I Smell (More) Trouble

Karsten Voigt is my new hero (for the moment, anyway); he is identified in this story as the foreign ministry coordinator for German-American relations in Berlin.

This is why…

Washington is trying to assure Gulf allies, worried by the growing strength of Iran and by the war in Iraq, that the United States is committed to the region and will stand by them, and the (recently announced $43 billion) arms package is part of that process, U.S. officials say.

The plan to upgrade Saudi Arabia's missile defences and air force and to boost its navy is at odds with U.S. plans to nurture democratic standards in the region, Voigt said.

'The U.S. said a couple of months ago the main problem in the region was the lack of democracy,' he said. 'I do not know how one can support democracy by supplying weapons for Saudi Arabia, which is anything but a very democratic country.'

And our "dear friends" the Saudis would never support the insurgents in Iraq – would they?