Washington – Officials: Bush Sold Arab States Arms In Violation of Deal with Israel

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    Jerusalem – The Bush administration violated security related agreements with Israel in which the U.S. promised to preserve the IDF’s qualitative edge over Arab armies, according to senior officials in the Obama administration and Israel.

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    Defense Minister Ehud Barak traveled to the U.S. in September for a rushed meeting in which it was agreed that the two allies would discuss how to resolve the problems regarding this issue.

    U.S. National Security Adviser General James Jones is scheduled to arrive in Israel on Tuesday for what is likely to be talks on the issue of the IDF’s qualitative edge.

    Senior sources in the current U.S. administration, and senior officials at the foreign and defense ministries in Israel, have suggested that during the last year of the Bush administration the U.S. sold advanced military equipment to moderate Arab states – Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. The Americans justified the arms sales with the need to bolster these countries against the perceived threat posed by Iran.

    In an address before the National Jewish Democratic Council, Israel’s ambassador to Washington, Michael Oren, commented on the matter. “We discovered that the qualitative edge of the IDF has been eroded,” Oren said. “We came to the Obama administration and said: ‘Listen, we have a problem.'”

    According to Oren the response of the Obama administration was positive and immediate. “They said they are going to deal with this matter and ensure that the qualitative edge of the IDF is preserved,” he said. “Since then we have embarked on a dialogue [on preserving the IDF’s qualitative edge].”

    The arms transfers that were particularly disturbing for Israel were of advanced air and naval systems. For example, the U.S. sold Saudi Arabia advanced F-15 fighter-bombers, similar to the ones it sold Israel. According to Israeli assessments, following the U.S. sales to the Saudi kingdom, the Saudi Air Force is currently in possession of 200-250 aircraft of this type.

    In addition, the U.S. sold Saudi Arabia and other Arab states satellite-guided and laser-guided “smart bombs” for their fighter aircraft, as well as advanced anti-ship missiles and electronic suites for aircraft, all similar to the equipment in the IDF.

    Toward the end of the Bush term in office, the defense establishment recommended to the political leadership to raise the issue with the incoming U.S. administration. Defense establishment officials warned that the U.S. is arming countries in the moderate Arab camp in “a way that erodes the qualitative edge of the IDF, especially in the air.”

    In recent months officials close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began quiet exchanges with their U.S. counterparts on ways of retaining the IDF’s balance of arms. The negotiations are held at the highest levels, with the White House and the Pentagon.

    In September, for example, a day before the start of the United Nations General Assembly conference in New York, Barak traveled to Washington and the purpose of his meetings there were kept under wraps. At the time, the defense minister’s office announced that Barak had met with Jones and other senior administration officials in order to discuss the resumption of peace talks with the Palestinians.

    In subsequent talks between the Obama administration and Israel, Israeli officials have stressed that the arms provided with the aim of bolstering moderate Arab states against Iran could be directed in the future against Israel. A number of meetings have taken place since, in an effort to “assess the damage” and find ways of securing the IDF’s qualitative edge. Last week, Haaretz reported that the Obama administration will sell advanced weapons systems to Arab states.

    According to the weekly Jewish publication Forward, as a result of Israeli concerns the Obama administration intends to make changes to deals that the Bush administration signed with Arab states and are currently being implemented.


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    30 Comments
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    anonymous
    anonymous
    14 years ago

    Surprise surprise, apparently white man spoke with forked tongue. This you reveal after all the these foul statement against the President. Some even statedwe should all leave the U.S. and ride on segregated busses in Yerushalayim. Thank you for a fair website

    Charlie Hall
    Charlie Hall
    14 years ago

    This is nothing new. Presidents Carter, Reagan, Bush 41, and Clinton had also sold the most advanced US weaponry to Saudi Arabia.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    With such freinds, who needs enemies.

    I wonder when the israelis will realize that to play the american game you have to be tough, and not to always follow blindly, as its totally not in their best interest. Rather the americans are only thinking about themselves, and israel is strong enough to do likewise.
    All this is said leshitusem of the israeli government. But we maminim bnai maminim have to pray for moshiach, because ain lonu al mi lehishuein…

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    this shows us once again, that we can not relly on any person. we must defend ourselvs as we understand and not follow every word of a person who has other interest that are more important to him…

    anonymous
    anonymous
    14 years ago

    What is interesting that much has been said about President’s Obama background with Muslims but nothing has been said about the Walkers who were pro-Nazi and had dealings with the Nazis

    yudel
    yudel
    14 years ago

    Saudia Arabia et al is not a moderate State. They are the biggest supporter of terrorisim againt all infidels. BUT, they control the oil spigot. The USA must become independent in energy. We have access to coal, off shore etc.

    Gefilte Fish
    Gefilte Fish
    14 years ago

    Oh, what happened now? Does Obama need something from israel? Maybe the sophisticated “mind reading” software to detect terrorists in airports? Or maybe the “chetz” missile defense system that testings gave a very optimistic picture recently…

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Bottom line with USa is $$$$$. Always was always will be. USA receives MUCHA MIUCHA Dollars from Saudi for these planes. OF course it will take it.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Which proves once again that we can only trust in Hashem and in no human. We live by the Torah and do what the Torah tells us to do. We defend the Torah and the land that Hashem gave us and we understand the rules that HE set forth. We understand that HE gives us schar and HE decides ONESH. When we defend HIS honor he gives us strength, courage and nissim. When we ignore HIM and let our own ego’s and bravado take over we are on our own and are defeated by our enemies. If we practice sinas chinam the whole world hates us and we read day by day more and more how anti-semitism is gaining ground for no reason.

    As we get more greedy, we are exposed for more humiliation. As we get more vile and ugly, we are exposed as phonies and hypocrites against our own religion. The more critical we are against our own brothers the more nisyonos Hashem gives us. When will we learn?

    Blame Bush
    Blame Bush
    14 years ago

    Are we surprised that such a “goody goody” story comes out for Obama? I would bet any amount that President Bush also gave Israel the codes to stop any attack from those weapons.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    The Obama administration just came up with an amazing tactic to take away the focus from the pro israely voting bloc in the us by showing that Bush wasn’t that pro Israel 27 they think, but it’s pointlesss.

    esther
    esther
    14 years ago

    i’m just thinking out loud.by arming those more moderate arab states against iran,could the US be protecting israel,even if only by default?

    uptime11
    uptime11
    14 years ago

    Now, all of us Jews who kept on saying “Bush was good to the Jews” (I disagreed with it!) feel stupid, right?

    sam
    sam
    14 years ago

    Just propaganda to make Bush look bad. If I were him Id do the same.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    you might as well blame Bush for everything else. The truth will one day be revealed.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Israel should stop complaining all the time. It is still the only country that gets the best deals on advanced weapons from the U.S either with aid monies or negotiations. Bush gave them an unprecedented rushed deliveries on stockpiles of advanced weaponry worth close to a Billion dollars before he left. Obama administration is sending stockpiles worth $800 million in rockets and artillery that can be used by IDF in case of emergencies. The F35 project will be favorable to Israel’s demands while no other country which actually invested hundreds of millions in the project will get the same bargaining options.
    Israel’s airspace is best protected and even better protected than U.S. from missile and ICBM attacks thanks to free U.S. advanced X band radars and Green Pine radar attached to U.S. European command where hundreds of American soldiers monitor Israel’s airspace 24/7 at ZERO cost to Israel’s tax payer.
    Saudi Arabia nor Egypt poses any significant risk to IDF and U.S. would not allow that to change no matter how much of the Obama is Hussein conspiracies we hear from some people. This is just a continuous political tactic that Israeli officials use to make the U.S. donate more$$

    me
    me
    14 years ago

    The Obama adminstration, having done nothing except further sink the economy, continues to look for ways to make the previous administration look bad in an effort to make themselves look better. The pettiness that this administration will stoop to, far exceeds anything that’s likely to make the previous administration look bad. Remember, when a Moslem US army major that publishes anti US sentiment on the web shoots and kills 13 people and wounds 30. ITS NOT TERRORISM!, He was just having a bad hair day. The US sold F-15 to Saudi Arabia. So what? The Saudis need them to defend against Iran and a future independant Iraq. They’re not interested in losing them in air battles with the Israelis.