U.S. and Israel sign a massive arms deal

[ensho]

http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_5739.shtml




Here, I thought the U.S. and Israel were ready to go 15 rounds in the Garden (not Eden).

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insulted Vice President Biden, Middle East envoy George Mitchell, plus Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Clinton warned Netanyahu that the building of more settlements in the West Bank definitely will slow peace efforts. Netanyahu basically said who cares.

And then I read this HAARETZ headline: Despite row, U.S. and Israel sign massive arms deal. What, so they can use them on us? You gotta be kidding. But no, there it is, in the first paragraph: “As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington this week absorbing the full wrath of the Obama administration, the Pentagon and Israel’s defense establishment were in the process of sealing a large arms deal.” Sounds like they’re playing, good cop, bad cop, n’est-ce pas?

“Well, isn’t that special,” Dana Carvey’s “Church Lady” smiles from cyberspace and asks, “Now, who could be behind that? (Beat) Saaatan?” Well, it certainly sounds like the great dissembler. As Haaretz says, “According to the deal, Israel will purchase three new Hercules C-130J airplanes. The deal for the three aircrafts, designed by Lockheed Martin, is worth roughly a quarter of a billion dollars. Each aircraft costs $70 million.” Ugh, I think, worth a quarter of a billion bucks, each plane $70 million? What? Who’s paying for this deal?

Well, the ‘deal,’ it turns out will be covered by American foreign assistance funds. What does that mean? We’re fronting them the money to buy our planes? Kiss my tassels.

And look at this: “The aircrafts were manufactured specifically for Israeli needs, and include a large number of systems produced by Israel’s defense industry.” What? When? Three new planes, $70 million each? They didn’t make these in a minute. Who ever heard? Well who ever said that you need to know what the Pentagon is doing? It is top secret, not for schlimazels like you, you taxpayer, you American senior citizen, useless eater. You’re lucky you’ve got your Social Security and Medicare for another year. Then it all goes to B’nai Brith. Arrrrrgh!
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the power of Lockheed

[YOY]

1. It's a win-win situaiton.

:sarcasm:

[azurnoir]

2. In fairness to Obama the Hercules C-130 is a transport plane

The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport aircraft. The versatile airframe has found uses in a variety of other roles, including as a gunship(the AC 130), for airborne assault, search and rescue, scientific research support, weather reconnaissance, aerial refueling, maritime patrol and aerial firefighting. It is the main tactical airlifter for many military forces worldwide. Over 40 models and variants of the Hercules serve with more than 50 nations.

During its years of service the Hercules family has participated in countless military, civilian and humanitarian aid operations. The family has the longest continuous production run of any military aircraft in history. In 2007, the C-130 became the fifth aircraft—after the English Electric Canberra, B-52 Stratofortress, Tupolev Tu-95, and KC-135 Stratotanker—to mark 50 years of continuous use with its original primary customer, in this case, the United States Air Force. The C-130 is also the only military aircraft to remain in continuous production for 50 years with its original customer, as the updated C-130J Super Hercules.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C-130_Hercules

[Scurrilous]

3. MPs call for review of arms exports after Israeli assault on Gaza

Components from UK 'almost certainly' used in Operation Cast Lead

<snip>

"A cross-party group of MPs will call today for a review of the way arms sales are approved after the government admitted British equipment was "almost certainly" used in the assault on Gaza last year.

"It is regrettable that arms exports to Israel were almost certainly used in Operation Cast Lead (the attack on Gaza)," the Commons committee on strategic export controls says in a report published. "This is in direct contravention to the UK government's policy that UK arms exports to Israel should not be used in the occupied territories."

The MPs say they welcome the government's subsequent decision to revoke five export licences for equipment destined for the Israeli navy but "broader lessons" must be learned from a review to ensure British arms exports to Israel are not used in the occupied territories in future.

After the attack on Gaza, David Miliband, the foreign secretary, told the Commons that all future applications for arms-related exports to Israel "will be assessed taking into account the recent conflict". He said Israeli equipment used in the attack on Gaza "almost certainly" contained British-supplied components included in cockpit displays in US F-16 combat aircraft sold to Israel, and components for the fire control and radar systems, navigation equipment and engine assemblies for US Apache helicopters.

The equipment also included armoured personnel carriers adapted from Centurion tanks sold to Israel in the late 1950s and components for the guns and radar in Israeli Sa'ar-class corvettes which took part in the operation."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/30/arms-british-gaza-assault