White House in the dark over arms supplies to Israel: report

[OneCrazyDiamond]

Source: AFP/Yahoo

Washington (AFP) - Israel secured supplies of ammunition from the Pentagon last month without the approval of the White House or the State Department, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

Since officials there were caught off guard as they tried to restrain Israel's campaign in Gaza, the administration of President Barack Obama has tightened controls on arms shipments to Israel, the newspaper said, quoting US and Israeli officials.

But the case illustrated that the White House and the State Department have little influence over the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the paper said, quoting officials from both countries.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/white-house-dark-over-arms-supplies-israel-report-094321624.html

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[ballyhoo]

1. Yeah, right.

[GeorgeGist]

2. It appears the White House has little influence ...

on the Pentagon.

[JackRiddler]

5. Now date that back to 1963.

And see that not as the establishment of a state with the MIC in the driver's seat, but a confirmation of what had already been true since the big war. Not that the White House tail hasn't also often wagged the MIC dog, but usually it was in a way that pleased doggie. Doggie happy!

[jwirr]

10. And that is closer to the truth. We have been talking about the "shadow government" and it

appears that the MIC is part of it. If we the people do not get control of this mess including the MIC, CIA, NSA, Homeland Security, and local police forces we are going to find ourselves in a self made prison called the USA. I don't know how we are ever going to fix this mess.

[2naSalit]

16. ...

the MIC IS it.

[blm]

22. Been like that under every Dem president since the 60s. Thank Poppy Bush.

.

[Ninga]

3. Parallel stories competing for our attention is overwhelming.

This story demonstrates how Israel can willfully dip into the cache of US arms - and loot.

While in Ferguson - police state willfully dips into their cache of arms - to strip freedoms.

[leftynyc]

6. Seriously?

You think bibi came over personally and just stole the weapons? Is this really what DU has been reduced to?

[azurnoir]

14. No but Israel will have to go though the WH to get arms rather than directly from the Pentagon

the WH is less than happy with Bibi and has refused the sale of hellfire missiles

[leftynyc]

17. Congress will take care of that

That's not the President's call. Arms packages go through congress. You're celebrating something that is a nothing burger but whatever.

[azurnoir]

23. well I'm glad to see you're apparently so supportive of Tea Party controlled Congress

however I'm glad to say you're wrong Obama has already nixed the sale of the Hellfires now if you wish to go on about Congress doing some sort of maneuver around the Democratic POTUS be my guest

http://www.democraticunderground.com/113477037

[leftynyc]

26. Sigh

Assigning emotion (that isn't there) to a fact based post? About what I've come to expect from you. And yes, the congress - whose job it is to approve arms deals - will go around the President. You can count on it.

[azurnoir]

31. seems someone "counting on it"

and assigning emotion that isn't there if not then why so adamant?

[leftynyc]

34. WTF are you babbling about?

I stated a fact and you attributed emotion to it because that's what you do. Then you do it again by calling a follow up factual post with being adamant. You're getting your hopes up for nothing as this is not the President's call. I have no idea why pointing out facts has you in a tizzy.

[George II]

19. Hasn't the atmosphere around here been disgusting in the last few weeks?

[leftynyc]

27. I've been here a very long

time and this is not new. They'll believe anything the innocent darlings hamas say but disbelieve anything coming out of Israel. And then they'll whine how the far left has no support in our government. Yes, they are that un-self aware.

[lark]

29. Do you support Israeli murder of innocent civilians?

3 Israeli civilians dead, 1000,0s of civilians in Gaza dead, including deliberately targeting schools, hospitals and the beach. If your conscience thinks this is a great thing, no wonder a number of people on here don't agree with you.

[leftynyc]

37. No, I don't support innocent

civilians getting killed. But I put the blame where it belongs - on the terrorist hamas organization. As far as people here not agreeing with me - I seriously could not care less.

[Ninga]

33. Well, don't know the name of the person who directly communicated with the Pentagon, do you?

Moreover, do you think it was ok to take the weapons without going through the expected process?

[leftynyc]

35. What makes you think it wasn't through

the proper process which calls for Congressional approval, not Presidential? Do you think Bibi waltzed into our warehouses and helped himself?

[mopinko]

4. let's face it. secord and north were tip of the iceburg. pentagon give away death

to anyone who wants it.
why do we have the world biggest military?
maybe we dont.
how much of it all goes in the front door, gets stamped surplus, and is given away at the back door? THAT IS THE QUESTION, GOD DAMN IT!!!!!!

[Voice for Peace]

7. sold, not given away, at the back door. that's the answer. $$$$$$$$$

[mopinko]

11. meh. we are giving it away to local pd's for these weapons.

$$$$ is the answer, and no doubt some of it goes into the pockets of the folks at the back door.
but we pay to build this shit, which is where the real money changes hands.

[Voice for Peace]

21. exactly, they keep building it, so they have to sell it, to somebody.

then when they need MORE money, they build some more,
give away the old stuff, and sell the new stuff.

On our dime, as you say.

[mopinko]

32. and in the meantime, we go to war "with the army we have, not the army we wish we had."

sez rummy, and mothers scrounge for body armor, and soldiers cannibalize "the army we have" for armor plating.

the most advanced military in the world, my shiny metal ass.

[Voice for Peace]

38. but but but Israel

[Autumn]

8. WTF. What is going on here?

Heads need to roll over this.

[L0oniX]

9. DUH!

[Lurks Often]

12. Does not appear to be up to the White House of the State Dept

It appears to be at the discretion of Congress:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_reserve_stock#War_Reserves_Stock_Allies-Israel

[azurnoir]

13. Not anymore

US halted transfer of Hellfire missiles to Israel

A senior Obama administration official was quoted in the report as saying the decision to scrutinize future transfers at the highest levels amounted to "the United States saying 'The buck stops here. Wait a second…It's not OK anymore."

The report depicted a context of poor relations between Obama and Netanyahu and claimed that the decision to halt the weapons transfer was made at a point when the White House and State Department became "increasingly disturbed by what they saw as heavy-handed battlefield tactics that they believed risked a humanitarian catastrophe," in Gaza.

http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Report-US-halted-weapons-transfer-to-Israel-during-Gaza-offensive-371062

[Lurks Often]

15. Some more detail

See page 19 at the link:
http://thehill.com/images/stories/blogs/flooraction/jan2012/crsisrael.pdf

Congress authorized the stockpile, which is now worth about 1.2 billion.

Looks like President Obama denied the Hellfires, but 40mm grenades and small arms nearing their expiration date were transferred without Congressional or Presidential authorization as a routine sourcing transfer.

[azurnoir]

24. as the WH said "It's not okay anymore"

After the shipment of the 120-mm and 40-mm rounds caught the White House by surprise, the Pentagon was instructed to put another arms shipment to Israel - a large number of Hellfire missiles - on halt and the administraction instructed all of its defense agencies to consult with the White House and State Department before approving any additional arms requests from Israel, the Journal reported.

A US official told the paper that "the decision to scrutinize future transfers at the highest levels amounted to the United States saying 'The buck stops here. Wait a second… It's not OK anymore.'"

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4558615,00.html

[leftynyc]

28. What part of it's not the

President's call is too difficult for you to understand? The law has been spelled out for you and you continue to put your fingers in your ears. You also seem to think that those missiles will make a difference. Hogwash.

[azurnoir]

30. seems he just made it his call

seems you wish for the Democratic POTUS to be over ruled

[leftynyc]

36. My wish is for proper authorization

which doesn't come through the President. It comes through congress. You're the one who seems to have a problem with proper procedure.

[DhhD]

25. Who is running the garage sale? n/t

[Sunlei]

18. give it a freaking break the 'supplies' like tear gas are MADE IN AMERICA!!

probably made by 50 cent an hour slaves in all the American 'for profit' prisons.

:large

[blackspade]

20. WTF?

The government is running off the rails!

[Nihil]

39. "caught off guard"

(Nudge, nudge, wink, wink)