Obama gets OK on boosting Israel against rockets

[subsuelo]

Source: Reuters

The House of Representatives approved President Barack Obama's request for $205 million to spur Israel's production of a system to counter short-range rockets of the type used by Hamas and Hezbollah.
The authorization for the extra funding was part of a defense spending bill that would provide $726 billion next year for U.S. national defense programs, including funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The House gave the bill final passage on Friday by a vote of 229 to 186.

The United States is also developing interoperability between the U.S. ballistic missile defense system and the Israeli architecture to make sure Israeli systems can be stitched in to a global umbrella.

In addition, the Obama administration is working toward a Middle East missile defense that envisions adding an advanced radar site in a Gulf state to one already in Israel to thwart any Iranian attack, U.S. officials have told Reuters.

The House voted to authorize $10.3 billion for ballistic missile defenses overall, $361.6 million more than Obama's request. The extra funds will strengthen defenses against "the most immediate threats from nations such as Iran and North Korea," said Rep. James Langevin, the Strategic Forces subcommittee chairman.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64R66W20100528?type=politicsNews

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When Israel asks for something from the U.S. - they get it!

(Who says the Obama administration can't get anything done?)

[snappyturtle]

1. In the middle of the night last night I heard the repeat of Charlie Rose's

interview with the President of Syria...Bashir al-Assad(?)...anyway, he seemed rational. THIS funding is exactly his problem with the U.S. and it's lop-sided diplomacy with Israel. He wants to 'get along'....John Kerry had just been in Syria to talk with him. Very interesting interview....his perspective of Iran was interestingn too. He doesn't see Iran as the future monster that American diplomats seem to. Don't know if this interview, which was in Damascus, is online.

[Francisco]

2. But to agree with the President of Syria..

would require to have rational thinking, which in reality the majority of us Americans don't have. We see brown people, foreigners who don't speak English and see them as the enemy. We believe whatever the media tells us, and we don't seem to care that most of our tax money is being used to fund murders in the Middle East instead of bettering our situations here at home. All that needs to be done is someone to wave a flag and sing the Star Spangled Banner and everyone gets patriotic all of a sudden.

[subsuelo]

3. we're too heavily indoctrinated with corporate propaganda...

... to be rational thinkers.

I think the first step to break out of it is to acknowledge it. That is a difficult first step for many.