Israelis may be excluded from Pentagon contracts

World Tribune ^ | 3/11/2002

[UnBlinkingEye]

Israelis may be excluded from Pentagon contracts

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Monday, March 11, 2002

WASHINGTON — Israeli nationals could be banned from participating in U.S. defense contracts under new regulations that seek to keep foreigners out of sensitive projects.

U.S. officials said the Defense Department plans to reduce access by foreign nationals to military programs. They said this would include the use of foreign nationals in contracts relating to unclassified information used by the Pentagon.

Israeli nationals are said to be included in information technology-related contracts with the Pentagon, according to Middle East Newsline. This includes the sale of encryption technology and software required to protect the department's huge data base.

Pete Nelson, the Pentagon's deputy director for personnel security, did not refer to Israelis in an announcement of plans to limit foreign nationals from computer-related contracts. But he said the department is studying proposals to reduce participation of foreign nationals in contracts that deal with what he termed sensitive, albeit unclassfied, material.

"Some foreign nationals — those in the most sensitive positions — may not be permitted to remain in those positions," Nelson said. "As we review our security requirements as a nation, we need to ensure all people with access to sensitive IT [information technology] systems are cleared and properly vetted for the material to which they have access."

The plan focuses on projects for the U.S. Navy, Nelson said. In a statement, the official said everybody dealing in information technology projects for the navy would be vetted even when dealing with unclassified material.

Foreign nationals are already restricted from dealing with classified defense projects. The new regulations would be implemented between 60 and 90 days.

The Pentagon has expanded the outsourcing of computer contracts as a means to reduce costs and streamline personnel. Israeli companies and their affiliates in the United States — which have developed security data systems — are involved in a range of contracts for the Pentagon and the U.S. government.

"The IT business has become largely contractual, with programming and data work being farmed out to areas where there is cheap labor," Nelson said. "If this trend does not simultaneously take into consideration security requirements, there would be reason for concern."

[UnBlinkingEye]

Interesting admission in the bold text in the last paragraph. The government is as interested as their corporate sponsors in cheap labor. Hence H1-B and export of jobs out of country.

[scratchgolfer]

World Tribune is a very unreliable source. They are wrong more than they are right. And this is breaking news?

[smith288]

Who would program for cheap when making encryption based on some highly technical mathematical calculations. Its not like it can be done by some 8 yr old in Bahrain.

[Dog Gone]

The World Tribune also has an agenda. They could have used the same facts to write the story as "Germans May Be Excluded from Pentagon Contracts", but that wouldn't have pushed any hot buttons.

[UnBlinkingEye]

World Tribune listed it as breaking news, I hadn't heard of this before either. I don't know if they are a credible source I got to World Tribune through a Drudge link.

[elfman2]

"The World Tribune also has an agenda. They could have used the same facts to write the story as "Germans May Be Excluded from Pentagon Contracts", but that wouldn't have pushed any hot buttons."

That needs repeating. The article's garbage.

[veronica]

Pete Nelson, the Pentagon's deputy director for personnel security, did not refer to Israelis in an announcement of plans to limit foreign nationals from computer-related contracts.

Did not refer to Israelis. And people make fun of Debka.

[UnBlinkingEye]

Pete Nelson, the Pentagon's deputy director for personnel security was the person who made the statement about cheap labor sources, this doesn't necessarily mean encryption experts. I noted it because many deny that it is a motivation for the H1-B program and exporting jobs that could be done by Americans.

[beowolf]

Israeli nationals are said to be included in information technology-related contracts with the Pentagon, according to Middle East Newsline.

Inference counts as fact to some people.

[Shermy]

Absolutely. There is anti-semitism here, why not say "south asian information companies." There's plenty of them.

[Askel5]

The World Tribune also has an agenda. They could have used the same facts to write the story as "Germans May Be Excluded from Pentagon Contracts",

Just out of curiosity ... who all could they have used in the headline besides the Israelis?

[Askel5]

There is anti-semitism here

Huh? Exactly the opposite, dude.

[Dog Gone]

They could have picked just about any country in the world for this headline. Foreign nationals are extensively used by IT companies for these types of contracts. Probably the most common foreign nationals are from India, but mainland China, Taiwan, and the Philippines are all major sources of programmers for US companies.

And I agree with you that this wasn't intended as an anti-Semitic article. It was intended to make Jews mad. Big difference.

[Alouette]

who all could they have used in the headline besides the Israelis?

Indians may be excluded...
Chinese may be excluded...
Hungarians may be excluded...
Fiji Islanders may be excluded...

[mrustow]

bttt

[VikingsRazeAVillage]

"It was intended to make Jews mad."

You can make some livid by suggesting that Arial Sharon may have bad breath.

[Dog Gone]

LOL. Hopefully it takes more than that!

[Askel5]

Once again, Israel's unique "victim" status is being sounded in an effort to register the vein with a surge of Support for the Jews' right to be included.

Had it been any other nation or the whole slate of nations, the immediate response would be "yeah, so? who needs 'em?".

But the USE of Israel -- as always -- neatly befuddles the objective questions of national security and military excellent with emotion.

More than likely, Israel will be USED as some yardstick of sorts against which to measure the inclusion of some per their meeting our "national interests".

Same old, same old.