Bush To Pimp For Arms Firms

Now we know what Dubya will likely do when he retires from being the father-figure and Decider for the nation. His single best qualifiaction is as a pimp for U.S. weapons manufacturers hawk-ing their wares to the world.

In advance of the NATO summit this week, administration officials are already saying his agenda will be to convince America's allies to spend more on arms - preferably American arms.

"I think that the president will address the issue of the need for more resources for NATO and for NATO countries to spend more for defense," said Judy Ansley, senior director for European affairs at the National Security Council. "This has been a pretty consistent theme for us."

Nicholas Burns, the U.S. undersecretary for political affairs and a former NATO ambassador [and the guy who put the deal together that allows India to laugh at non-proliferation treaties - C], said Bush will make the case, as he did at NATO summits in Istanbul and Prague, for increased spending on systems and capabilities "that are absolutely necessary for success on the modern battlefield and in modern peacekeeping."

While the U.S. spends about 3.7 percent of its gross domestic product on defense, most member countries spend less than 2 percent, he said.

"It is still true that only seven of the NATO allies spend more than 3 percent of their gross domestic product on defense," Burns said.

So I am sure Dubya - and you, dear reader - will be comforted by news that Pakistan, proliferator and home to Islamist terror extrordinaire, intends to take their pal Burns and his boss at their words by holding massive arms fairs. There, they can push their own wares to tinpot dictatorships - but will be sure to leave stall space for American companies.

The International Defence Exhibition and Seminar (Ideas) fair, held every two years in the southern port city of Karachi, provides a platform for Pakistan to display its products, ranging from light arms to tanks and missiles.

The fair also attracts major manufacturers of arms and military support equipment from around the world.

Since 2000, when the first Ideas fair was held, the number of participants has grown both in number and prestige.

This year's participants include, among others, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Saab, Rolls Royce and Thales.

...Arms for Peace is the official slogan of the fair.

On show are products ranging from rifles and bullets to ballistic missiles, pilot less drone aircraft and fighter jets.

Lockheed Martin Corp (LMC) has put its Hellfire missiles on display.

"Pakistan is interested in buying these missiles and we are definitely going to work out a deal," said Doug Terrell, LMC's manager for international business development.

...The buyers, as in any arms fair around the world, are mostly from Asian and African countries that have low budgets and, as many anti-weapons campaigners would allege, poor human rights records.

Buyers were crowding to the American manufacturer Colt's small arms stall where the company's manager of international sales, Mike McCarthy, explained the virtues of a Colt M4 carbine, "the assault weapon of the US army".

As to Pakistani indigenous makes, the greatest interest shown by buyers was in a new pilotless spy-drone, tanks and that old Pakistani favorite - now showing in North Korea and Iran, among others - long range missiles.

There. Don't you feel comforted?