Pentagon: Israel has boosted its controls over defense exports - Haaretz

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Fri., September 07, 2007 Elul 24, 5767

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Last update - 09:28 06/09/2007

Pentagon: Israel has boosted its controls over defense exports

By Reuters

Israel has greatly improved its controls on exports of sensitive defense technology after serious strains over the issue with the United States, a Pentagon official said on Wednesday.

Its system for protecting technological advantages now would "meet any international standards," said Beth McCormick, acting director of the U.S. Defense Technology Security Administration.

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McCormick's remarks are bound to feed Israeli hopes for more advanced U.S. arms sales and technology. Last month, the Bush administration offered Israel, the closest U.S. Mideast ally, more than $30 billion, 10-year military aid package as part of an enhanced regional bulwark against Iran.

"I must say that I can't be any prouder of the work that the Israelis have done," McCormick told an international defense industry conference called Common Defense, or Comdef 2007.

Although Israel and the United States have close security ties, they have been at odds over Israel's sale of security equipment and technology to China and other countries.

In the eyes of U.S. strategists, such sales to China could undercut any U.S. defense of Taiwan if China resorts to force to unite the self-ruled island with the mainland.

In 2000, Washington persuaded Israel to cancel the sale to Beijing of the Phalcon -- an advanced, airborne early-warning system. More recently, the Defense Department reacted angrily after Israel agreed to upgrade Harpy anti-radar drones it sold to China in the 1990s.

In response, the Pentagon suspended Israel's access to data on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft being built by Lockheed Martin, held up some arms shipments and refused to deal with the director general of the Israeli defense ministry, whom Pentagon officials accused of misleading them on the Harpy deal, according to the U.S. Congressional Research Service.

"Until the Israeli government beefed up its export control system, it had "hardly any controls" of dual-use technology with potential military and commercial applications," McCormick said. Basically, it let Israeli industry make decisions about to whom it would sell, she added.

McCormick said she was "very sympathetic" to Israeli counterparts' challenge of supporting local manufacturers who must sell as much as 75 percent of their output abroad to stay afloat, a far higher share than U.S. military contractors.

But she said she had a "a very high level of confidence" in the effectiveness of the export-control process now in place among Israel's ministries of defense, foreign affairs and industry. She also welcomed new laws that impose substantial penalties for violations of regulations.

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1.	US is part of the problem	03:10	\|	zionist forever	06/09/07

2.	funny-while usa worries about us they lose track of 5 nukes	03:24	\|	virginia	06/09/07

3.	Bad Hands....	03:36	\|	Dutch	06/09/07

4.	You scratch my back then I will scratch your back	04:25	\|	e.m	06/09/07

5.	Defense Exports	06:46	\|	Count Draclua	06/09/07

6.	#1 Israel wouldn`t exist without us you zionist	07:10	\|	brad	06/09/07

7.	Reducing their evil effect...	07:13	\|	Dutch	06/09/07

8.	Re:brad.With out help of U.S Israel have defeated the Arabs natio	08:24	\|	e.m	06/09/07

9.	BRAD "us" who do YOU represent?	08:39	\|	PETER SM	06/09/07

10.	America created Frankenstein, now live with it	09:51	\|	Natallie Durson	06/09/07

11.	To PETER SM	09:56	\|	JustCurious	06/09/07

12.	J.CURIOUSYou believe in public execution of "criminals"?Children?	11:05	\|	PETERS SM	06/09/07

13.	#10natallie writing again in total ignorance	11:39	\|	victor hardman	06/09/07

14.	NDURSON.Israel had a defence industry long before the US alliance	12:21	\|	PETERSM	06/09/07

15.	brad - Fat chance...US aid to Israel will only get bigger	13:28	\|	bf	06/09/07

16.	# 1 zionist forever	13:34	\|	Axel	06/09/07

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