[THS] Israeli Request for More Arms from US Raises Fears of Regional Violence

[The Harder Stuff in news and commentary]

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article25673.htm


Israeli Request for More Arms from US Raises Fears of Regional Violence

By Catrina Stewart in Jerusalem

June 10, 2010 "The Independent" - -Israel has approached the United States for
more bombs and asked Washington to increase an emergency arms cache stowed on
Israeli soil by 50 per cent, according to the leading newspaper Ha'aretz.

The approach, made by Defence Minister Ehud Barak during a recent visit to
Washington, reflects the heightened tensions in recent months between the Jewish
state and its neighbours that have given rise to widespread fears within Israel of an
imminent regional conflict.

News of the request emerged as members of the international community stepped
up the pressure yesterday for a thorough and impartial probe of last week's Israeli
raid of a Turkish vessel bound for Gaza with humanitarian aid that ended in a
bloodbath.

The Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, who was attending a regional security
summit in Turkey, added to the criticism of Israel and said he would raise the
question of who would conduct an inquiry with the United Nations.

Israel has agreed to carry out an investigation, which could be overseen by two
international observers, but would be limited to a theoretical debate of the merits of
the raid and the blockade. The commandos who led the raid would not be
questioned.

Israel has defended its land and sea blockade of Gaza, arguing that it prevents the
flow of weapons to Hamas, the Islamist group that governs the strip. Critics say it
constitutes collective punishment that has led to a humanitarian crisis.

Fearing that its enemies are rearming along its borders, Jerusalem has asked
Washington to increase the emergency stores by $400m (£278m) to $1.2bn and is
also seeking to buy more Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) bombs from the US, the
liberal newspaper Ha'aretz reported, citing unnamed sources.

The JDAM is a sophisticated satellite-guided bomb used extensively by Israel in the
Lebanon War in 2006 and in its Gaza offensive at the end of 2008.

The Israeli Ministry of Defence refused to comment on the report and the US State
Department did not respond to requests for comment.

Washington agreed in December to double stores to $800m worth of arms, including
rockets, bombs and armoured vehicles, allowing the Israeli forces to use the
equipment with US approval in the case of an emergency.

Israel has already done so in the past, falling back on the US munitions during the
Lebanon War in which at least 1,200 Lebanese and 160 Israelis were killed.

The Israeli move reflects the country's growing sense of embattlement in a region
largely hostile to it. Iran

has repeatedly threatened to erase Israel from the map, while Hizbollah, the Iranian-
backed Lebanese militia group, has amassed thousands of rockets along Israel's
northern border. Relations with Turkey, once Israel's closest ally in the region, have
plunged to new lows following the flotilla raid.

"Israel does have a sense of the coalescing of an alliance which is committed sooner
or later to war with Israel," said Jonathan Spyer, senior researcher at the Global
Research in International Affairs Centre in Herzliya. "Everyone is building up
frightening amounts of military hardware."

Israel recently accused Syria of providing Hizbollah with Scud missiles, a powerful
weapon capable of hitting cities deep inside Israel. Syria vehemently denied the
claims, countering that Israel was seeking a pretext for war.

Neither Hizbollah, still smarting from the previous conflict four years ago, nor Israel
are likely to want another war, Spyer said. Any conflict with Hizbollah would likely
spin out of control beyond Lebanon to include Syria and Iran.

The US, Israel's staunchest ally, provided $2.5bn in military aid to Israel last year,
freeing up an equivalent amount for spending in other areas. It recently agreed to
help fund the country's Iron Dome project, a controversial anti-missile system.