U.S. demands Israel reorganize defense export

[lovuian]

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/redir.php?jid=bb8178ed7f535954&cat=c08dd24cec417021

Israel will institute a number of comprehensive changes to its defense export arrangements at the insistence of the United States, following the crisis over Israel's export of attack drones to China. The status of several central divisions in the Defense Ministry will be changed, including that of the head of security and the division for assistance and export. A new division will be established in the Defense Ministry, and Foreign Ministry representatives will sit on a supreme advisory council for defense exports. The U.S. administration has been informed of the expected changes.

snip...
The Chinese crisis" caused a rift between Israel and the Pentagon on several levels. A number of contacts were frozen by the Americans, who said Israel could not be trusted in the area of sensitive technological exports, both American and Israeli, which might reach "dangerous addresses." Most of the limitations were removed slowly. Gross outlined the expected changes in the twice-yearly U.S.-Israel meeting on defense matters that took place recently. The American delegation to the meeting was headed by John Killen, head of the State Department's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, and Peter Rodman, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security. The American delegates expressed their satisfaction with the plans, but said that it remained to be seen how Israel would enact the decisions.




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However, Haaretz has learned that the Americans said they expected the Foreign Ministry to have been given a more serious role in supervising Israel's defense exports. The Foreign Ministry, like the Trade, Industry and Labor Ministry, was given a position only on the supreme advisory council that will operate in the new division, and which will deliberate on export to "special" countries like China, Russia, and countries that have any connection to acts of terror. The Americans demanded in the meeting that Venezuela be added to the list of countries Washington considered "problematic" countries and to which defense exports should be limited.

The Foreign Ministry in fact had no part in supervising defense exports, and diplomatic considerations were insufficient. The Foreign Ministry more than once harshly criticized the actions of the Defense Ministry regarding defense exports. Foreign Ministry director general Ron Prosor noted this fact in a speech at the recent Herzliya Conference. The Defense Ministry was in charge of permits for defense exports, contracts with various countries in Israel and abroad, enforcement of regulations and decisions on who Israeli firms purchasing weapons could not sell to. The defense minister's bureau apparently does not always have all the information on weapons exports in time. Failures were revealed mainly as the result of initiatives originating in the defense establishment and less in the external defense industries. The considerations regarding defense exports are very varied and include diplomatic, security, technological, economic, and industrial aspects.



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I always thought Israel made its own decisions evidentally not... And Venuzuela is on the problem list...

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. Okay, someone break this down for me...

...did Israel, the country we send 3 billion dollars a year to in aid, and which encourages us to fight its Arab neighbors every chance it gets, just sent attack drones to China?

[lovuian]

2. yes it did

:nuke: You always need to have friends with nukes :nuke:

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. We are one stupid ass country.

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. Why do you suppose this isn't getting more recommendations?

Is it because it's old news? Or because people are too stunned to believe we got stung by Israel through Abramoff, the neo-cons and now this?

[lovuian]

5. Yes the Bush government is stupid and the rest of the world

fears them...

I don't think this article is understood by many thats why the low rating... even I had a tough time wading through it...

But it really shows me Israel is a wild card in many respects...

[AlamoDemoc]

6. I am a news junkie...and I do appreciate it...merci

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. "news junkie"

That's how I refer to myself when people ask me questions about what I do. I call the right-wing radio stations echo chambers as opposed to the news junkie newsgroup I belong to.

[babylonsister]

7. Everytime I see the words, "US Demands..." I really cringe.

Bookmarked.

[Senator Obama]

8. Not surprising at all...

Israel has exported some of our most sensitive technology to China and other third world countries without regards to the implications of compromise of US national security. They also are and have been at the center of some of our most damaging espionage scandals. AIPAC money and control of the megaphone in the media has done wonders in covering up these incidents. And one could easily argue, and I'm sure we'll hear it, that Israel continues to be afforded access to and compromised some of our most sensitive military technology and secrets and yet despite this is considered a close ally/protectorate. Yet the UAE can't even score a lousy port contract? GO figure.

Obama

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. Since how far back have we been covering up Israel's disloyalties?

Were they the ones responsible for the leaks on long-range missile technology that Clinton was blamed for? I never really got the full understanding of the right-wing echo chamber on that one. I just remember a right-wing nut blaming Clinton for a certain honing device that I discovered was readily available over the net. Unfortunately, I don't remember what he called it, but he sure did put up a fight in the debate.

Does Senator Obama support the UAE port contract? Frankly, I've found that every ally has potential to cause damage to the U.S., and I also see that some may benefit from the constant chaos on the global level because it forces the need to create alliances. That doesn't mean that their closeness will benefit us.

But I'm sure that the back stabbing goes both ways. For instance, I'm wondering if Germany is happy that it was leaked yesterday that they were the ones that provided the US with Sadaam's defense plans? And I wondered about the timing of that leak. You see, it was reported that South Africa had unlocked solar energy, well enough to commercialize the technology. If so, that would put the U.S. petrol patrons out of business. And Germany, apparently, has strong ties with South Africa and will probably help develop the technology. Germany has been far more forward thinking than the US and has been steadily working on commercializing solar technology for years. And, perhaps it's a good thing for Germany, because the Bush Administration has hung them out to dry in the Arab world by leaking their involvement in the Iraq war.

Anyways, I'm ranting. Happens until I finish my morning coffee.

[Copperred]

12. tick tock tick tock

[donkeyotay]

11. Do you ever wonder if the USA actually won in WW II?

Because between the defense-intelligence industry takeover and this, you'd think we had lost.

[lovuian]

13. It looks too me that Israel made money being the middle man

they get cheap drones from US and probably charged double for China to buy them...

Sharon's guys were the in group...

Arms dealing is a lucrative business...

[MadMaddie]

14. My question is the * cabal....they are on the road to

alienate all of the US Allies.....how long will it take for them to allienate Israel.

I Know that Israel feels safe because of the backing of the US....but at what point after the "US keeps bitch slapping them", do they say enough is enough?

Just a thought that popped into my head....

[president4aday]

15. Not gonna happen. We'll still pay their bills.

[Wordie]

17. Whoa...isn't the problem here that Israel sold sensitive weapons to states

that are potential threats to the U.S.??? Do you really think that it's not reasonable for the U.S. to do everything it can to try to prevent that from happening again???

You seem to have it backwards...

[DoYouEverWonder]

16. Wasn't Israel in the middle of Iran/Contra too?

They sure do love to keep things stirred up.