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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Defense establishment fears US may cut military aid |
| 2009-02-24 |
| The Defense Ministry is concerned that US President Barack Obama will cut military aid to Israel in an effort to pressure the new government to take action against illegal outposts and settlement construction, defense officials said. The officials spoke with The Jerusalem Post ahead of both a visit later this week by US Middle East envoy George Mitchell and the Obama administration's anticipated release of the fiscal 2010 budget, which includes funding for foreign aid. "Mitchell is a known opponent of the outposts and the settlements," a senior defense official said. "The Americans may try to use the military aid as a way of pressuring the new government into dismantling outposts and freezing construction in settlements." Already last week, Defense Minister Ehud Barak held consultations on the matter. But the Defense Ministry's jitters regarding US military aid were not shared by the Prime Minister's Office or the Finance Ministry. Officials in the latter two offices said they had not heard of any plans to cut American military aid to Israel, which was set out in a 2007 memorandum of understanding signed by both countries. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #14 WAFF.com > seems the US ARMY could lose up to 1/2 of its proposed desired FCS variants [Land Warrior 21, etc.], espec MG??? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2009-02-24 19:41 |
| #13 The United States and the LAVI Airpower Journal Vol. IV, No. 3, (Fall 1990): 34-44. On paper, the Lavi was becoming very similar to the F-16 and F-18. In reality, however, Israel possessed neither the technology nor the capital required for such a project. According to a 1983 General Accounting Office (GAO) study, Israel will be significantly dependent on US technology and financing for major portions of the aircraft. Israel will also require US approval for the planned third country sales because of the US engine and the significant amount of US origin high technology used in the Lavi's airframe construction, avionics and planned weapons system.13 Examples of this technology include Pratt and Whitney PW1120 engines; graphite epoxy composite materials; electronic countermeasures (ECM) parts; radar-warning receivers and their logarithms; wide-angle, heads-up display; programmable signal-processor emulator; flight-control computer; single-crystal turbine technology; and computer and airframe system.14 By 1983 the estimated research and development (R&D) costs for the Lavi had increased to approximately $1.5 billion, and the cost per aircraft had jumped to $15.5 million.15 At this time, the US began a unique involvement with the Lavi program. Before the project was terminated, the US would set far-reaching precedents in the areas of FMS and technology transfer and would finance over 90 percent of the Lavi's development costs. In 1987, because of the massive outlay of US money on the Lavi, both the GAO and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) were commissioned to study the program. GAO estimated the cost per aircraft at $17.8 million and OMB at $22.1 million.16 |
| Posted by: ed 2009-02-24 18:13 |
| #12 ROTFLMAO. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2009-02-24 17:31 |
| #11 Instead we got an enemy warplane crammed with 80's American tech (a) Lavi contains no "American Tech". If you don't want China to have your technology---don't give it to Pakis. (b) That enemy is USA #1 trading partner---and, the one who your government hopes will bail you out (Edward, I don't think you realise how deep in shit USA is---and not just economically). |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2009-02-24 17:05 |
| #10 Well, if they won't pay, I guess Israel better just toss the UN all the way out and deal with the internal security problem in their own way, huh? So - are we cutting off the Egyptians too? |
| Posted by: mojo 2009-02-24 15:18 |
| #9 We also got Israel fighting on the American side in the war on jihadis, ed, instead of no Israel not being a focus of Arab jihadi efforts, splitting the attention devoted to Iraq. These things are not entirely omni-directional, it seems to me... especially given how many effective -- as opposed to claimed -- allies we have in the region. How much do we get for what we pay out to Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the P.A., Pakistan, etc and so forth interminably? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-02-24 13:21 |
| #8 Well, the US taxpayer got less than zip. Instead we got an enemy warplane crammed with 80's American tech. At least the Israelis made a profit. |
| Posted by: ed 2009-02-24 11:52 |
| #7 If it's such a burden to you then just say no. Given Baraq Hussein in Washington and Bibi as PM such an outcome approches certainty. 95% of the Lavi development was paid for by the US taxpayer If you gave the same monye to American company, you'd get zip. If you gave them 10 times the money you'd get something that costs 3 times as much and performs half as well. You think Microsoft and Intel are the only ones who have to rely on imported/offshored brain power? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2009-02-24 11:47 |
| #6 Btw it not just equipment. 95% of the Lavi development was paid for by the US taxpayer. Perhaps the feds should sue to get some the the Chinese money. The Chicoms won't be buying treasury bonds forever. Or 90% of the Arrow missile system. Or most of the other weapons that have US technology that even closest allies do not have access to. |
| Posted by: ed 2009-02-24 11:32 |
| #5 If it's such a burden to you then just say no. |
| Posted by: ed 2009-02-24 11:27 |
| #4 $3 billion in military grants per year No Edward it's $3 billion worth of equipment, and Israel only has a limited say in what kind. Basically a subsidy to US defence contractors. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2009-02-24 11:22 |
| #3 Obama and Clinton are giving the Palestinians $900 million and, yes, they intend to squeeze Israel. The U.S. is in the process of switching sides and the Israelis ought to be preparing for that. |
| Posted by: DoDo 2009-02-24 11:02 |
| #2 While their is little outright economic grants to Israel anymore, the real expense is the $3 billion in military grants per year. That's $1000 per Israeli worker. |
| Posted by: ed 2009-02-24 10:39 |
| #1 It should be noted that the US typically gives Israel little "aid", instead giving loans that are paid back. The aid is mostly technical knowledge and innovation, which often the Israelis want to make themselves, so they will not become dependent. While US Jews might support Democrats, Israeli Jews have learned how fickle they are. A gadfly Jewish friend once suggested that if he ever wanted to start a fight at his synagogue, all he would have to do is ask a group if they thought Israel should stop taking US loans, because it is "like heroin". (Of course, once he started the fight, he would take off.) |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2009-02-24 08:49 |