Egypt has received $1.3 billion in annual U.S. military aid while Israel
obtains $2.4 billion, Middle East Newsline reported. The report, "Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing
Nations," did not explain how both countries acquired nearly the same amount
of U.S. weapons.
China has become a leading arms supplier to Egypt. The report said
Egypt, which in 2006 purchased $300 million worth of Chinese weapons, was
Beijing's biggest client in the Middle East.
From 2003 through 2006, Saudi Arabia led the Middle East with $18.7
billion in arms deliveries, the report said. The United Arab Emirates
followed with $6.6 billion in arms deliveries; Kuwait, $1.1
billion; and Oman, $900 million.
In 2006, the Bush administration testified to Congress that 90 percent
of U.S. military aid to Cairo was used to maintain the Egyptian military.
Congress has been examining a bill that would cut up to $200 million in U.S.
military aid to Egypt.
[On Sept. 28, the Defense Department reported an Egyptian request to
procure a U.S. sea-based missile. Under the proposal, the United States
would transfer
the RIM-116B airframe missile to Egypt in a $125 million deal.]
The congressional report said Egypt received a total of $5.8 billion in
weapons from 2003 through 2006. Israel received $5.4 billion in arms
deliveries.
"The value of United States arms deliveries to Saudi Arabia declined
from $8.9 billion in 1999-2002 to $4.4 billion in 2003-2006, as
implementation of major orders placed during the Persian Gulf war era was
essentially concluded," the report said.
