The U.S. plans to sell $60 billion in weapons to Saudi Arabia

Over the next 15-20 years, the U.S. plans to sell a variety of weapons to Saudi Arabia. This variety includes F-15s, Apaches, Black Hawks, night vision equipment, and more to Saudi Arabia. Assistant Secretary of State for Political Military Affairs Andrew Shapiro said that the sale should send a signal that we are committed to our Middle Eastern allies. Although Israel holds the main military power in the region, they are not showing signs of being upset by this deal as this will not make Saudi Arabia more powerful than them. Shapiro said that the deal isn’t solely meant to be a deterrent to Iran but also said "It will enhance Saudi Arabia's ability to deter and defend against threats to its borders and to its oil infrastructure, which is critical to our economic interests” [oil of course]. The sale is not expected to be blocked by congress.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130702747

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