<<That’s right, $700 million of U.S. taxpayer money is going to fund ourenemy’s air force. >>
I thought that the Afghan government was our ally and we helped put them in place when we originally kicked out the Taliban!!! On Fri, May 31, 2013 at 8:54 PM, Travis <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > **** > > > http://freedomoutpost.com/2013/05/barack-obama-to-spend-700-million-in-us-tax-dollars-for-russian-helicopters-for-afghan-air-force/ > **** > > *Helicopters For Afghan Air Force***** > > [image: > 175ccbef9a0deac2f12709d3365bf2d7_XL]<http://freedomoutpost.com/2013/05/barack-obama-to-spend-700-million-in-us-tax-dollars-for-russian-helicopters-for-afghan-air-force/> > **** > > Remember when Barack Obama was caught on a hot > mic<http://freedomoutpost.com/?p=8518>telling Russian President Dmitri > Medvedyev to let incoming Russian > President Vladimir Putin know that after his re-election he would have more > “flexibility”? If you don’t remember, check it out > here<http://freedomoutpost.com/?p=8518>. > If you do, well now we are seeing a bit of that flexibility in motion. The > Obama Department of Defense is going to spend nearly $700 million to buy > Russian Mi-17 helicopters for the Afghan Air Force. **** > > That’s right, $700 million of U.S. taxpayer money is going to fund our > enemy’s air force. However, not only could this be considered treasonous, > but even by the federal government’s 2013 National Defense Authorization > Act they are in violation of their own legislation. **** > > According to Riz > Novosti<http://en.rian.ru/military_news/20130405/180451358.html>: > **** > > WASHINGTON, April 4 (By Maria Young for RIA Novosti) – The US Department > of Defense said Thursday it plans to sidestep a Congressional ban to > purchase 30 helicopters from Russian state-owned defense firm > Rosoboronexport, despite objections from US lawmakers who allege that the > firm has equipped the Syrian government to commit brutal crimes against > civilians. <http://en.rian.ru/russia/20120713/174586220.html>**** > > “The Department of Defense (DOD) has notified Congress of its intent to > contract with Rosoboronexport for 30 additional Mi-17 rotary-wing aircraft > to support the Afghanistan National Security Forces (ANSF) Special Mission > Wing,” Pentagon spokesman James Gregory told RIA Novosti in emailed > comments. **** > > The 2013 National Defense Authorization Act, approved by Congress last > year, includes an amendment that prohibits financial > contracts<http://freedomoutpost.com/2013/05/barack-obama-to-spend-700-million-in-us-tax-dollars-for-russian-helicopters-for-afghan-air-force/>between > the United States and Rosoboronexport, except when the Secretary of > Defense determines that such > arrangements<http://freedomoutpost.com/2013/05/barack-obama-to-spend-700-million-in-us-tax-dollars-for-russian-helicopters-for-afghan-air-force/>are > in the interest of national security. > **** > > “Given current timelines, the department has determined that > Rosoboronexport is the only viable means of meeting ANSF requirements” for > the helicopters, Gregory said. **** > > The contract totals $690 million, most of which would go to the Russian > arms maker, he added. **** > > Obviously the question should be, why are we not spending money on > American made helicopters? Second, why are we spending any money on > helicopters for enemies? Third, why are we giving money to Russia for these > helicopters? **** > > Well the Obama administration doesn’t want the U.S. economy to actually > improve, that’s why they aren’t spending here. It seems this is also a bit > of the flexibility he spoke of in 2012 and maybe a bit of payback to > President Putin. Also, the Afghans have been trained to operate Russian > aircraft<http://freedomoutpost.com/2013/05/barack-obama-to-spend-700-million-in-us-tax-dollars-for-russian-helicopters-for-afghan-air-force/>, > so switching to a new platform would delay the transition by three years, > according to Gregory. **** > > The reason for helicopters in Afghanistan is due to the fact that Obama > made plans back in February to reduce the number of US troops in > Afghanistan from 66,000 to > 34,000<http://en.rian.ru/world/20130213/179437170.html>over the next year. > This would set back the Afghan nation’s security force, > according to the administration **** > > The reason for purchasing from the Russians? Simon Saradzhyan, a security > expert at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International > Affairs, said “The objections are understandable, the US defense industry > needs contracts. … But from a cost-benefit analysis, Russian helicopters > are a better deal.” **** > > Apparently, it’s also against the law. **** > > “This is the Russian competitive edge,” Saradzhyan said. “They cost less > and they are easy to maintain. This is how Russian arms supporters make > their sales speech.” **** > > Analyst Daniel Greenfield, in a > piece<http://frontpagemag.com/2013/dgreenfield/obama-overrides-congress-to-buy-690-mil-worth-of-russian-choppers-for-afghan-air-force/>for > *FrontPage* magazine, noted:**** > > ** ** > > *“Aside from throwing almost $700 million to a company owned by the > Russian government at a time when Obama has taken a chainsaw to the United > States military, subsidizing the Russian defense industry helps it develop > more weapons that will be sold to America’s enemies. That money will help > fund R&D for the next generation of weapons that an American military > dismantled by Obama will be facing on the battlefield.” *** > > In a > letter<http://delauro.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1211:bipartisan-group-urges-hagel-not-to-purchase-from-rosoboronexport&catid=2:2012-press-releases&Itemid=21>sent > by a bipartisan Congressional group led by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) to > Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on March 25 they wrote, “We write to oppose > any continuation of the Department of Defense’s (DoD) business relationship > with Rosoboronexport, Russia’s primary arms exporter and an enabler of the > ongoing mass atrocities in Syria. In January, Section 1277 of the National > Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, which expressly prohibits > the use of funds to enter into any contracts or agreements with > Rosoboronexport, was enacted into law. Further, during consideration of the > Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2013, the House of > Representatives overwhelmingly approved an amendment prohibiting further > contracts with Rosoboronexport by a vote of 407-5. We urge you to uphold > this law and clear expression of Congressional intent by ensuring that any > further DoD procurement of helicopters for the Afghan National Security > Forces is not conducted through Rosoboronexport.” **** > > The letter asked “What is the national security justification of > continuing business with Rosoboronexport?” **** > > “Russia continues to transfer weapons through Rosoboronexport to the > regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria,” the letter continued. “Since the > Syrian uprising began, Russia has continued to serve as the Assad regime’s > chief supplier of weapons, enabling the mass murder of Syrian citizens at > the hands of their own government.” **** > > The Department of Defense contract with Rosoboronexport, awarded by the > Department of the > Army<http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/cpquery/?&sid=cp112fDBZZ&r_n=sr173.112&dbname=cp112&&sel=TOC_830293&;>on > June 1, 2011, on a sole-source basis, procures at minimum 21 Mi-17 > helicopters and spares for the Afghan military. The contract has a total > value of nearly $1.0 billion and includes options for additional aircraft, > spares, and support. The Department has indicated that the procurement of > additional Mi-17 for the Afghan military may be required. The actual number > of helicopters could be as high as 30. **** > > Forbes points > out<http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2013/04/04/sorry-congress-defense-dept-sticking-with-russian-helicopter-deal/>that > this is not the first time the U.S. provided this “flying whale” > abroad. “It gave four Mi-17 helicopters to Pakistan to assist its > anti-terrorism activity in June 2009. The U.S. Navy delivered four Mi-17s > to the Afghan National Army Air Corps in September of that same year. Ten > Mi-17-V5 helicopters were delivered to the Afghan Air Force (AAF) by > December 2010.” **** > > The Pentagon has already spent $411 million with Rosoboronexport since May > of 2011, so this will bring the total in excess of $1 billion of taxpayer > funds that have been spent with the Russian supplier.**** > > > > Read more: > http://freedomoutpost.com/2013/05/barack-obama-to-spend-700-million-in-us-tax-dollars-for-russian-helicopters-for-afghan-air-force/#ixzz2Utq8E2TV > **** > > > > > > > > > > -- > -- > Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. > For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum > > * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ > * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. > * Read the latest breaking news, and more. > > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "PoliticalForum" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > -- brine http://brineb.blogspot.com/ -- -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "PoliticalForum" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
