Secret U.S. diplomatic cables are continuing to be released via WikiLeaks; only about 2,000 of the reported 250,000 documents have been released thus far.

The New York Times reports on its front page this morning: “The king of Saudi Arabia wanted the United States to outfit his personal jet with the same high-tech devices as Air Force One. The president of Turkey wanted the Obama administration to let a Turkish astronaut sit in on a NASA space flight. … Each of these government leaders had one thing in common: they were trying to decide whether to buy billions of dollars’ worth of commercial jets from Boeing or its European competitor, Airbus. …

“To a greater degree than previously known, diplomats are a big part of the sales force, according to hundreds of cables released by WikiLeaks, which describe politicking and cajoling at the highest levels.”

WILLIAM HARTUNG
Hartung is director of the Arms and Security Initiative at the New America Foundation and author of the new book Prophets of War: Lockheed Martin and the Making of the Military-Industrial Complex. [Read more...]