A two-way street

[shira]

A two-way street
Admiral Mullen's visit reaffirms US-Israel ties based on mutual strategic interests
Yoram Ettinger
Published: 02.22.10, 09:38 / Israel Opinion

The February 2010 visit to Israel by Admiral Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff, sheds light on the larger context of US-Israel relations, which transcends the Arab-Israeli conflict, leverages Israel's unique capabilities, and benefits both the US and Israel. The visit reaffirms that US policy toward Israel is based, primarily, on regional and global strategic interests and not on domestic politics. US-Israel relations do not resemble a one-way-street (the US gives and Israel receives), but a mutually-beneficial two-way street.

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For example, in 2010, US special operations forces in Iraq and Afghanistan leverage Israeli battle tactics and 61 year counter-terrorism experience. US Marines benefit from the Israeli-developed "Pioneer" unmanned aerial vehicle, which provides intelligence otherwise unobtainable, preempting terrorists, thus saving many lives. A US special operations colonel told me – in the office of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid – that his battalion benefited in Iraq from Israel's unique contribution in the areas of training, urban warfare, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), car bombs, booby-traps, suicide bombers, roadblocks and checkpoints, interrogation of terrorists and anti-tank missiles.

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According to Senator Daniel Inouye, Chairman of the Appropriations Committee and its Subcommittee on Defense and a veteran of the Intelligence Committee, "Israel's contribution to US military intelligence is greater than all NATO countries combined."

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Former Secretary of State, General Alexander Haig, a former Supreme Commander of NATO, refers to Israel as "the largest, most battle-tested and cost-effective US aircraft carrier, which does not require a single US personnel, cannot be sunk and is located at a most critical area for US national security interests." If Israel did not exist in the eastern flank of the Mediterranean - adjacent to most critical oil resources and water lanes, in the intersection of Europe, Asia and Africa - the US would have to deploy a few aircraft carriers to the region, along with tens of thousands of military personnel, costing scores of billions of dollars annually and risking involvement in additional regional and international confrontations. The Jewish State constitutes a battle-proven laboratory, which has improved thousands of US-made military systems and technologies, sharing with the US such improvements, thus enhancing the competitive edge of the US defense industries, expanding US employment and export base, upgrading US national security and saving many US lives and mega billion of dollars in terms of research and development cost. For instance, the current generation of the F-16 includes over 600 modifications introduced by Israel.

cont'd...
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3851844,00.html

[Chulanowa]

1. Profit by exploitation; it's the American way!

"Battle tested" against those uppity civilians!
"Unique battle tactics" contrived against international laws of war!
"Cost effective!" if you assume hhose "cockroaches" have no value!
"Preempting terrorists" like all those wedding-goers in Afghanistan and Iraq!

Goddamn we're doing good. And it's all free! Free I say! So long as we agree to not look underneath the rug or in the closet, that is.

[shergald]

2. In the meantime, America's brand in the Middle East has never been lower.

Just what are we protecting there: our supply of oil? Well, that's just what many believe: oil is our only interest.

In the meantime, our undying support of Israel is pumping up terrorist groups including Al Qaeda, which would like to attack us again, and that threat is costing us dearly.

It is all about the Palestinians, IMO, and they will not go away.

[shira]

3. so much for the one-way street meme