Yemen has been using American money to beef up its weapons stockpile with Russian-made equipment, says President Ali Abdullah Saleh. And more purchases from Russia appear to be on the way. The undisclosed amount of American funding came from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency for the arms purchases from America's former Cold War nemesis, with American knowledge, said Saleh. "They [Americans] have given us a little money from the American Intelligence, which we used to buy a few airplanes to combat terrorism, through a negotiated contract with the Russians," Saleh said on Friday, during an interview on MBC Satellite Television. Yemen now spends about $540 million (YR 96 billion) on its military every year. Russian military sources confirmed on Tuesday, that in 2002 Moscow supplied Yemen with 15 Mig-29s and more than 80 tanks.
Everybody gets a little piece of the action, except for us taxpayers. But that's okay. Ultimately, it's cheaper if they kill the Bad Guys themselves. If they keep the dough, and they don't kill the Bad Guys, then we've been suckered... |