In other words, they are following a withdrawal strategy that will leave behind grave matters of disagreement and dissension, as they did in the last century, now that they are obliged to ultimately leave. They are arming the countries in the region, while at the same time endeavoring to spark new conflicts.A report recently released by the US Congress that details arms sales in the year 2006 revealed an interesting picture: the US sells more arms to developing countries than any other country in the world. One of the most prominent US policies is to preserve this top position. Everybody knows that the arms sellers and the arms lobby have a profound influence on US foreign policy, therefore, economic growth and welfare don’t come about in this richest country of the world only through liberalism or the rules of the free market economy; arms sales organized and realized by the US administration also have a major role in this welfare and growth.
Russia and Britain follow the US in arms sales. The countries that buy the largest amounts of arms are Pakistan, India and Saudi Arabia respectively. In addition, the ever-changing political situation in the countries that buy arms and the instability affecting arms sales particularly in 2006 increased net sales to $28 billion. According to a report prepared by an independent parliamentary research group, the United States has sold arms worth $10.3 billion to developing countries. This amounts to 35.5 percent of the whole world arms trade. Russia is the second country with $8.1 billion, which equals 28 percent of total sales. Britain has sold $3.1 billion worth of arms, comprising 10.8 percent. (Yeni Şafak, Oct. 2, 2007)
As is known, one of the main reasons why America came to the region was to spread “freedom and democracy.” It occupied Iraq and said, prior to the occupation, that Saddam would be toppled and democracy would come to the country. The number of Iraqis who have died in the bloodshed since the beginning of the occupation has already exceeded 1 million. Iraq and Afghanistan are dragging out a wretched existence amidst massive chaos. The vacuum effect that has been deliberately generated in the region -- maybe we can call it “the Bermuda Devil’s Triangle” -- is about to engulf the remaining countries of the region.
Although all the policies of George W. Bush and the neocons have backfired, they are still persistent with their claims. The report that disclosed the arms sales figures is clearly revealing a fact about the United States. Maybe the most striking part of the report is that the United States sells the biggest number of arms to countries where democracy and human rights issues are the most debated and controversial topics. The arms sales agreement, made between the US and the countries defined as repressive regimes, is included in the report, which clearly shows that the Bush administration attaches greater importance to its policy of “fighting against terrorism” than its policy of “spreading democracy all around the world.”
On the other hand, Pakistan made the most significant purchase from the biggest arms seller of the world in 2006. The Pakistani administration bought $1.4 billion worth of jets, $640 million worth of missiles and bombs and $890 million worth of F-16s. The cost of the first and second Gulf Wars incurred by the gulf countries, particularly by oil producer Saudi Arabia, reached astounding heights. According to some sources, even though this country did not get directly involved in either of them, the cost it was forced to cover by the US was $750 billion. Although they have had no part in either of the gulf wars, Saudis were made to pay this gigantic sum. According to the report, Russia comes second in arms sales and has been the country that sold the biggest amount of arms to Iran in the last two years. In 2005 alone, it sold $700 million worth of land-to-air missiles to Iran.
Although not mentioned in the part of the report made public, Turkey is surely among the countries that has also bought significant amounts of arms. Is it not so tacit that if these colossal monetary sources that had been set apart for multifarious investments, an important part of the social problems that shakes the region to its very foundations would have long been resolved?
