Sunni countries buying arms in response to Iran threat

Sunday Telegraph:

Leaders of Sunni Arab states are embarking on a military spending spree in an attempt to contain the growing threat from Iran.

Alarmed by the progress of Iran's nuclear programme and the prospect of a military clash between its Shia regime and the United States, Gulf leaders intend to use billions of dollars of oil revenue to purchase a huge array of military hardware.

Many of the deals will be finalised at a massive arms fair due to open in the United Arab Emirates next Sunday.

Saudi Arabia alone has a shopping list that runs to almost $50 billion, including fighter aircraft, cruise missiles, attack helicopters and more than 300 new tanks.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has earmarked $2 billion for a rapid reaction brigade - possibly to take a lead role in a regional protection force. Another $6 billion will go on missile defence batteries, airborne early warning systems and aircraft.

Both countries are members of the Gulf Co-operation Council, established in 1984 to provide security against the threat posed by Iran. Other members, including Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, are expected to spend heavily in the coming months.

Gulf leaders have watched with growing alarm as Iran's Shia theocracy has flexed its military muscles: filling the post-war power vacuum in Iraq, exerting influence in the Palestinian territories and Lebanon and refusing to back down over its nuclear programme. Many are now convinced that the only way to avoid being sucked into a war between the US and Iran, or being caught up in the turbulence that would follow, is to beef up their own defences.

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That last sentence does not make much sense. A more logical reason for them to be buying arms for defense is the fear that the US will pull out and they will need the weapons to stand up to Iran. That is a rational fear with the Democrats taking power in Congress and trying to put in place their cut and run agenda. They also have a rational fear that if Iran is attacked, she will lash out at everyone in the area and try to shut down their oil business too.

While Iran has been having its May Day type weapons parades lately, those weapons are no match for what the Sunni countries are buying. While Iran has some weapons production facilities, it is still a parasitic culture when it comes to arms, at best copying old Soviet designs of inferior weapons systems.