Bush team spats over Israeli arms sale to India

Express India ^ | July - 23 - 2002 | PTI

[USMMA_83]

Bush team spats over Israeli arms sale to India

Washington, July 23: Differences have emerged between the US State Department and the Pentagon over the sale of Israel's Arrow missile defence system to India, a media report in Washington said on Tuesday.

The State Department vehemently opposes the sale and Secretary of State Colin Powell will voice that opposition during his forthcoming visit to New Delhi, while the Pentagon strongly supports India's right and necessity to have missile defence, The Washington Post said.

State Department officials told The Post they are united against the sale for geopolitical and arms control reasons. A prime concern, they said, is the message that such a sale would send to Russia, China and other weapons' exporters at a time when the administration priority is a reduction in arms proliferation.

An Arrow sale, they argue, may violate the 1987 Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR)—to which India is not a party—an agreement among more than 30 countries that seeks to limit the spread of missile technology. A Pentagon official said, "We have some issues we need to sort through, particularly how the sale relates to the MTCR. That is an open question."

"We certainly understand India's interest in missile defence," he added, in sharp contrast to State Department officials who did not refer to India's need. A senior State Department official was quoted as saying, "We have concerns about the introduction of more missiles into this area. It could be destabilising."

It is not clear how President George W. Bush, who has the decisive voice, will decide this rift.

[USMMA_83]

Powell at it again. Any bets when this pretender is going to resign?

[rintense]

More Rummy vs. Powell crap. Ho hum.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

OFFICIAL BUMP(TOPIC)LIST

[gcruse]

Largest arms exporter in the world objects to someone else making a buck. Fugeddaboudit!!!

[Digger]

Powell goes when GW goes. The puppetiers have been able to pull the correct strings here - illegal immigration is well, China continues it aggression w/o a peep of opposition, the WAR is about to break lose & soon the stock market will break to the 6600 mark & the sheeple will then have sold with these elites buying it all up, Rubin will be running the UN, maybe Cheney will leave for misterious reasons & a Rockefeller in as V/P. Who knows but one thing I know - we are being duped by this "Two-Party Cartel".

[mikeIII]

Powell has been sympathetic toward the Islamist regimes and has been running counter to Rummsfeld. He was going on and on with his praise for Araffat until they asked him shut up.

This sale will certainly reduce the nuclear blackmailing capability of Islamist Pakistan. And it's unfortunate that Powell sees THAT as destabilizing! He will probably prevail on this one since India doesn't have much influence here.

[enrg]

A senior State Department official was quoted as saying, "We have concerns about the introduction of more missiles into this area. It could be destabilising."

This is getting rediculous. So India having a partial missile defence is destabilising, but the U.S going ahead with its own NMD is not. Ummmmm.. yeah right. On top of that, i thought the U.S thought of India as a "natural ally". this is a very strange way to treat your allies. Also, if India acquiring this system is destabilising, wouldn't Israel having this system also be destabilising?

Who's the idiot in the State Department that sais this crap?

[monkeyshine]

a Rockefeller in as V/P.

That's not very original.

[monkeyshine]

The State Department is destabilising.

Probably due to all those years of being destabilised.

[caly_dude]

And may I add a reminder fact: India was the ONLY major country to suppor the US Missile Defense shield.

http://www.afpc.org/mdbr/mdbr20.htm

CAN SOMEBODY in the Administration have the guts to say: Israel, India, Russia, Turkey: let's work together, break down trade barriers, have cultural exchanges. To Europe, China, Arab World and Pakistan: Go to hell.

[enrg]

And may I add a reminder fact: India was the ONLY major country to suppor the US Missile Defense shield.

Yep!!! Totally forgot that.

CAN SOMEBODY in the Administration have the guts to say: Israel, India, Russia, Turkey: let's work together, break down trade barriers, have cultural exchanges. To Europe, China, Arab World and Pakistan: Go to hell.

Wishful thinking. I doubt it will ever happen tho (in public at least).