mdwest....if they're a client state...we're selling the stuff to ourselves. Ain't the intell-MIC a wonderful thing. Now what did you say they need this stuff for...?
..Tm7
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I'd hardly call the UAE a client state.. when was the last time you knew of the UAE doing anything just becaused we asked?
they have limited oil by comparrison with the other nations in the region.. where they have made their real money is by acting as the bankers and the recreational playground for the rest of the arab world.. they are far more interested in building the world's first 7 star hotel (Birg Al Arab), shopping malls with ski resorts located inside them (Mall of the Emeriates), the worlds tallest building (Birg Al Dubai), etc.. than they are worrying about their long term economic relationship with the US.. the emir in dubai has made it very clear that he knows their oil reserves are going to be one of the first to run out and that he is on a mission to establish other sources of income for his country (banking, entertainment, tax free commerce zones, etc..).. he has no interest in taking his country back to the 1950's where they were one of the poorest nations on earth and essentially were nothing more than a community of bedouins and pearl diving susbsistance livers.. he also knows that when the oil does go away, US and European interest in his country will go away with it.. as the location of the UAE doesnt offer any real strategic value, and they have no other natural resources that anyone is interested in.. he has to depend on other countries in the region as his customer base for the future..
all of the above are among the reasons the UAE economy has taken such a hard hit when compared to the other oil driven countries in the region.. when the global economy tanked.. no one stopped buying crude from the gulf region states that base almost their entire national economy on its sale.. they felt very little impact... the UAE however has taken a bath.. they have half finished projects and bankrupt companies all over Duabi and Abu Dhabi that counted on money from other industries and sources.. what was once one of the fastest growing cities in the world (Dubai) has in less than 3 years almost come to a complete halt in terms of growth and development.. unemployment is high, and vacant buildings are everywhere.. the government sector is still doing ok.. but the private sector there is struggling very hard right now (much like europe and the US)..
on to the next question...
I dont have a clue what the UAE needs bunker busters for.. other than they might think it is another deterrant to add to their arsenal.. or maybe they think its something to "show off".. they bought a couple of thousand sniper rifles a decade ago.. but dont even have a couple of hundred "snipers" in their military.. they have more tanks in their warehouses than they have qualified crews to drive and operate them.. as often as not they do things just because they can (see ski slopes inside shopping malls inside the desert reference above)...
at the end of the day, the UAE lacks the capability of delivering a precision strike against an Iranian nuclear target.. they have a limited number of advanced war planes.. and a limited number of pilots with reasonable skill sets.. they have a limited number of munitions capable of delivering the strike..
they are also terrified of the Iranians.. the Iranians "took" one of their islands in the persian gulf in the early 90's.. they have done nothing to take it back other than complain about the Iranian occupation to the UN for the past 20 years.. if they struck Iran.. Iran would roll over their country in less than 7 days.. and destroy everything in sight.. and they know it.. they dont want to loose those ski resort shopping malls, sky scrapers, and 7 star hotels.. and have no capability to defend them against an Iranian attack (no different than the Kuwatis trying to stop the Iraqis in the 90's)...
If we were going to pick another nation to do our dirty work for us.. there are far better choices in the area.. whether they be the Saudis, Israelis, or others.. countries with more weaponry.. more capability.. better trained pilots, etc... and greater stand off range between them and the Iranians
If we were going to do it ourselves.. we wouldnt use UAE aircraft or munitions that sold them.. the warplanes and munitions we already have in the region stored in bunkers in Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.. are far superior and more capable..