← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · Oklahomaman
Thread ID: 4446 | Posts: 3 | Started: 2003-01-14
2003-01-14 20:25 | User Profile
Normally, I wouldn't post articles from Newsmax.com because their ideas are so well known and repeated so often that they're hardly worth a first glance. You already know what they are going to say about any particular issue days in advance. However, the following piece is very instructive for novices and casual observers about how such organizations censor and whitewash similiar behavior from Israel that "damages U.S. interests". It also shows how apologists for Zionism can introduce their policies and strategems in a more subtle and, perhaps, more effective way than writing directly about the modern Jewish-Arab conflict.
Here we have an analysis by Mr. Eberhart of a CIA report on arm sales that "threaten U.S. interests". For your benefit a post will follow with an article about a military technology pipeline that exists which begins in the U.S. and goes through Israel to China and finally back to Iraq. Newsmax thinks Russia is a grave problem (such that the leading exporter of advanced military technology to China isn't even mentioned in their article.) despite the fact that the technology Russians sell to both Iran and China is not nearly sophisticated as Israeli sales to China. Israeli misbehavior is simply projected upon Russia (a frequent target in neocon circles) in order to obfuscate it in the public mind. This illustrates perfectly both the extreme Zionism and deep seated Russophobia that Neocons inherited from their originator, Leon Trotsky.
CIA Warns of Russia, China, Iran Dave Eberhart, NewsMax.com Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2003 Even the unclassified and sanitized version of the latest report from the director of Central Intelligence to Congress paints a grim picture of a cash-strapped Russia selling dual-use technology to an increasingly dangerous Iran, China's threat, and a growing danger of terrorists using chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear materials. The report, required under the Intelligence Authorization Act, spells out, among other things, the particulars of the acquisition by foreign entities of "dual use" materials and technologies (peaceful but also handy for the building of weapons of mass destruction) during the period from July 1 through Dec. 31, 2001.
China's Danger
China was not far behind Russia in garnering concerns about its non-proliferation policies ââ¬â as they operate practically.
In October 1997, China gave the United States assurances regarding its nuclear cooperation with Iran. China agreed to end cooperation with Iran on supplying a uranium conversion facility (UCF) and to undertake no new cooperation with Iran after completion of two existing projects.
However, despite this window dressing, the report noted, "We are concerned that some interactions between Chinese and Iranian entities may run counter to Beijingââ¬â¢s bilateral commitments to the United States."
The report also pointed to the fact that Chinese firms are supplying dual-use CW-related production equipment and technology to the ubiquitous Iran.
Iran Is Busy
In addition to Russia and China, Iran earned the most notable low marks. "Iran is vigorously pursuing programs to produce indigenous WMD - nuclear, chemical, and biological - and their delivery systems as well as advanced conventional weapons (ACW). During the reporting period, Iran focused particularly on entities in Russia, China, North Korea, and Europe."
The report added the telling conclusion of the intelligence community that "despite Iranââ¬â¢s status in the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the United States is convinced Tehran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program."
To bolster its efforts to establish domestic nuclear fuel-cycle capabilities, the report noted, Iran has sought assorted foreign fissile materials and technology. "Such capabilities also can support fissile material production for Tehranââ¬â¢s overall nuclear weapons program."
Iran is a party to the Chemical Weapons Convention. Nevertheless, the report noted, during the reporting period it continued to seek chemicals, production technology, training, and expertise from entities in Russia and China that could further efforts at achieving an indigenous capability to produce nerve agents.
Iran Outscores Iraq
On the face of the abbreviated report, Iran seemed to far outscore declared U.S. enemy No. 1 Iraq in all categories. Although pointing to a dearth of intelligence owing to the cutoff of inspections in 1998, the report contained nothing resembling the much-coveted grail of the "smoking gun." All the material on Iraq (in at least the sanitized report) was old hat.
By example: "Saddam's repeated publicized exhortations to his 'Nuclear Mujahidin' to 'defeat the enemy' added to our concerns that since the Gulf war Iraq has continued Research and Development work associated with its nuclear program. A sufficient source of fissile material remains Iraqââ¬â¢s most significant obstacle to being able to produce a nuclear weapon. The intelligence community is concerned that Baghdad is attempting to acquire materials that could aid in reconstituting its nuclear weapons program."
Some of the strongest language about Iraq in the report harkens back to old news:
"UNSCOM reported to the Security Council in December 1998 that Iraq also continued to withhold information related to its CW program. For example, Baghdad seized from UNSCOM inspectors an Iraqi Air Force document discovered by UNSCOM that indicated that Iraq had not consumed as many CW munitions during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s as had been declared by Baghdad. This discrepancy indicates that Iraq may have hidden an additional 6,000 CW munitions."
The report concluded, "During this reporting period, Baghdad continued to pursue a BW program. Iraq in 1995 admitted to having an offensive BW program, but UNSCOM was unable to verify the full scope and nature of Iraqââ¬â¢s efforts. In light of Iraqââ¬â¢s growing industrial self-sufficiency and the likely availability of mobile or covert facilities, we are concerned that Iraq may again be producing BW agents."
Details About Russia
Some of the strongest language in the report was reserved for Russia, the only "entity" earning a specific recommendation:
President Vladimir Putin in May 2000 amended the presidential decree on nuclear exports to allow Russia to export nuclear materials, technology, and equipment to countries that do not have full-scope IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) safeguards.
Russian entities during the reporting period continued to supply a variety of ballistic missile-related goods and technical know-how to countries such as Iran, India, and China.
During 2001, Russian entities remained a significant source of dual-use biotechnology, chemicals, production technology, and equipment for Iran.
The recommendation: To reduce the outward flow of WMD and missile-related materials, technology, and expertise, top officials must make a sustained effort to convince exporting entities - as well as the bureaucracy whose job it is to oversee them - that nonproliferation is a top priority and that those who violate the law will be prosecuted. North Korea's Nuclear Weapons
As to the third member of the president's "Axis of Evil," North Korea, there were no surprises:
"North Korea probably has produced enough plutonium for at least one, and possibly two, nuclear weapons. Spent fuel rods canned in accordance with the 1994 Agreed Framework contain enough plutonium for several more weapons."
Syria did not get away unscathed in the review. The report noted that Damascus already held a stockpile of the nerve agent sarin but was trying to develop more toxic and persistent nerve agents.
Iran, junior member of the Axis of Evil, remained a focal point of the intelligence report. The report ominously noted, for instance, that Iran ââ¬â already a military powerhouse ââ¬â would soon become Russiaââ¬â¢s third-largest arms customer, after China and India.
2003-01-14 20:26 | User Profile
[url=http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/cra0467.htm]http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/cra0467.htm[/url]
US Arms Sales to Israel End Up In China/Iraq 9 May 2002
Bill Clinton spoke at Hunter College in New York on Tuesday, challenging President Bush to send American troops as part of an international peacekeeping force to the Middle East. What many Americans don't know is that U.S. forces might as well be there already.
From 1990 to 2000 U.S. military aid to Israel totaled over $18 billion. No other nation in the world has such a close relationship with the U.S. military and arms industry.
The UN, Amnesty International and other groups have raised questions about the extent the to which U.S. military aid is abetting human rights abuses by Israeli forces operating in the West Bank. These debates will no doubt continue for some time. In the mean time, however, there is another aspect of the American-Israeli relationship that may have an even greater impact on U.S. and Israeli security in the long run: the ongoing transfer of American arms technology from Israel to potential U.S. (and Israeli) adversaries around the globe.
From the most sophisticated warplanes to tank engines, artillery systems and armored vehicles, the United States is Israel's one-stop shopping center. Last year alone the U.S. sold one hundred top-of-the-line F-16s to Israel for a total of over $3 billion. That same year Israel purchased 9 of the newest Apache helicopter version equipped with the Longbow Radar system. The helicopter-buying spree didn't end with the Apaches. Israel bought fifteen Cobra attack helicopters last year along with twenty-four Black Hawk transport helicopters.
Besides selling aircraft, the United States is also Israel's preferred vendor for missiles. Although Israel has designed its own version of the U.S. air-to-air AIM9 sidewinder missile, the Python 3, it still relies on the U.S. for its ground attack technology. Two years ago Lockheed Martin sold Israel approximately 80 AGM-142D Popeye air-to-surface missiles. Israel also buys the AGM65 Maverick air-to-surface missile produced by Hughes and Raytheon.
In addition, the U.S. sells Israel the engines for its "indigenous" Merkava main battle tank. In 1999 Israel purchased 400 power packs for their Merkava fleet. The Merkava was developed by Israel so that it wouldn't have to rely on "fickle" countries like Britain, France or Russia when it was in the midst of a conflict.
Transactions between the U.S. and Israel are not necessarily worrisome by themselves; after all, as Israel has proved, there are a host of countries willing to sell the weapons it needs. Currently, Germany is Israel's source for submarines, and if Israel really needed fighters, Russia is always looking to make a buck and always seems to have a surfeit of aircraft and other excess defense articles.
The real danger comes in Israel's habit of reverse engineering U.S. technology and selling to nations hostile to U.S. interests. Israel's client list includes Cambodia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, the South Lebanon Army, India, China, Burma and Zambia. The U.S. has most recently warmed up to India and is now in fact competing with Israel for arms sales there, but the other Israeli customers remain dubious at best.
Perhaps the most troubling of all is the Israeli/Chinese arms relationship. Israel is China's second largest supplier of arms. Coincidentally, the newest addition to the Chinese air force, the F-10 multi-role fighter, is an almost identical version of the Lavi (Lion). The Lavi was a joint Israeli-American design based upon the F-16 for manufacture in Israel, but financed mostly with American aid. Plagued by cost overruns, it was canceled in 1987, but not before the U.S. spent $1.5 billion on the project.
Last April, when the Navy EP-3E surveillance plane was forced to land in China after a Chinese F-8 fighter flew into its propeller, photos show Israeli built Python 3 missiles under the fighter's wings.
If Israeli weapons sales to China induce misgivings, including the most recent U.S. blocked sale of Israel's Phalcon airborne radar, the beneficiaries of Chinese arms transfers of Israeli-American technology are even more disturbing. In 1996, as disclosed in the UN Register of Conventional Arms, China sold over 100 missiles and launchers to Iran, along with a handful of combat aircraft and warships. Even worse, in 1997 the New York Daily News reported that Iraq had deployed Israeli-developed, Chinese PL-8 missiles in the no-fly zones, endangering American pilots.
Americans deserve to know where their money is being spent, and how money allocated for friends and technology shared with friends can all too easily end up in the wrong hands, threatening all parties involved. At a minimum, discussions on a new security framework for the Middle East should include plans to monitor and restrict Israeli transfers of U.S.-origin military equipment to potential adversaries. Otherwise, this deadly technology could come back to haunt U.S. and Israeli forces in future conflicts.
Jonathan Reingold, Research Associate, Arms Trade Resource Center, World Policy Institute Published by CommonDreams.org é Jonathan Reingold
2003-01-14 20:32 | User Profile
NewsMax and WorldNetDaily are two of the most dangerous sites on the Internet. Not just because they spin the news in Israel's favor, but because so many neocon talk radio jocks rely on them for material.
The poor truck driver or construction worker listening to talk radio doesn't have a clue he's being used, duped and fed a neutered version of the truth.