Obama Overrides Congress to Buy $690 Million Worth of Russian Choppers for Afgha

[jylederman]

This is ridiculous. We hear of cut backs in our military forces, but BHO continues to support our enemies. I'm so tired of seeing our tax dollars being spent on "helping" countries that hate us for who we are. Something has got to change soon before those who hate us take more action against us with weapons that we purchased though funding Russian government owned companies.

Obama Overrides Congress to Buy $690 Million Worth of Russian Choppers for Afghan Air Force | FrontPage Magazine

The U.S. Is Buying Arms From Russia - Businessweek

 

[ghunter]

Wow. He won't even buy American?

 

[BogWalker]

Just one more thing for them to sell under the table to the Taliban.

 

[88GT]

So much for "POTUS doesn't have any real power."

 

[Expat]

So much for Congress owning the purse strings...

 

[HavokCycle]

the taliban have been armed by the us since the 80s. the weapons they use to kill our soldiers were provided to afghanistan by the US to repel the invading soviet forces.

 

[ZombieApocolypse]

Is this so we can play both sides in Syria?

 

[jblomenberg16]

the taliban have been armed by the us since the 80s. the weapons they use to kill our soldiers were provided to afghanistan by the US to repel the invading soviet forces.

So, if the story linked in the OP is accurate, turnabout is fair play, no? Or is it irony in this case...

Instead of our boys being killed by our own stuff sold in the 80's to defend Afghanistan from the Soviets, we'll now supplied them with Soviet stuff they can use in turn to defend them from the Yankees?

 

[rambone]

So much for Congress owning the purse strings...

Whoever owns Congress, owns the purse strings.

 

[rambone]

I was curious about how "Obama overrode Congress" and came up with this information from 6 months ago. As it was written, Congress's exclusion of Rosoboronexport as an arms contractor was only a suggestion, since they went on to say that the Pentagon can do whatever it wants in the name of national security. And according to The Hill, the contracts were more like $1 billion.

Russian Firm Gets Symbolic Ban

U.S. lawmakers last week voted to prohibit Defense Department contracts with a Russian company that supplies weapons to Syria.

The lawmakers’ intent was clear: No funds “may be used to enter into a contract” with Rosoboronexport, Russia’s state-run arms dealer, according to a report accompanying the National Defense Authorization Act.

Yet also clear was a caveat in the following paragraph: Defense Secretary Leon Panetta may waive the provision if he determines that doing so “is in the national security interests of the United States.”

The Pentagon wastes money beyond your wildest imagination, and it only raises eyebrows when a fraction of it goes to some unfavorable company, doing what companies do. Get real. I could care less about Rosoboronexport. I don't want to buy Afghanistan helicopters from any source. We are literally building another nation's military when we cannot afford our own.

This is just business as usual for the war industry. Billions of your dollars going toward crap that has nothing to do with your security. Fortunes being channeled from American taxpayers into the hands of private corporations. Corporate beneficiaries lobbying for more war, more contracts. The system is owned by private interests who benefit from chasing boogeymen around the world.

Congress funds the Pentagon.
The Pentagon funds the Military Industrial Complex.
The Military Industrial Complex owns Congress.

 

[CarmelHP]

I'm with rambone on this one. The Afghans wanted Ruskie choppers because they believe them more durable with minimal maintenance, but we shouldn't be buying them anything, period.

 

[$mooth]

I'm with rambone on this one. The Afghans wanted Ruskie choppers because they believe them more durable with minimal maintenance, but we shouldn't be buying them anything, period.

Also reduced training and logistical footprint for them.

 

[jylederman]

I'm completely with you Rambone. The tax money that is sent out of this country to support governments that will not succeed is ridiculous. I would personally rather see them cut off any military funding for them. I would rather see that money go towards our defenses or the deficit. The two articles I posted really got me frustrated and thought I would share the info here on INGO.