Friday, March 19, 2010
Arms embargo against the only reliable U.S. ally in the Middle East
Posted by John Keller
The administration of Barack Obama is orchestrating an arms embargo of sophisticated military weapons against the only reliable U.S. ally in the Middle East -- Israel.
How much sense does this make at a time when nearby Iran is nearing development of deliverable nuclear weapons and is belligerent as ever? If the U.S. and Israel do not stand united against a nuclear-armed Iran, the entire geopolitical situation in South Asia could slip out of control.
In my darker moments I think this must be what the Obama Administration wants.
So what's the problem between the U.S. and Israel? The Israelis and Palestinian Arabs don't like each other much, and the Obama Administration wants the two sides to get along. Israel wants to build 1,600 housing units in East Jerusalem -- an area that has been part of Israel for 43 years -- and the Obama Administration wants the project stopped because it offends Palestinians.
The Obama Administration can't resist intervening in an internal Israeli matter so much that the president is willing to aid and abet a nuclear-armed adversary nearby to develop into a monster international threat. This doesn't sound to me like Obama has his international priorities straight, but I digress.
So what's this arms embargo? Since taking office, Obama has blocked all major Israeli requests for advanced U.S. weapons, including proposed Israeli procurement of AH-64D Apache attack helicopters, refueling systems, advanced munitions and data on a stealth variant of the F-15E fighter-bomber.
According to a story that ran Thursday in the World Tribune, "All signs indicate that this will continue in 2010," a congressional source familiar with the Israeli military requests said. "This is really an embargo, but nobody talks about it publicly."
The latest development in Obama's arms embargo against Israel happened Thursday. World Tribune reported the Administration ordered the U.S. military to divert a shipment of smart bunker-buster bombs from Israel to a military base in Diego Garcia. They said the shipment of 387 smart munitions had been slated to join pre-positioned U.S. military equipment in Israel Air Force bases.
The Obama Administration can posture with an arms embargo all it wants, but Israel has an interesting history of dealing with arms embargoes. After the 1967 War, the French government launched an arms embargo, which denied the French-build Mirage 5 jet fighter to Israel.
By controversial means, Israel acquired detailed plans for the Mirage 5 and build their own jet fighter based on its design. The result was the Kfir jet fighter, which is Hebrew for lion cub.
My point is that if the Israelis want bunker-busting munitions, they are perfectly capable of developing these big smart bombs on their own. Israel does amazing things when the country feels threatened; they have shown this throughout their short history.
Put a nuclear-capable country within the range of short-range ballistic missiles near their borders, and I think Israel pull another rabbit out of its hat -- and the Obama Administration will have nothing to say about it.
Subscribe
Follow me on Twitter
Join the PennWell Aerospace and Defense Media Group on Linkedin at http://bit.ly/9MXl9
Become a fan of Military & Aerospace Electronics on Facebook at http://bit.ly/1VGM0Q
Post your aerospace and defense-related material to the #milaero community on Twitter. Use the #milaero hashtag. ¶ 3/19/2010 07:51:00 AM
Posted by John Keller
The administration of Barack Obama is orchestrating an arms embargo of sophisticated military weapons against the only reliable U.S. ally in the Middle East -- Israel.
How much sense does this make at a time when nearby Iran is nearing development of deliverable nuclear weapons and is belligerent as ever? If the U.S. and Israel do not stand united against a nuclear-armed Iran, the entire geopolitical situation in South Asia could slip out of control.
In my darker moments I think this must be what the Obama Administration wants.
So what's the problem between the U.S. and Israel? The Israelis and Palestinian Arabs don't like each other much, and the Obama Administration wants the two sides to get along. Israel wants to build 1,600 housing units in East Jerusalem -- an area that has been part of Israel for 43 years -- and the Obama Administration wants the project stopped because it offends Palestinians.
The Obama Administration can't resist intervening in an internal Israeli matter so much that the president is willing to aid and abet a nuclear-armed adversary nearby to develop into a monster international threat. This doesn't sound to me like Obama has his international priorities straight, but I digress.
So what's this arms embargo? Since taking office, Obama has blocked all major Israeli requests for advanced U.S. weapons, including proposed Israeli procurement of AH-64D Apache attack helicopters, refueling systems, advanced munitions and data on a stealth variant of the F-15E fighter-bomber.
According to a story that ran Thursday in the World Tribune, "All signs indicate that this will continue in 2010," a congressional source familiar with the Israeli military requests said. "This is really an embargo, but nobody talks about it publicly."
The latest development in Obama's arms embargo against Israel happened Thursday. World Tribune reported the Administration ordered the U.S. military to divert a shipment of smart bunker-buster bombs from Israel to a military base in Diego Garcia. They said the shipment of 387 smart munitions had been slated to join pre-positioned U.S. military equipment in Israel Air Force bases.
The Obama Administration can posture with an arms embargo all it wants, but Israel has an interesting history of dealing with arms embargoes. After the 1967 War, the French government launched an arms embargo, which denied the French-build Mirage 5 jet fighter to Israel.
By controversial means, Israel acquired detailed plans for the Mirage 5 and build their own jet fighter based on its design. The result was the Kfir jet fighter, which is Hebrew for lion cub.
My point is that if the Israelis want bunker-busting munitions, they are perfectly capable of developing these big smart bombs on their own. Israel does amazing things when the country feels threatened; they have shown this throughout their short history.
Put a nuclear-capable country within the range of short-range ballistic missiles near their borders, and I think Israel pull another rabbit out of its hat -- and the Obama Administration will have nothing to say about it.
Subscribe
Follow me on Twitter
Join the PennWell Aerospace and Defense Media Group on Linkedin at http://bit.ly/9MXl9
Become a fan of Military & Aerospace Electronics on Facebook at http://bit.ly/1VGM0Q
Post your aerospace and defense-related material to the #milaero community on Twitter. Use the #milaero hashtag. ¶ 3/19/2010 07:51:00 AM
Comments:
<< Home
Sanctions would not really matter as Israel is already armed to the teeth with the most sophisticated mil tech in the world & has better weapons compared to any of its Arab neighbors. In international relations, sometimes reins have to be pulled back and whip has to be slashed on a wild horse (even if its your favorite animal) to ensure its sanity and to let it know whose the wagon-master.
Thank you for bringing to light Obama's misguided arms embargo against our only reliable ally in the Middle East.
Can you imagine the chaos and incalculable loss to our own security if Iran actually succeeds in obliterating Israel?
Can you imagine the chaos and incalculable loss to our own security if Iran actually succeeds in obliterating Israel?
"whip has to be slashed on a wild horse (even if its your favorite animal) to ensure its sanity..." -- Shehzad
Your analogy breaks down when the whip is being applied, not to a wild horse but to sane man, and when it is being applied by a madman on behalf of one.
Israel needs American weapons to defend itself against it's and America's enemies. Restraining America's only ally in the region, in order for our mutual enemies to gain advantage, is lunacy at best, or pure treachery at worst.
Israel is not the wild beast needing to be whipped or restrained. If anything, that distinction goes to the Ishmaelites who crave the destruction of both America, their "great satan," and Israel, their "little satan."
Your analogy breaks down when the whip is being applied, not to a wild horse but to sane man, and when it is being applied by a madman on behalf of one.
Israel needs American weapons to defend itself against it's and America's enemies. Restraining America's only ally in the region, in order for our mutual enemies to gain advantage, is lunacy at best, or pure treachery at worst.
Israel is not the wild beast needing to be whipped or restrained. If anything, that distinction goes to the Ishmaelites who crave the destruction of both America, their "great satan," and Israel, their "little satan."
# posted by 
: Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 8:30:00 AM EDT
: Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 8:30:00 AM EDT
No one except thinks that E. Jerusalem is part of Israel except the Israelis. Even The U.S. embassy is in Tel Aviv because Jerusalem is not recognized as Israel's capital, precisely because it's not such a black and white issue as you claim it is.
Jerusalem is mentioned the the Bible MANY times, not once in the Koran. The great Mosque, third holiest in Islam is built on top of the older, and most holy original Jewish Temple.
What about if Mexico decided to "claim" El Paso Texas as their capitol? It was once Mexican territory. However, there were not any Palestinians prior to 1947, and never a Palestinian nation.
Israel is the size of New Jersey: how about giving it a break?
What about if Mexico decided to "claim" El Paso Texas as their capitol? It was once Mexican territory. However, there were not any Palestinians prior to 1947, and never a Palestinian nation.
Israel is the size of New Jersey: how about giving it a break?
The denial of conventional nunker-busters will compell Israel to use tactical Nukes. And in the aftermath of sixty thousand centrifuges spewing their fissionable russian-origin material no one will ever know or be able to prove what kind of weapon started out this inferno.
Look uo Urban Aeronautics and see how much Israel truely needs American apaches. They dont. The apaches are essentailly another subsidy via the foreign aid program. Incedentally Israel does not receive a penny of civilian foreign aid.
Look uo Urban Aeronautics and see how much Israel truely needs American apaches. They dont. The apaches are essentailly another subsidy via the foreign aid program. Incedentally Israel does not receive a penny of civilian foreign aid.
Fast forward a couple of months and look at what Obama is saying now with regard to Palestinians. He is endorsing the Palestinians' demand for their future state to be based on the borders that existed before the 1967 Middle East war with "mutually agreed" land swaps, in a move that will likely infuriate Israel.
He knows what he is doing and he knows that the Palestinians want to split Israel into pieces. I cannot believe we have an American president that is endorsing people who hate and want to exterminate all Western values.
Post a Comment
He knows what he is doing and he knows that the Palestinians want to split Israel into pieces. I cannot believe we have an American president that is endorsing people who hate and want to exterminate all Western values.
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home
