JTF.ORG Forum
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Manch on July 31, 2014, 02:22:17 PM
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US Restocks Israel with Mortar Shells, Hand Grenades
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/183576#.U9p8_LFay1s
The United States confirmed Wednesday it had restocked Israel's supplies of ammunition.
The Pentagon confirmed the Israeli military had requested additional ammunition to restock its dwindling supplies on July 20, with the US Defense Department approving the sale just three days later.
"The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to US national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability," Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said in a statement.
"This defense sale is consistent with those objectives."
Two of the requested munitions came from a little-known stockpile of ammunition stored by the US military on the ground in Israel for emergency use by the Jewish state. The War Reserve Stockpile Ammunition-Israel is estimated to be worth $1 billion.
An unnamed defence official told Reuters that Israel has already used the stockpile to refill supplies of grenades and mortar rounds in the past week.
The official said that although the ammunition came from the War Reserves Stock Allies-Israel, the Israelis had not asked to use this store specifically.
“They didn’t ask for it from there but we gave it to them so we could rotate our stocks,” the official said.
And US lawmakers are working on a package of additional military support from Washington to commit $225 million for the Iron Dome missile defense shield.
The decision to provide ammunition to Israel could fuel controversy, coming just as Washington expresses growing concern about the deaths of more than 1,300 Palestinians, many of them civilians, since the IDF operation began on July 8.
Kirby said Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel told his Israeli counterpart that the United States was concerned about the deadly consequences of the spiraling conflict, including a "worsening humanitarian situation" in Gaza, and called for a ceasefire and end to hostilities.
He also renewed calls for the disarmament of Gaza's Hamas rulers and "all terrorist groups."
Israel notes that Hamas uses its civilians as human shields, making it impossible for Israel to defend itself without hitting them. It also points to conclusive evidence that Hamas fires at Israel from civilian population centers, and that it uses UNRWA facilities for storing rockets. Three IDF soldiers were killed Tuesday in an UNRWA clinic that had been boobytrapped.
Both the White House and the State Department condemned the shelling of a UN-run school in the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza in which at least 16 Palestinians were killed, neither would assign blame to staunch US ally Israel.
"Obviously nothing justifies the killing of innocent civilians seeking shelter in a UN facility," deputy State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf acknowledged, in some of the toughest US comments since the start of the 23-day fighting in the Gaza Strip.
"Innocent Palestinians seeking refuge in these schools should not have shells dropped on them, should not come under attack."
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA claimed Israeli forces had hit the school, which had been sheltering some 3,300 Gazans.
But despite heated exchanges with reporters, Harf stressed that "we don't know for certain who shelled this school, we need to get all the facts."
National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan also condemned "those responsible for hiding weapons in United Nations facilities in Gaza" and warned of rising fears that thousands of Palestinians who have been told by Israel to leave their homes increasingly had nowhere to go in the blockaded coastal strip.
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Israel should be ashamed of itself to rely on America for these weapons. Why can't Israel and all the smart Jewish people make our own weapons? It is a sad statement on the Jewish nation.
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Israel should be ashamed of itself to rely on America for these weapons. Why can't Israel and all the smart Jewish people make our own weapons? It is a sad statement on the Jewish nation.
I don't think it is a technology issue. The issue is probably cost, manufacturing scale and manufacturing potential. It may not be economically viable for Israel. However, a country that is existentially threatened, and that doesn't have allies, may not afford to rely on the 3rd party suppliers for the basic ammo needs. It is suicidal.
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You are right, Manch. Unfortunately, Israel doesn't have the manufacturing base to produce all of the weapons stock piles. I don't what they would do if the United Sates didn't re-supply them.
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So, what's the solution? What would Kahanist do?
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So, what's the solution? What would Kahanist do?
Manch, I don't know the answer. I think Israel needs to get the Arabs out of Gaza. And build Israeli weapons manufacturing plants in Gaza. But you hit the nail on the head. That's why Israel jumps, when Obama says, "jump."
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You are right, Manch. Unfortunately, Israel doesn't have the manufacturing base to produce all of the weapons stock piles. I don't what they would do if the United Sates didn't re-supply them.
Oh please, come on. The US makes a business out of selling weapons to Israel and arranges with israel that they will not make their own but instead buy from the us. Its all a big racket.
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This iis how the us aid works. They pay israel to buy US goods. So essentially its a transfer of wealth from the american taxpayer to the US Defense establishment and defense industries. Big Business. Israel along for the ride.
Am I wrong?
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This iis how the us aid works. They pay israel to buy US goods. So essentially its a transfer of wealth from the american taxpayer to the US Defense establishment and defense industries. Big Business. Israel along for the ride.
Am I wrong?
In a sense you are right. Although I suppose I am biased having worked in the defense business in the 80s-90s. The defense industry has provided a lot of good technology, such as the technology in Iron Dome and other weapons systems which have been developed at a large cost.
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Israel is better off w/o being dependent on other countries from a military standpoint. Both in terms of G-d, not other nations, making it possible for Israeli victories. And in terms of not being pressured by hostile administrations, such as the current so called one occupying the oval office. Most people I know outside of JTF disagree with me but I truly believe Israel would benefit much more w/o foreign military support.
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This iis how the us aid works. They pay israel to buy US goods. So essentially its a transfer of wealth from the american taxpayer to the US Defense establishment and defense industries. Big Business. Israel along for the ride.
Am I wrong?
Yes and also many other countries including many Arab enemies of Israel as.well. its a ripped off the tax payers and onto big business pockets.
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Factories are needed to make all the weapons, that's for sure....certainly Israel will have something up its sleeve it has created that will be a big surprise to everyone. Nothing is impossible. I just have a feeling it is going to be supernatural!...The Lord's hand will be in it!
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In a sense you are right. Although I suppose I am biased having worked in the defense business in the 80s-90s. The defense industry has provided a lot of good technology, such as the technology in Iron Dome and other weapons systems which have been developed at a large cost.
For sure a lot of good technology has come out of iit. In just saying let's call it for what it is. Both sides perceived benefit in this and went along with it and the US loves Israel for doing this. Its not like a one sided thing as "debkafiles" or crazy websites would have people believe.