If you look at the Federal Budget, you'll notice how much "foreign aid" we give other countries. The last few years, that number has roamed around $11-13 billion per year. What you probably are not aware of, is that just about all of that aid comes with strings attached -- usually that they must use the money to purchase goods from American companies, and usually those goods are weapons purchased from American arms manufacturers. In both the cases of Yemen and Pakistan, the weapons were purchased under such foreign aid agreements.

The money never even is given to these countries. Usually it is simply transferred from one American bank to another in order to pay for the arms.

Until the year 2003 (when Yemen, serving as a temporary member of the UN security council, voted against military action in Iraq), the US gave Yemen $70 million in foreign aid per year. The F-16s were purchased during these years using that money.

With regard to Pakistan, most of the fighers were purchased during the late 1990s, but when General Musharraf seized power by overthrowing a democratically elected government, the Clinton Administration cut off aid and most of the fighters they had ordered were never delivered. After the 9/11 attacks, the aid package was restored and the fighters were delivered in exchange for General Musharraf's apparent cooperation in the War on Terror. Pakistan now receives over $800 million per year in foreign aid -- most of which is used to purchase arms.

Here's some other such cases... Over the past 5 years we have "given" (in foreign aid) $1.2 billion worth of fighter jets and missiles to Oman, and $400 million worth of missles to Egypt.

So yes, it comes from our tax dollars. The Federal Budget lists this as "foreign aid", but to me this is nothing more than corporate welfare. It serves 2 purposes: 1) bribes these countries to cooperate with the US in things such as UN votes, foreign policy, etc. 2) gives large no-bid contracts to the arms manufacturers who in turn give huge campaign contributions to those in office.