Posted on 12/22/2004 11:12:25 AM PST by JeffersonRepublic.com
The contretemps with the United States over the sale of Israeli-made Harpy assault drones to China is threatening to turn into a crisis with China as well. Washington is demanding that Israel not send back to China some of the drones sent here for upgrading. The drones are already Chinese property.
The Israelis who heard the demand were astonished, considering there is no American technology in the drones. However, American sources say Israel will have no choice but to comply with the U.S. demand. The powerful pro-Taiwan lobby is warning that advanced Israeli weapons technologies could be used against U.S. soldiers defending the island state off the coast of China.
The crisis in U.S.-Israeli defense relations arose when the Pentagon's number three, Undersecretary of State for Policy Douglas Feith, learned that Israel had sold advanced-technology Harpy assault drones to China in the mid-1990s and was upgrading the unmanned airborne vehicles for the Chinese.
Feith, a strong supporter of Israel, was furious and backed by his superior, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, another ardent Israel supporter in the administration. Feith reportedly demanded the resignation of Amos Yaron, the Defense Ministry director general, on the grounds that Yaron had not provided a full accounting of the Israeli deal with China.
The Harpy case is not the first crisis that has arisen between the U.S. and Israel over sales to China. In a similar case, Israel went ahead with a plan to sell a flying radar plane known as the Phalcon to China, but the U.S. vetoed the sale.
Clips…
The sale of F-15E bombers provides a good case study of how others respond to sales of high-tech U.S. arms. Saudi Arabia had sought to buy the jet in the mid-1980s, but Congress opposed the sale on the grounds that it would threaten Israel. (While relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia improved following the Gulf War, the two are technically still in a state of war.) In September 1992, the Bush Administration and Congress approved the export of 48 of the aircraft to Saudi Arabia, largely on the basis of an aggressive "jobs now" campaign waged by McDonnell Douglas (MD), the manufacturer of the aircraft. The Air Force was finished procuring the jet, and so MD devised a national campaign to promote the controversial sale explicitly on the number of jobs that it would sustain (see Arms Sales Monitor No. 16 and No. 17). The sale got caught up in presidential politics, with then-candidate Bill Clinton endorsing the deal while on a campaign stop in St. Louis, where the jet is manufactured. Shortly thereafter President Bush announced his support for the sale while at a campaign-style rally at the McDonnell Douglas factory.
This was the first time the jet--which can deliver twelve tons of bombs 1,000 miles--had been exported to any nation. Only two years previously, the plane was rushed into service with the U.S.Air Force for the Gulf War, where it was used on hundreds of deep-strike bombing raids. The Saudi planes will be less capable than U.S. F-15E jets: they will carry less ordnance and are not currently slated to carry AMRAAM or HARM missiles, and the radar will have a lower resolution. Nevertheless, this was the most sophisticated combat aircraft the United States had ever exported...until a year and a half later, when the Clinton Administration and Congress agreed to give Israel 21 F-15E bombers with greater capabilities, in order to maintain Israel's qualitative military edge over Saudi Arabia.
Having gained U.S. government approval for two sales of its most advanced fighter-bomber, MD is eagerly anticipating more: It recently competed (unsuccessfully) for a sale of 20 to 80 long-range attack planes to the United Arab Emirates. The winner of that $8 billion-plus competition is Lockheed Martin, which will develop an "enhanced strategic" version of its popular F-16 fighter for the U.A.E. The F-16"ES" would have several improved features over the F-16s flown by the U.S. Air Force: a reduced radar signature, conformal fuel tanks, internal navigation and targeting gear and a un-refueled combat range of 1,000 miles. In addition, as a condition of the sale, the U.A.E. has demanded that the jets be equipped with the Air Force's most advanced medium-range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM)-- and the Clinton Administration agreed. Previously the U.S. had declined to export this missile to countries in the region. Now Israel, Egypt, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia have all lined up to get AMRAAMs.
Since the U.A.E. jet sale, Saudi Arabia has been making noises about buying more F-15s, which Israel opposes. Saudi Arabia has threatened the United States not to base decisions future export decisions on regional security and avoiding arms races: “Officials in the Saudi capital have hinted that the kingdom may look elsewhere for a replacement for the F-5 if the USA continues to link future military sales to Israeli security concerns.” (“Country Briefing: Saudi Arabia,” Jane's Defense Weekly, 18 August 1999, p. 30).
http://www.fas.org/asmp/profiles/saudi_arabia.htm
Weapon sales (U.S. to the Middle East)
1. Saudi Arabia, 2. Egypt, 3. U.A.E. 4. Israel
Doesn't China still owe us the EP-3 spy-plane that one of their fly boys collided with in April of 2001? Put a lien on those drones.
Yes, the UAE faces grave external threats in the region. They need a 1,000 mile range. I think the Saudis, Bahrain, and the UAE got their AMRAAMs. Egypt is still waiting.
Armbrust considerably predates 1988; I first heard of it in the 1970s.
Far more likely Israel will will end up compensating China if the drones aren't returned.
Where did Egypt get its airforce from? who armed the PLO? I dont think its right for Israel to sell to China personally but dont put the US on some sort of pedestool where everything we do is right.
No.
“Where did Egypt get its airforce from? who armed the PLO? I dont think its right for Israel to sell to China personally but dont put the US on some sort of pedestool where everything we do is right.”
The United States can sell whatever it wants to anyone, and if Israel doesn’t like it, too bad. Israel can do the same thing, but if they continue to sell weapon to our military opponents, then they shouldn’t expect the United States to subsidies their military.
It’s not that I don’t like Israel. I just think the United States should be more concerned with how Israel uses the BILLIONS of dollar U.S. taxpayers give them. If Israel accepts our money, then they must play by our rules. Otherwise they should reject the money and do as they please.
You are absolutely right. We should consider the actions of our own government before we blame others.
For what its worth, one of our own Presidential Administration's ( Clinton) authorized the sale of plenty of advanced technology to the Chinese that we may have to face in the future, and the potential ramifactions of that sale far outweigh several unmanned drones that are mincement to an air defense battery upon sight.
Israel isnt a vassal state of the US. They are free to make whatever deals they make with other countries. Our interests and the interest of Israel are going to diverge at times because of understandable differences in national interests. Thats a simple fact, and one a lot of people seem to forget.
We dont agree all the time with what Great Britain on military sales either, so this isnt really significant to anyone except those who have a vested interest in taking every possible thing Israel does that may affect its relationship with the US and magnifying it to demonize Israel.
I'm a lot more concerned about AWAC's, F-15's and F-16's, licensed Abrams tanks, Patriot missile systems, and the fact they threaten US soldiers in the Middle East as well as Israelis sleeping in their beds at night, because they present a much larger clear and present danger than several drones in China. Those regimes in the Middle East can topple in a second, and history proves that.
Sleep well and dont worry. Its just another targeted and heavily slanted article designed to sew discontent and mayhem in US-Israeli relations.
The problem with trying to apply MAD to dictatorships is in differing concepts of "Mutual".
The Iranian Mullahs are very willing to trade millions of their own peons in exchange for the glory of having eliminated Israel. As long as they themselves are safe in some hidden bunker when the Israelis hit, they will not be affected.
"If Israel accepts our money, then they must play by our rules. Otherwise they should reject the money and do as they please."
Using your terminology, then Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the "Palestinians" and other recipients of US funds should fall right in line with American requests and desires. Again, I do not personally agree with the sale to China, but I see this as the US bullying Israel to get what it wants.
On another note, much of the money you speak of that goes to Israel is reciprocated unlike a vast majority of the other nations that receive American aid.
Israel has dealt with a horrible economy in the last few years due to a number of factors. Im sure Israel sees this as a way to get back on track (not that I agree with the decision.)
Come-on you can’t have it both ways. You say that you don’t agree with the sale of arm to China, yet you use the “but” disclaimer to justify it.
Yes we should use the money we give as a leverage or to “bully” other countries. We don’t give them BILLIONS of dollars because we don’t want to invest that money into America. We give them taxpayer dollar so we can have influence in that country. Saudi Aradia housed US troops for 15 years, Egypt has let our military use the Suez canal and we train our troops on their soil to prepare for Iraq, and Israel well they let us protect them, what a deal.
not trying to have this both ways. This particular sale is not one which I agree with. Does that mean that I think Israel should mold their decisions based on what the US says. NO. Israel is a democracy whose constituents and representatives decide whats best for them. That is my point. This is a case of do as I say not as I do by the US and I believe Israel must weigh its options. In this particular case I would hope they do not return the drones to China. Not because of the US, but because of moral and safety issues. The US does what they want and so does Israel.
However Jews were sent (rather forced) to relocate during the Holocaust...many to Shanghai...to flee persecution.
Some Jews still have a place in their heart for China...and rightfully so.
They still don't understand the country though, nor its intricacies.
There is a certain lobby in DC that wants us to lift sanctions on China...good thing is they lose out more often than not.
That being said, China and Israel have only had formal relations since 1992.
Thank Goodness
If the US withdrew military aid or weaponry supply to Israel,the Israelis would simply step up their own development of such systems & then export the same to customers like Australia,Singapore,Greece,Poland & India-a good chunk of those nations buy American hardware ie,in the longterm,America loses.
I have met ordinary Chinese people in HK who had said to me, "the Jews and the overseas Chinese in South-East Asia are kinda like ....say, "soul-brothers" " given the the overseas Chinese in SE Asia were also always been victims of persecution and progroms
Having said that, the FEER had said in 1998 that China had given an undertaking to the State of Israel that" China will underwrite and guarantee the Rights of the State of Israel to exist"
The people in China have a soft spot for Israelis/Jews, given that there was a Jewish Community in Kaifeng a 1000 years ago. People in China also respect and admire the Jewish people for their genius and talent
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