Feeding The Hand That Bites Us
Here we go again! Yes, perish forbid we should learn our lesson from propping up the whackos running the various countries in the Middle East. David S. Cloud writes for The New York Time$ that the Bush administration wants to sell a $20 billion arms package to the Saudis -- just "when some U.S. officials contend that the Saudis are playing a counterproductive role in Iraq." (You could say that, considering all the nutbags they're giving a little pat on the butt when they totter over the border to Iraq to go blow themselves, innocent Iraqis, and American soldiers up.) A quote from Cloud's piece:
The officials said the plan to bolster the militaries of Persian Gulf countries is part of an American strategy to contain the growing power of Iran in the region and to demonstrate that, no matter what happens in Iraq, Washington remains committed to its longtime Arab allies. Officials from the State Department and the Pentagon agreed to outline the terms of the deal after some details emerged from closed briefings this week on Capitol Hill....''The role of the Sunni Arab neighbors is to send a positive, affirmative message to moderates in Iraq in government that the neighbors are with you,'' a senior State Department official told reporters in a conference call on Friday. More specifically, the official said, the United States wants the gulf states to make clear to Sunnis engaged in violence in Iraq that such actions are ''killing your future.''
Are they expected to accomplish this by dropping off little pamphlets with smiley faces at every house...or what? What is this, arms deals by Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm? There's more:
In addition to promising an increase in American military aid to Israel, the Pentagon is seeking to ease Israel's concerns over the proposed weapons sales to Saudi Arabia by asking the Saudis to accept restrictions on the range, size and location of the satellite-guided bombs, including a commitment not to store the weapons at air bases close to Israeli territory, the officials said.
Forgetting the naivete here...maybe it would be more in our interest to send over driving instructors for all those ladies who aren't allowed to drive, and other steps toward modernity, rather than just arming the country so many of the terrorists come from to its tablecloth-headed teeth?
Amy, those are sheets, not tablecloths! o_O
Flynne at August 7, 2007 6:08 AM
Adding to the confusion is the fact that they usually wear what look like stretched out napkin rings to hold the things on:
http://planetsnook.com/images/bushkissesabdullah.jpg
Amy Alkon at August 7, 2007 6:43 AM
(Do you think he slipped him tongue?)
Amy Alkon at August 7, 2007 6:45 AM
Ewwwwwwwwwwwww. >_
Flynne at August 7, 2007 6:46 AM
I've worn an shora with an egal (i.e. the napkin ring) before. Only through shamals (nasty dust storms) along with goggles. Most of the times, I would wear a navy blue baseball cap with no logo and raybens.
The one thing that drives them nuts is chewing gum. Personally, I was never a big gum chewer until I moved to the M.E. There would be times, I would meet with a cleric and discuss matters related to an assignment. After the meeting and everyone would stand up and shake hands... I would intentionally unwrap a stick of gum and place it in my mouth. Their automatic glances of disgust and the slightly pulling back their hand would speak volumes to me. But under their rules of home etiquette they would follow through and the ultimate slight was the facial cheek to cheek kiss while smelling which particular flavor of gum I was chewing at the time. My personal favorites were juicy fruit or wintergreen.
It was the equivalent of flipping them the bird in my own special way.
Joe at August 7, 2007 8:39 AM
I meant ray-bans.
Joe at August 7, 2007 8:41 AM
Joe, you are my hero - you can spell ray-bans any way you want! o_O
Flynne at August 7, 2007 9:03 AM
Thanks, Flynne. Perhaps blowing a bubble in their faces would have been pushing the limits of their patience with me.
Joe at August 7, 2007 9:44 AM
heh. ya think? o_O
Flynne at August 7, 2007 10:02 AM
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