Spying scandal sets back U.S. chances for fighter jet sale to Brazil

[Catherina]

Source: Reuters

Published: Monday, 12 Aug 2013 | 8:39 PM ET
By: Anthony Boadle and Alonso Soto

BRASILIA, Aug 12 (Reuters) - U.S. hopes of landing a coveted deal worth more than $4 billion to sell 36 fighter jets to Brazil have suffered a setback with recent revelations that the United States collected data on Brazilian Internet communications.

...

"We cannot talk about the fighters now ... . You cannot give such a contract to a country that you do not trust," a high-level Brazilian government official told Reuters on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

...

Angry Brazilian senators questioned Rousseff's planned visit to Washington in October and opposed awarding the United States the multibillion-dollar deal to overhaul the Brazilian Air Force's fleet of fighter jets.

Boeing Co is competing with its F/A-18 Super Hornet against France's Rafale made by Dassault Aviation and Sweden's Gripen made by Saab to win a contract worth at least $4 billion, with probable follow-up orders that would greatly increase the value of the contract over time.

...

Read more: http://www.cnbc.com/id/100957594

[jtuck004]

1. I think there's one too many words in that headline. Take out the word scandal, it would be true. n/

[delrem]

2. Good. This is a small dent in the massive MIC swindle, but it counts.

[DeSwiss]

3. When you hit em' in the defense contract......

...you're hittin' em' where they live.

- Someone will lose some fruit salad for this loss......

K&R

[limpyhobbler]

4. LOL for the graphic

And yes money is a language they do understand.

[ConcernedCanuk]

5. " You cannot give such a contract to a country that you do not trust"

.
.
.

Not much wonder the MIC et al are so pissed at Snowden.

It ain't about security, It's all about $$.

He's cost them billions!

CC

[Catherina]

7. He did and one thing the Reuters article didn't mention was mining for commercial secrets

The Anglo media keeps leaving that part out but it's in the Brazilian stories. Our quest for profit at any quest is backfiring. RT mentions it too

Brazilian officials have expressed reluctance to purchasing dozens of military planes from the US after it was revealed that the NSA not only closely monitored Brazilian energy and military affairs, but also mined for commercial secrets.

http://rt.com/news/brazil-fighter-jet-deal-nsa-419/

$32 Billion lost in Cloud services, $4 Billion in arms sales, all the ALBA countries dumping Microsoft (and other proprietary software) and moving to open source in government and schools, CISCO getting dumped and researchers all over the world taking care to keep their work safe from our prying eyes. Pretty soon it all adds up to big money. No wonder profiteers are literally wringing their hands.

But nothing to see here right?

[Sherman A1]

6. The technical term for this would be

Ooooppps!

[DissidentVoice]

8. The Rafale and Gripen are better aircraft anyway, and cheaper n/t.

[Ash_F]

9. Well now Snowden's really fucked. /nt

[Dawson Leery]

10. The Rafale is lighter, faster, and more efficient anyways.

[bemildred]

11. Another big "security" win from our ever watchful friends at the NSA.

[bobthedrummer]

12. Blowback kick n/t