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US arms race in Middle East ‘creates more wars’: Edward Corrigan

Tuesday, 21 April 2015 3:40 AM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 21 April 2015 3:41 AM ]

Corrigan says Washington’s plan to arm the Arab states will create more conflicts in the region.

Political commentator Edward Corrigan says Washington’s plan to arm the Arab states in the Middle East with advanced weapons will create more conflicts in the region.

“It’s bad for the region. It creates more conflict and more pressure" on these countries, the analyst said in an interview with Press TV on Monday.

The New York Times reported over the weekend that the United States is planning to lift restrictions on the sale of advanced arms to its Arab allies in the Middle East since they have come in alliance with Israel against Iran.

“The United States has long put restrictions on the types of weapons that American defense firms can sell to Arab nations, meant to ensure that Israel keeps a military advantage against its traditional adversaries in the region,” The Times said.

“But because Israel and the Arab states are now in a de facto alliance against Iran, the Obama administration has been far more willing to allow the sale of advanced weapons in the Persian Gulf, with few public objections from Israel,” the report pointed out.

Corrigan, however, criticized the Obama administration’s plan.

“It creates an arms race,” he said. “It’s bad for stability and peace.”

“It’s putting more pressure on all of the states in the region, including Iran to get more arms,” he added.

The Times reported “the determination” of the Arab nations “to battle Shia Iran for regional supremacy” will lead to a surge in new orders for the United States’ most high-tech hardware.

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama is scheduled to meet with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain in May.

The president said he wanted to discuss with the Arab allies how to build more effective defense capabilities.

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