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TechnoratiIsraeli Arms Sales To Georgia Raise New Concerns
JERUSALEM - With the eruption of fighting between Russia and Georgia, Israel has found itself in an awkward position as a result of its arms sales to Georgia, caught between its friendly relations with Georgia and its fear that the continued sale of weaponry will spark Russian retribution in the form of increased arms sales to Iran and Syria.
After fighting broke out late last week between Georgia and Russia over the breakaway provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Israel's foreign ministry over the weekend recommended suspending the sale of all weapons and defence-related equipment to Georgia, the daily Haaretz newspaper reported.
The paper quoted an unnamed senior official saying that Israel needed "to be very careful and sensitive these days. The Russians are selling many arms to Iran and Syria and there is no need to offer them an excuse to sell even more advanced weapons."
Israel's immediate concern is that Russia will proceed with the sale of the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system to Iran, which would help it defend its nuclear installations from aerial attack. Israel, like the U.S., believes that Iran's nuclear programme is aimed at developing a bomb, and Israeli leaders have refused to rule out the possibility of a pre-emptive strike aimed at derailing Iran's nuclear aspirations.
Israel recently conducted a major aerial exercise over the eastern Mediterranean and Greece that was widely viewed as a rehearsal for a possible strike against Iran's nuclear installations. But with the U.S. and Europe resorting to diplomatic pressure in the form of sanctions to deter Iran, Israel is loathe to anger Russia, which until now has opposed harsher sanctions on Tehran.
Israel's relations with Georgia have been close, partly because there is a large Georgian Jewish community in Israel. In recent years, ties have also taken on a military dimension, with military industries in Israel supplying Georgia with some 200 million dollars worth of equipment since 2000. This has included remotely piloted planes, rockets, night-vision equipment, other electronic systems and training by former senior Israeli officers.
"Israel should be proud of its military, which trained Georgian soldiers," Georgian Minister Temur Yakobashvili, who is Jewish, told Israel's Army Radio in Hebrew shortly after the fighting erupted.
Israel is not a major supplier of arms to Georgia, with the U.S. and France supplying Tbilisi with most of its weaponry. But the arms transfers have attracted media attention partly because of the role played by some high-profile Israeli figures, including former Tel Aviv mayor Roni Milo, who conducted business in Georgia on behalf of Israel Military Industries.
According to media reports, Brig. Gen Gal Hirsch, a senior commander in the 2006 Lebanon war who resigned after the release of a highly critical report on the way the war was conducted, served as an adviser to Georgian security forces.
Further attention was drawn to the Israel-Georgia arms trade earlier this year when a Russian jet shot down an Israeli-made drone being operated by the Georgians.
Even though weapons transfers were modest in scope, Russian diplomats began increasingly relaying to Israel their annoyance over its military aid to Georgia, including the special forces training provided by security experts. Israel decided about a year ago to limit military exports to defensive equipment and training.
New contracts weren't approved as the arms sales were scaled back. Georgia's request for 200 advanced Israeli-made Merkava tanks, for example, was turned down.
There were reports in Israel that the sale of the tanks didn't go through because of a disagreement over the commission that was to be paid as part of the deal. But Amos Yaron, the former director-general of the defence ministry, insisted it had to do with "security-diplomatic considerations" -- a clear reference to the sensitivity of the arms sales to Georgia. Israel, Yaron added, didn't want "to harm Russian interests too much."
Asked about the motivation to initially engage in the sale of weaponry to Georgia despite concerns it might anger Russia, Yaron replied: "We did see that there was potential for a conflagration in the region but Georgia is a friendly state, it's supported by the U.S., and so it was difficult to refuse."
© 2008 Inter Press Service
14 Comments so far
Show AllThe Georgia fiasco is a diversion to draw attention away from the upcoming act of war blockade of Iran by the US, British and French armada steaming towards the Persian Gulf as reported a week ago in Europe and the Middle East.
fuk BushCo. fuk BushCo. fuk BushCo. Bush pushed hard for Georgian NATO membership. Russia is not acting alone, unprovoked, in a vacuum here.
And fuk Obama.
"Obama Also Cites NATO Membership For Georgia"...
..."Notably he (Obama), like McCain, embraces Georgia's aspirations to enter NATO -- the key plank of a hawkish stand toward Russia, and a key source of Russia's anger.(Both McCain and Obama are reiterating past positions here.)"
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0808/Obama_also_cites_NATO_membership_for_Georgia.html
I am no fan of large countries pushing around smaller countries, but in this case it seems Saakashvili got smug and cocky with some Israeli and US backing, and decided to kick the Russian Goliath in the ankle. It also appears the Georgian army was brutalizing civilians in South Ossetia, many of whom are ethnically Russian. Given the political and ethnic affinity between Russia and South Ossetia it is unforgivably foolish and brutal of Saakashvili to have provoked the ire of Russia and its vast military.
Considering all Israel has achieved in two generations of grinding the Palestinians down with their high-tech military is a stalemate, it is odd that other countries would turn to Israel for military expertise. It does not take much expertise, though, to discern that Georgia has never been in a position to take on Russia and win, especially when their own strategy involves the indiscriminate killing of civilians in the separatist regions.
ezeflyer:
"Bush can't sell arms directly to Georgia for fear of angering Russia, so he sends his attack dogs to do it instead."
I'm not sure where you get your information, but I AM sure that it's fatally flawed. The US and France provide more arms to Georgia than Israel.
That said, the Georgian Defense Minister in charge of the aggression against South Ossetia is an Israeli!!!! That's right folks, contrary to what you see in the MSM, Georgia is actually the aggressor here, not Russia.
PM
Glad CD got around to this story. I read about this arms sale over 2 years ago and was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Truth being hacked had to go to IRAN web site to find out more info. Russias are allowed to defend themselves from Israel and America as you know both these countries have nukes.
US CNN media is twisting the story as usual.
Let's see if I understand this. Help me out if I am wrong.
Israel can sell weapons to the Khazars of Georgia, but Russia can not sell weapons to Iran. Is that it?? What is wrong with the Israelis?? Do the Israelis think they run the world?? It is clearly time for the nations of the Earth to unite and ABANDON Israel.
Interesting artcle in the "Middle East Times"
Judging by Russia's swift reaction to the Georgian
attack on South Ossetia, I think the NeoCons and
the Zionists had better reconsider their pending actions against Iran. This is complete MADNESS.
While the world's attention is on Georgia:
www.metimes.com/International/2008/08/11/special_report_kuwait_readying_for_war_in_gulf/7724/
SPECIAL REPORT: Kuwait Readying for War in Gulf?
"The small oil-rich emirate of Kuwait – situated between Iraq, Iran and an un-enviable geographic hard place on the northern end of the Persian Gulf – has reportedly activated its "Emergency War Plan" as a massive U.S. and European armada is reported heading for the region"
other reports opine that Georgia action instigated by U.S.
What's your opinion? I know my
"Yaron replied: "We did see that there was potential for a conflagration in the region but Georgia is a friendly state, it's supported by the U.S., and so it was difficult to refuse.""
It was difficult to refuse the money.
Bush can't sell arms directly to Georgia for fear of angering Russia, so he sends his attack dogs to do it instead.
Thanks for the great Gorbachev quote Cedar. The Russians are not happy about Bush's Missile Shield, particularly since Georgia decided to let him put the Shield on their soil. One can only imagine what taxpayer funded bribes changed hands.
Judging from their own behavior, the Repugs think the Russians are too stupid to see that the missile shield is also directed toward Russia and shifting the balance of power and oil access.
"By declaring the Caucasus, a region that is thousands of miles from the American continent, a sphere of its 'national interest,' the United States made a serious blunder."
Mikhail Gorbachev, former Soviet leader
"Georgian Jewish community"
Well considering the Georgia region is the historical homeland to the vast majority of the world's Jews, it's not surprising that Israel would have their hands in there... Don't know what I'm talking about? Look up Khazars and you'll see.
Come one people. None of this should be surprising. Besides, Israel is a "strong" ally of the Saudi Royal elite ! Ironic, huh?
Oh my gosh! The cow got out. Better close the barn door.
Arms from Israel, arms from the U.S. Makes no difference. Both are paid for by American taxpayers.
The US and Israel are up to their necks in this Georgia thing. Men, arms and training and now the US is stonewalling any NATO discussion (of US complacency).
"BRUSSELS, August 12 (Itar-Tass) - The United States has blocked a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council on the situation in South Ossetia, Russia's Ambassador to NATO Dmitry Rogozin told Itar-Tass."