Israel is persisting with its repeated requests for advanced air-to-ground penetration bombs from the United States.
Officials said Defense Minister Ehud Barak has again raised Israel's request for an advanced bunker-buster from the United States. They said Barak, who met Defense Secretary Robert Gates and National Security Advisor James Jones, argued that such a weapon was crucial to protect against Iran's emerging nuclear weapons program.
"We have been rejected several times, but we still need this," an official said.
The Israeli request for the advanced bunker-busters was first submitted in 2006 to the administration of then-President George Bush. Officials said Bush, concerned over an Israeli air strike on Iran, vetoed the request.
Instead, Israel was granted approval for tactical bunker-busters, including the GBU-28, GBU-39 and M141. Most of the weapons were held up by Bush's successor, President Barack Obama, who entered office in January 2009.
But the weapons approved by Bush were not deemed strategic or capable of penetrating the bunkers built in Iran or Syria. In 2008, Israel, for example, was denied a request for a scaled-down version of the so-called Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a 15-ton weapon meant to punch through more than 4,000 kilograms of reinforced concrete.
Officials said Barak, who visited Washington on Sept. 21-22, has sought the advanced bunker-busters as part of any Israeli agreement for a withdrawal from the West Bank and much of Jerusalem to establish a Palestinian state by 2012.
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5 comments:
I think we should supply Israel with any weapons needed , including nukes. We have a missle called ENTAC: engine teleglide anti-char that is small and can be carried by hand. this missle is about 24 inches long and can carry a nuke.But of course it was made by the french and not very dependable.
Are you suggesting our Nation provide an undependable nuclear weapon to Israel? Should we help to booby trap them? Should we become more hostile toward Israel?
Or what?
Funny. The same conservatives who swear Obama is weak on Iran and that we should be going to war are the same ones that have our hands tied because they wanted war in Iraq. Sorry Repubs, although you would like to stand over here with 1000's of miles of ocean in between you and the enemy while you talk a bunch of trash, the whole world knows that we do not have the power right now for an all out assault. Good job Repubs. You went chasin phantoms of weapons in the desert while the real enemy was ramping up there program AND actively supporting global terror next door.
I'm suggesting that we should supply them with anything they want.
Including nukes.
The ENTAC is not as acurate as some technology weapons.
Are you satisfied with this information4:06?
The french have never made a weapon that was considered high tech except for the knife.
Matter of fact , I don't think they have ever made or invented anything of value.
Wasn't it the French who invented the white flag?
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