US says Israel rocket shield will work

Pepe SilviaPepe Silvia Posts: 3,758
edited July 2010 in A Moving Train
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100716/ap_ ... _us_israel

US says Israel rocket shield will work

WASHINGTON – A U.S.-backed rocket shield is on track to protect Israeli towns against rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip, a senior State Department official said Friday.

The system, dubbed the "Iron Dome," is being touted by the Obama administration as the latest example of expanded military cooperation between the U.S. and Israel. President Barack Obama has asked Congress for $205 million to accelerate development of the system, about half its total cost.

The election-year message of increased U.S. aid to Israel seems aimed at assauging the concerns of many Jewish voters that Obama remains committed to Israel's security, despite diplomatic tensions earlier this year.

"As surely as the bond between the United States and Israel is unbreakable, our commitment to Israel's qualitative military edge has never been greater," said Andrew Shapiro, an assistant secretary of State for political and military affairs.

Israel has had no system in place to guard against the thousands of rockets that militants have rained down on its southern and northern borders over the years, fired by Hamas militants in Gaza and Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.

Millions of Israeli civilians are within rocket range, and the military has stepped up its quest for a solution after the country's 2006 war against Hezbollah, when 4,000 short-range Katyusha rockets bombarded northern Israel.

Iron Dome uses cameras and radar to track incoming rockets and shoot them down within seconds of their launch.

Jonathan Peled, a spokesman for the Israeli embassy, said he could not provide details on the latest round of tests, but confirmed that a test this week was successful.

Neither country has said when the system will be operational.

Israel receives about $3 billion a year in U.S. military aid, including money for training. Last fall, more than 1,000 U.S. troops participated in a massive U.S.-Israeli missile defense exercise codenamed "Juniper Cobra."
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Comments

  • TriumphantAngelTriumphantAngel Posts: 1,760
    As surely as the bond between the United States and Israel is unbreakable, our commitment to Israel's qualitative military edge has never been greater," said Andrew Shapiro, an assistant secretary of State for political and military affairs.

    i guess the $3 billion in direct foreign assistance each year that the U.S. gives Israel, which is close enough to 1/5th of the US foreign aid budget, is not enough. aid which backs and supports Israel's illegal and brutal occupation against the Palestinians which has been going on for years.

    the US is funding the siege of gaza, if you're an american you are paying for brutality and repression and misery.

    where's the outrage about this people?
  • Boxes&BooksBoxes&Books USA Posts: 2,672
    WTF!! :evil: :twisted:

    I rather pay for illegal immigrants! All the hard core right wing fake Christians fight against healthcare, yet they support this crap! I can't stand fake Christians!! Sorry for the rant....


    anther great article ... I'll pass it along...
    thanks Pepe..
  • redrockredrock Posts: 18,341
    ....when 4,000 short-range Katyusha rockets bombarded northern Israel.

    And how many israeli bombs/artillery shells were fired into Gaza?
    The election-year message of increased U.S. aid to Israel seems aimed at assauging the concerns of many Jewish voters...

    Enough said.
  • yosiyosi NYC Posts: 3,069
    You know this could be a really good thing. If Israel can defend itself against rockets fired at it without having to attack the Palestinian areas from which the rockets are fired then that removes a lot of Palestinians from danger. I don't see what could possibly be bad about that.
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  • Jason PJason P Posts: 19,158
    It seems to me that a defense system like this could prevent skirmishes and escalation of minor events into major ones.
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  • gimmesometruth27gimmesometruth27 St. Fuckin Louis Posts: 23,303
    how about we see about ending the blockades before we pay another $400 million to protect the oppressor?

    us americans have really been on this "star wars" type missile defense system tip for about 25 years now huh...better yet, how about we give israel some of out leftover patriot missile defense units? i'm sure we have some left over from prior excursions in the middle east...

    why do we even have to pay for this? they have a sophisticated enough military that they could design and build their own without our $400 million...
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  • As surely as the bond between the United States and Israel is unbreakable, our commitment to Israel's qualitative military edge has never been greater," said Andrew Shapiro, an assistant secretary of State for political and military affairs.

    i guess the $3 billion in direct foreign assistance each year that the U.S. gives Israel, which is close enough to 1/5th of the US foreign aid budget, is not enough. aid which backs and supports Israel's illegal and brutal occupation against the Palestinians which has been going on for years.

    the US is funding the siege of gaza, if you're an american you are paying for brutality and repression and misery.

    where's the outrage about this people?


    How can either side lay claim to the land? The Palestinians are simply jaded Syrians who left their homeland to occupy a strip of land in small colonies. Meanwhile, since people still believe in fairytales, a certain few nations (I'm not naming any names here), decided that because God himself is white and rich, the Jews could have that land instead. Then, since religion is the greatest disease the human race ails from, both sides were all like "nah, god likes us more" and decided to kill one another, instead of just being amicable neighbors.

    The reason I tend to favor the Syrians in this conflict, though, is that they are so brutally outmatched and outmuscled by the Israelis, who love to cry victim and talk about how they're being bullied around.

    Fucking stupid humanity. What a shocker, right? Nothing groundbreaking on this one.
    I knew it all along, see?
  • arthurdentarthurdent Posts: 969
    sounds like a poor-man's version of "brilliant pebbles"

    :roll:
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  • catefrancescatefrances Posts: 29,003
    yosi wrote:
    You know this could be a really good thing. If Israel can defend itself against rockets fired at it without having to attack the Palestinian areas from which the rockets are fired then that removes a lot of Palestinians from danger. I don't see what could possibly be bad about that.


    it doesnt address the root cause.. thats whats possibly bad about it yosi.

    you can defend yourself all you like but if you dont change your action towards your perceived enemy then all the defense in the world wont make you safe.
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  • kenny olavkenny olav Posts: 3,319
    i'm on the side of people who don't believe in a holy land, or at least don't care to claim ownership over such bullshit. i feel there's fanatics on both sides and good people caught in the middle. why is it so hard for people to just be real with each other?
  • catefrancescatefrances Posts: 29,003
    kenny olav wrote:
    i'm on the side of people who don't believe in a holy land, or at least don't care to claim ownership over such bullshit. i feel there's fanatics on both sides and good people caught in the middle. why is it so hard for people to just be real with each other?

    cause peoples perceptions of what is real differ... sometimes too greatly for them to come together.
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