"Israel-China-US Triangle" (Global Arms Sales Leading to Conflict)

[leveymg]

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Power and Interest News Report (PINR)
23 May 2005
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Return of the Red Card: Israel-China-U.S. Triangle
Drafted By: Dr. P.R. Kumaraswamy
http://www.pinr.com

After months of hiatus, U.S.-Israel tension over China has returned. This time the dispute is over Israel's desire to upgrade the Harpy assault drone that it had sold to China in the mid-1990s. The drones are capable of destroying radar stations and anti-aircraft batteries and the U.S. fears that they could upset the delicate strategic balance between China and Taiwan as well as its interests in the Asia-Pacific region.

<SNIP>

As the controversy continued, Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan visited Israel in December and invited Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to visit Beijing. This was the highest visit from China in nearly five years. There were even suggestions that contrary to American fears and misgivings, the deal would not only consolidate Sino-Israeli ties but also further American intelligence capabilities vis-à-vis China.

<SNIP>

This, however, was not the first occasion when U.S.-Israel relations floated into rough waters over China. Since the end of the Cold War and the disappearance of the Soviet Union, bilateral relations between the United States and Israel have been marked and marred by periodic controversies over Israel's military relations with China.

<SNIP>

Likewise, Israel found China to be a prime customer, especially in the 1980s, when its lucrative arms markets in Latin America and South Africa were either drying up or becoming politically untenable. Strategically, the military sales to China smoothed the political differences between the countries and eventually paved the way for Sino-Israeli normalization in January 1992. Thus, both Israel and China benefited from increased military relations.

For its part, the U.S. was also an indirect player in the military saga. While demanding its European allies to continue military sanctions against China, it was indifferent toward the Sino-Israeli arms trade. Seeing the military route as a means of promoting the interests of the Jewish State, Washington was not concerned about Israel upgrading the Chinese military.

<SNIP>

These uncontrolled arms sales, shifting alliances and odd partnerings have led to a situation akin to the great powers relations that ignited World War One. The prospect of an attack on Iran threatens to unleash an uncontrollable spiral of retaliation and escalation that include at least three other nuclear powers: Russia, China, and India. Is the Bush Administration doing anything to try to address the dangers attendant to these other nuclear powers being dragged into the Iran-Israel conflict?

Today, we have Israel, a nuclear state (thanks to the tacit assistance of the US), poised to bomb Iran (which is on the verge of becoming a nuclear power with the help of Russia). Iran would likely then retaliate with missiles (North Korean clones of Chinese designs) tipped with chemical and biological warheads (created with the assistance of China, Russia and India. http://www.nti.org/e_research/profiles/Iran/Chemical/2340_2964.html On the other hand, Israel also sells highly sophisticated weapons technologies to China and India. Much of this multilateral trade in weapons of mass destruction has been with the more or less open acknowledgement and assistance of the US, which originally developed and exported the bulk of these military technologies.

Simply put, we're guilty as sin for having created this crisis that may end up destroying us. A principled U.S. disarmament policy should be Priority One of a Democratic Administration, if we live long enough to see one. :eyes: