes, American taxpayers should no longer be Egyp's major arms supplier." The U.S. government _ordered and paid for_ (http://p.feedblitz.com/t2.asp?/26412/13042656/4514635/http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/press-releases/ 2010/march/LockheedMartinReceives213.html) the fighter jets for Egypt's military as part of foreign aid for Egypt back in 2010, when Hosni Mubarak ruled. The fighter jets were supposed to be delivered in 2013, and delivery will go ahead as scheduled even though Hosni Mubarak has been removed from power and replaced by Mohamed Morsi, who led the Muslim Brotherhood before becoming Egypt's president. Morsi was democratically elected, but last month _attempted to seize_ (http://p.feedblitz.com/t2.asp?/26412/13042656/4514635/http://www.foxnews.com/worl d/2012/11/27/clashes-resume-in-cairo-ahead-opposition-rally-against-morsi-po wer-grab/) dictatorial powers for himself. After widespread protests and violence in Egypt's capital of Cairo, Morsi _backed off from his power grab_ (http://p.feedblitz.com/t2.asp?/26412/13042656/4514635/http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/12/09/egypt-opposition-calls-more-protests-after-president-mak es-partial-concession/) . But he is _pushing through a controversial new constitution for Egypt_ (http://p.feedblitz.com/t2.asp?/26412/13042656/4514635/http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/12/09/egypt-disputed-constitution-is-goi ng-to-referendum-but-it-not-unifying-country/) that would more strictly enforce Islamic Shariah law, and only recently said he reserves the right to have the military arrest protesters without charges. "The Morsi-led Muslim Brotherhood government has not proven to be a partner for democracy as they had promised, given the recent attempted power grab," a senior Republican congressional aide told FoxNews.com. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, (R-Fla.), who chairs the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, recently criticized U.S. military aid to Egypt: "The Obama administration wants to simply throw money at an Egyptian government that the president cannot even clearly state is an ally of the United States," Rep. Ros-Lehtinen said. The $213 million order, which is paid for by U.S. taxpayers and is part of Egypt's foreign aid package from America, had to be approved by lawmakers in Washington. While the basic F-16 has been a military workhorse for top air forces for more than 25 years, the cockpit electronics are constantly updated and the models Egypt is getting are the best defense contractor Lockheed Martin makes. "This is a great day for Lockheed Martin and a testament to the enduring partnership and commitment we have made to the government of Egypt," said John Larson, vice president, Lockheed Martin F-16 programs. "We remain committed to providing our customer with a proven, advanced 4th Generation multirole fighter." "In an air combat role, the F-16's maneuverability and combat radius exceed that of all potential threat fighter aircraft," the U.S. Air Force description of the plane reads. "The F-16 can fly more than 500 miles, deliver its weapons with superior accuracy, defend itself against enemy aircraft, and return to its starting point. An all-weather capability allows it to accurately deliver ordnance during non-visual bombing conditions." -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org
