[NeroASERCH]

In fact no military sales to Israel have completed under Obama.

http://www.mererhetoric.com/archives/11276020.html

So perfectly does this fit the "Obama is deepy anti-Israel" narrative that I'm almost inclined to doubt it's true. A story about how the WH is generically hamstringing weapons sales, fair enough. The Pentagon is again dragging its feet on Israel's Joint Strike Fighter requests, because apparently the two year delay created by WH "obstacles" hasn't sufficiently damaged US/Israeli relations. So there's some precedent.
But blocking Apaches that are critical to Israel's urban warfighting because Israel used them to fight an urban war - that's meat a bit too red. And yet, two separate sources:The administration... is delaying an upgrade project for Israel's military on the grounds that it could be deployed against Palestinian militants. Industry sources said the Defense Department has taken measures to slow down an upgrade of Israel's AH-64 Apache attack helicopter fleet. The sources said at least three Apache helicopters have been awaiting an upgrade at Boeing, the prime contractor... The sources said the delay of the Apache project stemmed from the White House's concern that Israel was rebuilding its military for another war. They said... Obama was dismayed by the widespread use of the Apache and other U.S. platforms during the January 2009 war with the Hamas regime in the Gaza Strip. "Everything having to do with Israel's Apache fleet has been delayed by the administration," another source said.So much for that year-end Forward article about how US/Israeli arms sales demonstrate that "strategic security relations between the two countries are flourishing." It's become a standard lefty talking point in the last few months, and it really ought not be.
It's not just that Obama's anti-Israel diplomatic offensive has actually damaged strategic security relations across the board, though it has. It's that the entire article - from the headline about arms cooperation all the way through the stuff about promoting Israel's qualitative military edge - is the opposite of true. No arms deal has been made with Israel since Obama took office, while Arab countries have been the beneficiaries of unprecedented largess:The United States has recently signed major arms deals with several Arab states. Israeli officials have expressed concern at the scope and content of the agreements... According to the Pentagon report to Congress, no arms deal with Israel have taken place since President Barack Obama took office.... One of the deals troubling Israel was the sale to Egypt of four batteries of Harpoon Block II anti-ship cruise missiles... advanced, accurate missile[s], capable of overcoming the countermeasures and electronic warfare suites generally available for defense. The U.S. also sold Egypt four fast missile boats... 450 Hellfire antitank missiles [for Apaches]... [and] 156 jet engines for F-16 jets... A large arms deal with Saudi Arabia includes the sale of 2,742 TOW-2 antitank missiles... The U.S. will deliver to the Jordanian armed forces 1,808 Javelin antitank missiles with 162 launchers that are equipped with night vision systems... The Javelin is an advanced missile, capable of penetrating most tanks available today... [and] more than 80 advanced rocket launchers.When the Israelis expressed concerns to the Obama administration they were told that Bush did it too, which is kind of true and totally irrelevant. It misses how Bush didn't simultaneously freeze arms sales to Israel. It neglects how Obama's deals go beyond Bush-era sales. And it ignores the quantitative degradation in Israel's arsenal that occurred during Cast Lead.
But at least it's not also obnoxiously predictable!

[Slonopotam845]

This underlies the point that Israel needs to 1. dump the aid... since its getting it nothing except bad press, and 2. get cooking on its own assets or in combinations with countries that don't have the same hamstrung political concerns like the currently disposed US under the anti Israel Obama administration.

Israel should be at the very forefront of automated air force, including loitering craft. At the end of the day all air force capability will be robotic. That is w/o question at this point. No reason not starting that ramp up now, with revised tech from elsewhere to bridge the generations. We refitted so many old American arms over the years, we are masters at it. There is no reason to think we couldn't have a F16 variant that will do the trick for another 5 years until we get a substantial ramp-up in automated platforms.

[NeroASERCH]

Arab armed forces have discovered that quantity has a quality all its own. Israel can't afford to be that spendthrift. Not only do they require a much higher level or readiness but they require a much higher operational survivability coupled with much shorter turnaround times, e.g. Battle Pace Cycle Time

[Ifroham4]

http://rubinreports.blogspot.com/201...define-us.html


Has Obama redefined "American Interests" to exclude the interests of her allies?

[S.T.D.]

buy russian choppers ha ha

[radikal]

The key is to stockpile ordinance, and get alternative platforms. Kill the aid, it's tying one of our hands behind our back whilst the Americans are enabling our sworn enemies. enough.

[Lt_Apple]

WOW. Definitely end the aid. It's not worth the price Israel will have to pay and it will allow Israel to do more deals with other countries like India.

[Fegasderty]

Bibi has betrayed the people.

It's not true. Bibi is doing what he can, working with a very hostile Obama administration, including Hilary Clinton who has turned into a total Arabist in exchange for political power.

Bibi is waiting out the pro-Palestinian Obama, who insulted the Likud, but never the PA. As a matter of fact, I think Obama would like Netanyahu to come out against him and his anti-Israel agenda, but Bibi is playing it cool. The left is already almost completely anti-Israel and Netanyahu talking about their Messiah will send them completely over the edge.

[Slonopotam845]

The Saudi entity get what ever they want, as does Jordan, as does Egypt. All of them have engaged in killing Arabs at 100x what Israeli conflicts have undertaken with Arabs. Saudi Arabia has recently invaded and carpet bombed Yemen. Egypt has napalmed half of Yemen, Nigeria and so on. Jordan killed scores of Palestinian Arabs. Yet they all get the pass. And 2 of them collect aid in military aid right now. Israel does not.

The peace agreements with Jordan, and especially Egypt is premised on Israel getting high tech aid that they actually pay for via the US arms industry. Egypt provides squat for instance. It's just a grant to them to be "agreeable" with American foreign policy, more or less. The Saudis were asked to keep their American provided planes far from Israel- they voided that nearly immediately. Egypt bought Tomahawk missisles and a tons of Abrams tanks which can cross the Sinai in 1/5th the time it took the old T72. Why do they need that much firepower and speed? Invade Libya or whom exactly?

You may find the whole thing incredulous Andak, but really you are fairly unaffected by it. Israelis are. We are on one hand harassed about taking American handouts and on the other hand not even given those very handouts. At this point, essentially blamed for nothing by the Left and far right. So the thing to do is pull out of Camp David. That is what this abrogation is tantamount to... not invading the US certainly. Netanyahu needs to raise the stakes- Obama wants peace then let him sell arms to the only Democracy in the Middle East, or reap the consequence of his personal problem with the free Jews.

[Fegasderty]

Russia and China are arming Iran who in turn arms Syria and Lebanon who in turn arm Hezbollah and Hamas. Aircraft are useless when you don't have pilots. That's why they have so many missiles. Helicopters are missile platforms which are used because they're somewhat more accurate than shooting them from the ground. In fact Lebanon is getting 10 Russian attack helicopters in lieu of 10 MiG-29 air superiority fighters now. They don't need or want the planes, don't have the system to train or maintain them and they're riddled with problems. Helicopter gunships are much more useful and flexible. Hezbollah forces on the ground would coordinate and direct the gunship attacks from the air down on mobile IDF positions, typically tanks and medium armor and troop positions. Their Mi-24's are well tested and have a proven track record. The Mi-24 has no direct analog in the west. It's more like an armored flying infantry fighting vehicle. The problem with helicopters is maintenance. Under good conditions, helicopters require 2 hrs maint per 1 hr flight time. In battle conditions they wear out rather quickly. A poorly maintained helicopter usually crashes.

[tgs]

More on this: Bunker Busters previously agreed to are blocked.

http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtri...0217_03_18.asp

http://www.solomonia.com/blog/archiv...sr/index.shtml


The US has effectively begun an arms embargo on Israel. Write to your Congressional Representatives.