To the Point
Arms for Diplomacy in the Middle East
After stops in Israel and the Arab Emirates, the Secretaries of State and Defense are in Saudi Arabia, working out the details of a massive sale of sophisticated weapons . The Bush Administration says it's a way to counter Iran. Opponents accuse the Saudis of supporting terrorists and the Sunni insurgency in Iraq.
By Warren Olney • • 1 min readAfter stops in Israel and the Arab Emirates, the Secretaries of State and Defense are in Saudi Arabia, working out the details of a massive sale of sophisticated weapons. The Bush Administration says it's a way to counter Iran. Opponents accuse the Saudis of supporting terrorists and the Sunni insurgency in Iraq. Israel has signed off on the deal after being promised new arms of its own. Egypt will get new weaponry, too. Is the US fueling the arms race in one of the world's most unstable regions? Is it really all about oil?
Warren Olney
former KCRW broadcaster
Katie Cooper
Producer, 'One year Later'
Karen Radziner
Managing Producer, To the Point & Which Way LA?
Frances Anderton
architecture critic and author
Stephen Schwartz
Executive Director of the Center for Islamic Pluralism
John Duke Anthony
President of the National Council on US-Arab Relations
Wade Boese
Research Director at the Arms Control Association