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Last update - 23:29 10/01/2009
Pentagon denies arms shipment to Israel linked to Gaza fighting
By Reuters
Tags: hamas, gaza, israel 

The U.S. military has sought to hire a merchant ship to deliver ammunition to Israel this month, tender documents show, but the Pentagon said the shipment was not linked to the conflict in the Gaza Strip.

A Pentagon spokesman said the ammunition was for a U.S. stockpile in Israel. The U.S. military pre-positions stockpiles in some countries in case it needs supplies at short notice.

In the tender documents, the U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC) said the ship was to carry 325 standard 20-foot containers of what is listed as "ammunition" on two separate journeys from the Greek port of Astakos to the Israeli port of Ashdod in mid-to-late January.
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Air Force Lt. Col. Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, said he would not comment on shipping routes for security reasons but confirmed a shipment of ammunition to Israel was planned.

"The delivery of ammunition is to a pre-positioned U.S. munitions stockpile in Israel in accordance with a congressionally authorized 1990 agreement between the U.S. and Israel," Ryder said.

"This previously scheduled shipment is routine and not in support of the current situation in Gaza."

The shipment originated in the United States, Ryder said. He provided no further details on the intended cargo.

A "hazardous material" designation on the manifest mentions explosive substances and detonators but gives no other details.

The request for the ship was made on Dec. 31, with the first leg of the charter to arrive no later than Jan. 25 and the second at the end of the month.

The tender for the vessel follows the hiring of a commercial ship to carry a much larger consignment of ordnance in December.

A German shipping firm which won that tender confirmed the order when contacted by Reuters but declined to comment further.

In September, the U.S. Congress approved the sale of 1,000 bunker-buster missiles to Israel. The GPS-guided GBU-39 is said to be one of the most accurate bombs in the world.

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      1.   To kill more poor kids in gaza! 03:55  |  Avi Walters 10/01/09
      2.   Avi did U write something when Iran shipped to Hamas Kassams 04:57  |  Simon 10/01/09
      3.   rush order for arm from US to Israel 05:11  |  Linda Wenrick 10/01/09
      4.   Insanity has no limits 05:22  |  Justice 10/01/09
      5.   To Simon - Iran shipment to Hamas via Gazan port, airport, etc... 05:30  |  Price 10/01/09
      6.   Arms Shipments 05:34  |  Jasper 10/01/09
      7.   Israel needs every weapon to attack Iran 05:49  |  Al 10/01/09
      8.   # 2 Simon, Israel Broke the Ceasfire !! (CNN) 05:54  |  Gary 10/01/09
      9.   This is for Iran---stop the insanity 05:59  |  Ben 10/01/09
      10.   To Simon#2: you`re not the ones that started this war? 06:00  |  johnj 10/01/09
      11.   I wonder if Greece could stop the shipment 06:15  |  Colin Wright 10/01/09
      12.   Simon:No on would compalin if Israel fired Kassams instead 06:16  |  Mario Liggi 10/01/09
      13.   1973 DEJA VU 06:17  |  Arik Silverman 10/01/09
      14.   #3 Justice: You aren`t fair, wrong Justice. 06:23  |  Vittorio 10/01/09
      15.   latest killing technology 06:39  |  Refugee 10/01/09
      16.   Let the Jew haters whine all they want, Israel 06:44  |  Rachel 10/01/09
      17.   US pouring fuel on the fire! 12:41  |  Ivar 10/01/09
      18.   Arms suppliers 12:58  |  Barry 10/01/09
      19.   Good, and thank You USA 13:30  |  Baruch Gold 10/01/09
      20.   Those arms shipments would not be necessary if you stopped war 13:33  |  ME 10/01/09
      21.   War mongers in Pentagon 13:51  |  Charles 10/01/09
      22.   Is War Mongers in the Pentagon an appropriate post? 19:15  |  Stephen in New York 10/01/09
      23.   All in it 19:20  |  Circus 10/01/09
      24.   Gary - Now who believes CNN... NOBODY 19:33  |  Ben 10/01/09
      25.   #8 Gary....CNN is using Fauxtogrophy and only 19:50  |  Lynn 10/01/09
      26.   To Avi 20:23  |  S 10/01/09
      27.   21 Charles 20:30  |  Jose Marcio 10/01/09
      28.   It`s foolish for the Pentagon to deny the role ofUS weapons today 21:28  |  Dutch 10/01/09
      29.   Question for Rachel (16) 21:53  |  Bmaque 10/01/09
      30.   one more 01:09  |  Capt Ahab 11/01/09
      31.   Thank you america... 01:28  |  someone 11/01/09
      32.   USA please send all weapons you can spare to Israel 00:17  |  PK 12/01/09
      33.   war has no benefit 02:29  |  kas 20/01/09
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