Obama administration trying to bribe Israel to accept Iran deal
The Hussein Obama administration is trying to bribe Israel to just be quiet and accept Iran's becoming a nuclear power, according to twostories in the Times of Israel (Hat Tip: Sunlight).
According to the story at the first link above, the US plans to 'compensate' Israel for a 'quiet acceptance' of the US consenting to Iran becoming a nuclear power.
The package could include an increase in the
number of F-35 fighter jets the US is to supply Israel, and additional
batteries for Israel’s anti-missile defense systems, according to
reports in both Haaretz (Hebrew) and Yedioth Ahronoth this week.
A senior Obama administration official told
Yedioth that “the White House is willing to pay a hefty price to get
some quiet from the Israelis at this point. We are surprised the demand
has not been made.”
They're surprised? I'm not. This isn't about money and it isn't even about getting more military equipment. And by the way, am I the only one who notices the irony of the Nobel Peace Prize Winner offering military equipment to a former ally to get them to acquiesce in their sworn enemy stepping up to a new level of military power?
But the newspaper also quoted an unnamed Israeli source as conveying a more ambivalent stance about the reported talks.
“If we come with demands at this point, it
would mean that we have given up our objections to the deal, and now it
is just a matter of at what price. If Israel believes that the deal is
bad for its security, it cannot appear as someone who gave up in the
end,” the paper quoted the source as saying.
According to the reports in both Haaretz and
Yedioth, the US-Israel talks revolved around enhancing a previously
negotiated deal to supply Israel with 33 F-35 aircraft, the first batch
of which was expected next year. The total number of jets could go up to
50, Haaretz reported.
By the way, the Sunni Muslim Gulf State are being offered similar 'compensation packages'....
According to the second story, the State Department and the Pentagon have already approved the 'compensation package.' But listen to what it includes:
If the agreement is finalized, Israel will
receive a supply of precision-guided munitions consisting of 750 bunker
buster bombs, 3,000 Hellfire missiles, 250 medium-range air-to-air
missiles and 4,100 glide bombs, in a deal worth $1.879 billion.
In addition, the package includes 14,500
missile guidance systems — known as tail kits for Joint Direct Attack
Munitions — which convert unguided bombs into GPS guided missiles.
And the US is now claiming that Israel 'asked' for the deal, while Israel is claiming that this has nothing to do with Iran.
According to the agency, Israel requested the sale, which only includes types of weapons Israel already has.
“The proposed sale of this equipment will
provide Israel the ability to support its self-defense needs. These
munitions will enable Israel to maintain operational capability of its
existing systems and will enhance Israel’s interoperability with the
United States,” the statement read.
...
A Defense Ministry source told Israel Radio
the deal had nothing to do with Iran nuclear talks or any other conflict
in the Gulf region.
A report in Israeli media Tuesday indicated
the US and Israel were discussing a so-called compensation package that
would see Washington sell Jerusalem advanced weapons, including more
F-35 jets, in exchange for the Netanyahu government’s quiet acceptance
of the emerging nuclear deal with Iran.
So instead of stopping Iran himself, Obama is giving everyone else in the Middle East the capability of doing so themselves (that's what the bunker busters are for). Nobel Peace Prize? What could go wrong?
Israel's Elbit-Cyclone delivers first F-35 components
Israel's Elbit Systems - Cyclone has delivered its first components for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
Elbit Systems-Cyclone
has delivered its first advanced composite component for the F-35
Lightning II joint strike fighter center fuselage produced by Northrop Grumman.
This delivery is a significant milestone for the F-35 program, as it is
the first composite part manufactured by a country committed to
purchasing future F-35s under the U.S. foreign military sales
agreement. The composite component delivered is one of 16 unique parts
to be manufactured by Elbit Systems-Cyclone under a seven-year F-35 agreement with Northrop Grumman, which was signed in December 2011. “We’re anticipating receiving more than 50 component deliveries from
Cyclone this year, so this is a great start and shows Cyclone’s
commitment to the program,” said Michelle Scarpella, vice president of
the F-35 program for Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. “With the first
delivery under its belt, Cyclone has demonstrated that it is equipped
and qualified to manufacture and deliver quality composite parts for the
joint strike fighter aircraft, 19 of which Israel has committed to
purchasing.”
What they don't mention is how far behind the entire F-35 program is....
The F-35 disaster: Even training missions can't be performed safely
We should all praise the Obama administration for canceling the F-22, because after all, the F-35 is just raring to go. The only problem is that it cannot safely go anywhere.
In a leaked memo
reported by the RT news agency, a Pentagon official prefaces a report on
the F-35 by cautioning that even training missions cannot be safely
performed on board the aircraft at this time.
“The training management system lags in development compared to the
rest of the Integrated Training Center and does not yet have all planned
functionality,” the report reads in part.
“The out-of-cockpit visibility in the F-35A is less than other Air Force fighter aircraft,” one excerpt reads.
Elsewhere, the report includes quotes from pilots commenting after test missions onboard the aircraft:
“The head rest is too large and will impede aft (rear) visibility and
survivability during surface and air engagements,” said one. “Aft
visibility will get the pilot gunned (down) every time” in dogfights,
remarked another.
“Aft visibility could turn out to be a significant problem for all F-35 pilots in the future,” the Pentagon admits.
In one chart included in the report, the Pentagon says there are
eight crucial flaws with the aircraft that have raises serious red flags
within the Department of Defense.
And the impact?
That high price tag has given several countries cold feet about the jet. Last week, Canada
pulled out of a deal to buy 65 F-35s over fears that the aircraft could be too expensive to run. Italy
reduced its purchase to 90 F-35s from an initial 131, and even the US has delayed some of its purchases.
The F-35 is called the Joint Strike Fighter because several countries are involved in its development. Canada and Italy are two of them.
Israel has ordered 25 of the jets. One has to wonder why (except for the fact that we are required to spend most of the military aid that we receive from the US in the US and the F-22 is no longer available).
Of all the things the Obama administration has done to destroy the United States' defense capabilities, this could yet turn out to be the worst.
You might recall that in the first months of his administration, President Obama effectively vetoed production of the F-22 fighter (which was already being sold to other countries), because after all the F-35 was in development and would eventually replace everything else.
But now comes what is perhaps the most ominous news of all. After a trillion dollars in development costs, the F-35 is too heavy and slow, and so the Pentagon is dumbing down the performance standards to help the manufacturer meet them (Hat Tip: MFS - The Other News).
The Defense Department's annual weapons testing report
reveals that the military actually adjusted the performance
specifications for the consistently-underperforming line of F-35 fighter
jets. In other words, they couldn't get the jets to do what they were
supposed to do, so they just changed what they were supposed to do.
"The program announced an intention to change performance
specifications for the F-35A, reducing turn performance from 5.3 to 4.6
sustained g’s and extending the time for acceleration from 0.8 Mach to
1.2 Mach by eight seconds," reads the report drafted under J. Michael
Gilmore, the Pentagon’s Director of Operational Test and Evaluation.
(The F-35A is the standard model, so to speak, that the Air Force will
use. The line also includes the F-35B, the Harrier-like vertical landing
version built for the Marines, and the F-35C, a Navy version that's
optimized for aircraft carrier takeoffs and landings.)
To put it bluntly, the Pentagon's new trillion-dollar fighter jet
doesn't go a fast as it should, doesn't turn as sharp as it should and
doesn't handle as nimbly as it should. This is bad news, explainsWired's
David Axe. For the pilots who will eventually take the F-35 into
combat, the JSF’s reduced performance means they might not be able to
outfly and outfight the latest Russian- and Chinese-made fighters,"
writes Axe. "Even before the downgrades, some analysts questioned the
F-35′s ability to defeat newer Sukhoi and Shenyang jets." That all
sounds like bad news, doesn't it? If our expensive new jets can't beat
the Russians or the Chinese, who can we fight? I'm pretty sure al Qaeda doesn't have an air force.
The good news in the new Pentagon report is that... well, there is no
good news, really. Not only have the requirements been adjusted down to
make up for the F-35's poor performance, but a series of problems with
the plane's software and safety measures hint at future downgrades to
the jet, including adding on heavy hardware that will make the planes even more sluggish.
That's what you get when you try to design a single plane to do
everything–ironically enough, which was done partly to cut development
costs.
But like President Obama, the F-35 has lots of vapid, meaningless glitz.
Let's go to the videotape.
But I'm sure Chuck Hagel will get right on it as soon as he can find his way to the Pentagon. What could go wrong?
Some of you may recall that early in the Obama administration, the President forced Congress to drop funding for the F-22 fighter jet by threatening to veto the Defense Authorization bill. The argument went that after all, soon we would have the F-35, which would make the F-22 obsolete.
Had the F-35 been built, it is unlikely that the F-22 would have become obsolete. But now, more than three years later, the F-35 has not been built. It has also seen huge cost overruns. And as a result of President Hussein Obama's foolish decision, the United States will be forced to use F-15's and F-16's - many of which are older than many of you reading this post - for many years to come.
Lockheed Martin first received the contract in 2001 to produce the
plane, and there now is little hope that it will be ready for full
production and deployment by the projected 2020 date, aviation analysts
say.
The development is placing even greater stress on the aging F-15s,
F-16s and F/A-18s and the more recent stealth fighter F-22, whose
production was halted in favor of proceeding with the F-35. Almost all
of these aircraft, produced by Lockheed Martin, have been in service
since the 1980s.
While they have been updated with new avionics and internal
technologies, they are becoming less competitive with the new fifth
generation fighters being developed and beginning to go into production
in Russia and China.
Since it’s been 11 years since the contract was awarded, and there’s
still uncertainty when the F-35 will be available, there is mounting
concern that it may not be the aircraft envisioned in 2001 as plans are
proceeding to prepare for the “sixth-generation” fighter to be ready by
2030.
Now, the sustainment cost for the F-35 is estimated to approach $1
trillion, and the new head of the joint program office for the F-35 is
thinking of abandoning Lockheed’s support system for the aircraft and
open it up to competition.
Critics say that the approach may work in the long term but it won’t
ensure delivery of the aircraft by 2020. By then, it is estimated that
only a fraction of the requested 2,400 will be operational.
The services needing the F-35 will still have to rely primarily on
updated F-15s, F-16s, F/A-18s and F-22s, as will European partners who
will have to weigh whether to continue their investment in the F-35 or
instead place their limited funding in upgrading what they have.
At this point, the services, especially the Air Force, need to worry
about the U.S. industrial base that not only supports the development of
the F-35 but has been involved in the production of the older aircraft.
In recognition of maintaining the industrial base and meeting
legitimate defense needs, critics say the decision may have to be made
to continue production of the older aircraft and devise new ways to
adjust military plans to new capabilities to meet future needs by 2030.
Before going farther down this cracked and broken path, the Pentagon
needs to take a hard look at the consequences. On schedule and
affordability, the JSF program is already a failure. In terms of
capabilities and the long-term benefits of commonality, the jury is
still out. And even if the F-35 delivers on everything it promised, the
world has changed since 2001.
One problem is the lack of
competition. Including the F-22, Lockheed will have been the sole U.S.
producer of all-new fighters for 50 years by the time a
“sixth-generation” aircraft comes along—no earlier than 2030—with
significant consequences for the industrial base.
Faced with an
ill-defined, but unacceptable trillion-dollar sustainment cost estimate
for the F-35 fleet, the new tough-talking leader of the joint program
office is considering abandoning the contractor-run support system and
opening it to competition, including from government depots.
That
might work long term, but it would do little to help warfighters stay
ahead of threats through the 2020s. By 2021, U.S. forces will be
operating only a fraction of the 2,400-plus F-35s they plan to buy. The
bulk of U.S. fleets will comprise the same F-15s, F-16s and F/A-18s of
2001.
Some portion of that force will have been upgraded with the
latest radars, avionics and weapons—at a cost that was not anticipated
when the F-35 contract was awarded. But, for the most part, their
airframes and engines will date back to the 1980s and 1990s, with all
the costs and issues that come with age.
“The defense industry executive committee has authorized the Undersecratariat for the Defense Industry [SSM, Turkey’s procurement agency] to conduct talks for the aircraft’s purchase order,” the committee said in a statement after its meeting. The committee’s members include Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Defense Minister İsmet Yılmaz, Chief of the General Staff Gen. Neçdet Özel and procurement chief Murad Bayar.
SSM and Lockheed Martin, the plane’s main manufacturer, now are expected to sign a formal document for the sale of the first two aircraft. This decision enables Turkey to begin the reception of the aircraft in 2015. Turkey is a member of the F-35 consortium but earlier had not been committed officially to buy the aircraft. It plans to operate around 100 aircraft eventually.
Other members of the consortium include the U.S., Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, Canada, Norway and Denmark. But there are other countries that would buy the aircraft that are not members of the consortium, including Israel. A recent decision by Japan to buy the F-35 has been a major boost for this aircraft program. Japan and Israel are expected to receive deliveries in 2016.
It’s unfortunate that the Obama Administration has failed to register the message. In addition to canceling production of the F-22, a stealth fighter jet built to ensure U.S. supremacy over any battlefield, the Administration has reduced production of the F-35, which American taxpayers have invested $50 billion in. As the first aircraft in history with a 360-degree view and the ability to see over 800 miles with integrated combat systems, the F-35 is a marvel of modern engineering.
In a time of austerity, critics of F-35 production argue that the jet is too expensive. Yet what they disregard is that the cost of plane decreases as production and sale of jets to allies increases. As part of the international F-35 consortium, British Defense Minister Phillip Hammond expressed concern over the cuts to the program yesterday, citing the likelihood that costs of the jet will increase if there is reduced production.
Rather than limiting production of the F-35 and cancelling its brother, the F-22, the Obama Administration should invest in the potential these jets offer to U.S. air capabilities and to our allies. Gutting the defense budget makes Americans and our allies less safe. A first step to remedying this is to take the F-22 and F-35 off the chopping block.
Well, sort of. If the Americans really 'got it' they also would not be selling this jet to Islamist Turkey.
IAF to upgrade F-16's as F-35 encounters further delay
One of the earliest moves President Obama made to change America's defense priorities was to coerce the Senate into removing funding for the F-22 Raptor (pictured), which was already in production, by threatening to veto the defense budget. It was a move that I attacked at the time, as did many other conservatives. But the President argued that the F-22 was no longer necessary because soon we would have the hotsy totsy F-35.
Except that it's three years later and the F-35 joint strike fighter, which is being co-developed with several other countries, and which Israel is scheduled to be one of the first to purchase, is nowhere near completion. As an indication of how far the F-35 is from completion, consider this: Israel is going to upgrade its old F-16 fleet.
The decision to begin the upgrades on the F-16 C/D models – called “Barak” in the IAF – began in 2010 with the installation of new avionics and a new mission-debriefing system.
In an effort to increase the aircraft’s lifespan, the IAF has now decided to also upgrade the F- 16s flight-control system as well as its central display unit and the aircraft will be fitted with new high-resolution screens aimed at increasing pilots’ situational awareness.
Pilots of the Barak aircraft will also be equipped with Elbit’s display and sight helmet system, which enables pilots to aim their weapons simply by looking at their targets.
The upgrades come amid the possibility the delivery of the F- 35 will be delayed.
In 2010, the Defense Ministry signed a $2.75 billion contract for its first squadron of 20 F-35s, which are supposed to begin arriving in 2017 with pilots traveling to the US for training in mid-2016.
IAF commander Maj.-Gen. Ido Nehushtan recently held a number of discussions within the force regarding reports the Pentagon was considering slowing down the development of the F-35 after a number of cracks were discovered on some of the aircraft.
You can add Taiwan to the list of American allies who have been abandoned by the Obama administration (Hat Tip: Sunlight).
Bowing to Chinese pressure, the U.S. will deny Taiwan’s request for 66 new F-16C/D fighter aircraft, a Taiwan Ministry of National Defense (MND) official said.
“We are so disappointed in the United States,” he said.
A Department of Defense delegation arrived here last week to deliver the news and offer instead a retrofit package for older F-16A/Bs that includes an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar.
The visit coincided with the biennial Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition (TADTE), held here Aug. 11-14.
“The U.S. Pentagon is here explaining what is in the upgrade package,” a U.S. defense industry source said at TADTE. “They are going to split the baby: no C/Ds, but the A/B upgrade is going forward.”
Sources said an official announcement of the decision is expected by month’s end.
But an official at the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the de facto U.S. Embassy, said “no decisions have been made,” while DoD officials declined to comment on their delegation’s mission.
Here's where this relates to Israel (aside from the fact that we have also been thrown under the bus by the Obama administration).
“While Congress has been notified of Oman and Iraq’s desire for F-16s, the Taiwan order for 66 aircraft is very important to the long-term viability of the F-16 production to include the U.S. Air Force, Lockheed Martin and the thousands of suppliers throughout the U.S.,” she said.
More than a few TADTE attendees said the Obama administration might reverse the decision as the 2012 presidential election approaches and political pressure for new jobs builds.
A June report by the Perryman Group, a Texas-based economic and financial analysis firm, estimated that Taiwan’s F-16C/D program would create more than 16,000 jobs and almost $768 million in U.S. federal tax revenue. Much of that tax revenue and new jobs would go to election battleground states: California, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Ohio, Texas and Utah.
But China holds about 8 percent of U.S. debt, the largest block in foreign hands.
As one TADTE attendee said, “Beijing’s Kung Fu is better than Washington’s.”
I wonder if the IAF would be interested in any of those F-16 C/D's. Of course, we already have the F-16 I and we have the F-35 (God knows when it will be ready) on order. But could we use those F-16 C/D's? I don't know enough to say.
The Department of Defense's first F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter touched down at its new home here July 14, marking a major milestone in the nation's military history.
Upon arrival, the jet officially became part of the Air Force inventory. It now belongs to the JSF training unit, the 33rd Fighter Wing.
Flying it in was Lt. Col. Eric Smith of the 58th Fighter Squadron, the first Air Force qualified F-35 pilot.
"It was a smooth ride in," said the colonel of the hour and 40 minute flight. "The jet behaved awesomely. I'm just so proud to bring it home to Eglin (Air Force Base)."
With delivery of the F-35 joint strike fighter being delayed - possibly to as far out as 2018 - Israel is planning to upgrade some of its F-15's and F-16's, and to buy an entire squadron of used F-15's from the United States.
Due to the delays, the IDF is working on a plan that includes upgrading its current fleet of legendary F-15s and F-16s that it had planned on phasing out, as well as the procurement of a squadron of used F-15s from the USAF that will serve as a “gap filler” for the IAF until the JSF arrives, now expected as late as 2018.
Remember how proud the Obama administration was when it managed to kill the F-22. Well, don't look now, but the F-22 may be about to be resurrected.
Only two years after Secretary of Defense Robert Gates’ decision to end production of the F-22 Raptor at 187 aircraft, the program may be poised to rise like a phoenix from the ashes. When Gates made his decision, it was on the assumption that other countries — notably Russia and China — would not develop their own fifth-generation fighters for at least another decade or more. Yet, even as the Secretary met with his counterparts from the Chinese military, that institution announced the first test flight of the J-20, their entrant into the fifth-generation fighter competition. In addition, Russia has announced a cooperative program with India to build a similar aircraft, currently known as the T-50. Today, Secretary Gates’ threat projections look woefully wrong.
...
In view of the new appreciation of the threat it is time to bring back the F-22. Recent war games by Western think tanks have concluded that the projected U.S. tactical fighter force would be overwhelmed by the sheer number of less capable third and fourth-generation Chinese fighters. Add in the J-20 and the outlook for the U.S. military becomes decidedly bleak. Even when the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is deployed this will not provide the U.S. with enough offensive capability given the limited number of F-22s that will be combat capable.
The F-22 has capabilities unlike any other fighter in the world. Its stealthiness allows the F-22 to engage hostile aircraft before it is even detected. The F-22’s high operational ceiling and speed creates a kinematic advantage that allows for engagements at the maximum range for its AMRAAM missiles. The combination of supercruise and stealth allows the F-22 to evade ground defenses and to escape air-to-air threats.
Ultimately, war has always been a numbers game. At some point, technologically inferior but numerically superior opponents will simply overwhelm the side with the better weapons. In conflicts between technologically equal adversaries numbers will determine the winner. While the F-22 is likely to be a better airplane than the J-20, 187 are not going to be enough to deal with a Chinese Air Force that is numerically superior and closing the technology gap with the U.S. Air Force. Before it is too late, the Obama Administration needs to resurrect the F-22 program and buy a couple hundred more.
And unlike the F-35, the F-22 is available now. I'd bet that Israel would buy them in a minute.
As many of you have probably heard by now, 'moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud AbbasAbu Mazen announced on Sunday that he will not rejoin negotiations with Israel unless a full 'settlement freeze' - including 'east' Jerusalem - is in place. Some of you may be wondering why I haven't commented on this seemingly important story (NormanF has tried to bait me with it at least twice in the comments in the last 24 hours). It's really quite simple. You see, the story is being ignored here. The reason it's being ignored is that no one can envision a situation where Israel says yes and the 'Palestinians' refuse to come to the table - eventually. That's what happened in September and that's what everyone believes will happen again if Prime Minister Netanyahu can get it through his cabinet.
Here's the original story from Maan (which has been updated).
"If it does not encompass Jerusalem, in other words if there is not a complete freeze on settlement in all the Palestinian territories including Jerusalem, we will not accept it," Abbas told reporters after talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
"If Israel wants to return to its settlement activities, then we can't go on. A settlement freeze must include all of the Palestinian territories and above all Jerusalem," Abbas added.
...
"So far nothing official has come out of the US administration, either to us or to the Israelis, that we can comment on," he said.
Abbas was quoted by the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper as saying that there should be no linkage between freezing settlement construction and supplying Israel with weapons. He also complained that the US Administration still hasn’t come up with new ideas to revive the peace process.
The paper quoted a senior PA official as saying that US envoy David Hale, who met with Abbas in Ramallah last week, informed the Palestinian leadership that the US Administration and Israel have yet to agree on a formula for freezing settlement construction.
“We understand from Hale that all what has been published so far [about an agreement between Israel and the US] is nothing but Israeli leaks,” the official said. “President Abbas made it clear that the Palestinians can’t accept any agreement that excludes Jerusalem.”
The comment came in response to a question about an alleged promise by the U.S. to supply Israel with 20 F-35 fighter jets in return for a controversial 90-day moratorium on Jewish construction in Judea and Samaria, during which time Israel is expected to reach an agreeement on borders..
“We have nothing to do with all that,” Abbas said in an interview published Friday in the London-based Arabic-language newspaper, A-Sharq al-Awsat.
“The United States is an ally of Israel, and we cannot prevent that. But let their aid be carried out far removed from the… peace negotiations and not be used as a pretext for giving more weaponry to Israel,” he added.
If Israel agrees to this 'settlement freeze' extension (and the only way I would agree to it would be in a straight-up trade for Jonathan Pollard - no changes in the agenda, no promises about the Security Council with an expiration date, and I'm even willing to forego the 20 extra F-35's), then that three months has to start the day Israel signs on. Otherwise, there are no consequences for Abu Mazen if he takes another two months to come to the table.
But come he will eventually. He doesn't have a choice.
Former American ambassador to Israel Dan Kurtzer has some misgivings about the 'settlement freeze' extension deal that ought to make Israel think twice.
The list of problems is so long that it would not be surprising if the administration were already experiencing buyer's remorse. But the arrangement has an even more serious long-term implication, one that should worry Israel profoundly.
If it goes through, this deal will shake the foundation of the U.S.-Israeli strategic partnership. Since the early 1980s, the two countries have cooperated closely on assessing Israeli security, and Washington has promised to ensure Israel's "qualitative military edge" over any combination of potential Arab adversaries.
This commitment has been insulated from the vicissitudes of politics and diplomacy. Whatever the state of U.S.-Israeli relations or the peace process, America's commitment to Israel's security has been manifest. Not so, if this deal materializes. By subjecting Israel's defense needs to the political demands of an American administration, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has done something quite dangerous for Israel - he has made those needs contingent, negotiable, optional. Israel's security requirements are now merely a bargaining chip with which to negotiate what Jerusalem will or will not do to advance the peace process.
Today, the United States has "purchased" a short-term settlements freeze; what will be for sale tomorrow? For that matter, how seriously should our defense planners and congressional budget watchers take Israel's arguments about its security needs when it is prepared to market different elements of its policy for another squadron of advanced aircraft? Does anyone really believe that there is a substantive connection between a three-month settlement freeze and Israel's professed need for more airplanes?
I agree. Forget the 'settlement freeze' extension. Either the 'Palestinians' come back to the table without preconditions or they don't. If they want to blow another opportunity for a 'state,' it's their loss.
While Prime Minister Netanyahu has apparently learned nothing from the 'Palestinians,' his cabinet apparently has. For years, the 'Palestinians' have stood aside and forced Israel to negotiate peace with itself, continually raising the ante as the 'Palestinians' sit silent. Some of you may not like this, but that's exactly what's happened between Israel and the US over the last ten days. The Israeli cabinet is standing aside and the US just keeps upping the ante.
On Friday, the Obama administration confirmed publicly for the first time its readiness to give Israel written assurances on security issues. Mr. Netanyahu says he needs those guarantees to persuade members of his Cabinet to support the freeze, which is intended to revive peace talks with the Palestinians.
“If there is a need to put certain things in writing, we will be prepared to do that,” said the State Department spokesman, Philip J. Crowley. He declined to discuss the provisions that would be in such a document.
The delay in winning Cabinet approval for the 90-day freeze has sowed doubts, among both Israeli and American officials, that Mr. Netanyahu can lock in the necessary votes from his ministers, several of whom fiercely oppose any restrictions on Jewish housing in the West Bank or East Jerusalem.
When news of the agreement surfaced, two days after Mr. Netanyahu and Mrs. Clinton met in New York on Nov. 11, analysts predicted he would win a Cabinet vote by at least one vote. Now, though, ministers from the ultra-right Shas party are said to be considering voting against the freeze, rather than abstaining, as they had been expected to do.
Shas would like the administration to declare explicitly that East Jerusalem will not be covered by the moratorium. The United States, which opposes all settlement construction, will not agree to that, an official said, although he said it was implicit that the 90-day freeze applies to the West Bank, not East Jerusalem.
Another sticking point, Israeli and American officials say, is the terms under which the United States would deliver 20 F-35 stealth aircraft, worth $3 billion. The planes are the most tangible security incentive offered by Mrs. Clinton in an eight-hour session with Mr. Netanyahu in New York on Nov. 11.
Initially, a senior official said, the planes were contingent on Mr. Netanyahu concluding a peace agreement with the Palestinians. Now, he said, Israel may get the planes even if it does not clinch a deal.
Israeli officials believe Mrs. Clinton offered the planes free of charge, according to a senior Israeli official. But an American official said Israel must pay some of the $3 billion, though it will be subsidized by the United States. The question, this official said, is how large a subsidy Israel will get: it paid one-third of the cost of the first 20 F-35’s it bought from the United States.
While Netanyahu has been criticized here for not getting it in writing from Clinton before he left Washington, that actually seems to be working out to Israel's benefit. People here heard broad outlines of what was offered and assumed the best possible deal for Israel. And now, Netanyahu can't get it through the cabinet without that best possible deal - if then.
The work of the righteous is done in Heaven (rabbinic proverb). Heh.
Likud Minister Uzi Landau says that the United States is demanding far more than a 'settlement freeze' extension in return for the package of goodies offered to Prime Minister Netanyahu.
According to Landau, the conditions for the deal are far different than those being portrayed in the Israeli media, which is telling Israelis that in exchange for a “small” Israeli gesture of an additional three month freeze, Jerusalem will receive a bundle of benefits, including additional advanced F-35 fighter jets, and an American guarantee to veto any anti-Israel proposals at the United Nations and other world bodies – and to similarly smash any attempt by the Palestinian Authority to seek U.N. approval for a declaration of independence for an Arab state in Judea and Samaria.
But the United States doesn't just want a three month extension, said Landau. When asked why he was opposed to so much benefit for “only” three more months of a building freeze, Landau responded, “Israel has failed to learn from the past. President Obama is ignoring previous promises, also written in a letter, that President Bush presented to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Those promises, too, were portrayed as a great diplomatic achievement.
"All the American promises share a similar characteristic – they lack specifics, and are not carried out if they are found to be damaging to American interests.” That was the case with the 2003 letter Bush presented Sharon, ostensibly recognizing Israel's right to retain the “settlement blocs” in the event of a deal with the PA; in the end, that American promise has been rescinded by President Barack Obama because he has decided it is in American interests to do so.
“Here too, with the Obama promises, we must see the structure of the deal – and you see that the Americans are demanding that we come to a full agreement with the PA in order for the benefits to kick in,"Landau explained. "You only get the benefits in the event of a final-status agreement – only when everything is over.” Given the history of Israel-PA negotiations, the likelihood of that happening is “very low,” he added.
Perhaps even worse, Landau said, the understandings between Israel and the United States – which included American opposition to a unilaterally declared PA state – are apparently no longer extant, and have instead been turned into a “sword of Damocles,” to be held over the head of Israel.
“Until now, it was understood that the U.S. would veto” sanctions against Israel, or a non-negotiated settlement of the Middle East conflict. Apparently that has changed, Landau said. “The veto was promised and taken as a matter of course, as long as progress was being made and negotiations were continuing. No 'gestures' were required to expect it. Now, the American veto is being used as a threat against our negotiators, pressuring them to surrender our positions. If in a year there is no deal – and it's unlikely there will be – the threat will descend like a sword on our heads, and the U.S. will blame us” and vote against Israel, Landau said.
“That's why the Likud is presenting this deal as a 'honey trap.' They are right, but we're much more likely to fall into the trap than to enjoy any honey,” Landau added.
So far, Prime Minister Netanyahu is insisting on getting the offer in writing, and the United States is apparently having trouble producing it. Maybe there is still hope that this decree will be canceled. But I'm not optimistic. Our Prime Minister knows how to say "no" to Obama, but he apparently melts for Hillary Clinton.
US State Department spokesman PJ Crowley refused on Monday to confirm that the United States has offered Israel a squadron of 20 F-35 fighter jets in return for a three-month extension of the 'settlement freeze' in Judea and Samaria.
But when quizzed about the weapons offer, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said, “We are committed to maintaining Israel’s qualitative edge in the region – but beyond that, I’m not going to comment."
"I would just always caution that any time you have reports about specific things, some details may be right, some details may be wrong,” Crowley said.
Earlier in the day, Defense Minister Ehud Barak [pictured. CiJ] told Army Radio that the US had made such an offer.
These jets, Barak said, have more long-term significance than the temporary friction, which exists between Netanyahu and the politicians in his party who oppose the deal.
In past talks with the US, Barak said, Israel had wanted to purchase 40 of them planes, but due to budget cuts could only afford 20.
This has made some people who are disposed to supporting the extension demand that the United States put its commitment in writing.
The security cabinet will not vote on a US proposal for a three-month settlement freeze until the Obama administration's promises are officially delivered to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in writing, Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor said in an interview with Army Radio on Tuesday.
The comments came after reticence by Likud ministers about the US keeping its promises, and Shas saying it would not make a decision on the freeze until such a written proposal was received.
Meridor stated that there were four major promises that he expected the US to fulfill in exchange for the freeze extension. Firstly, that the three month freeze would not be followed by any additional US requests for further moratoriums in the future. Secondly, that the US would use its position as a permanent member of the UN Security Council to block Palestinian attempts to unilaterally declare a Palestinian state in the international body. Third, a military package provided to Israel by the US that would allow Israel to maintain a military advantage over its neighbors. And lastly, an assurance that the issue of borders would not be discussed independently of other core issues such as security and the right of return.
...
On Tuesday, Construction and Housing Minister Ariel Attias said that Shas will either vote against a proposed 90-day extension of the moratorium on settlement construction or they will abstain from such a vote, depending on the opinion of the faction's spiritual leader. Attias's comments came in an interview with Israel Radio.
"We will not support the proposal. We will either oppose it or abstain from voting, depending upon the decision of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef," said Attias.
Attias said that Shas is interested in building in Jerusalem and ensuring that any freeze would not include a moratorium on construction of homes in the capital.
Attias told Army Radio on Tuesday that Rabbi Yosef had not made his final decision because the US had not given Israel its final proposal, laying out benefits the US would give Israel in return for an extension of the freeze.
You all know what Yogi (Berra) says: It ain't over 'til it's over.
Remember that second squadron of F-35's, the 'gift' from the United States that was so attractive to the IDF that Prime Minister Netanyahu is going to go along with a 'settlement freeze' extension? I'm sure you'll all be shocked to hear that they come with a little condition attached.
Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau has thrown cold water on comments by Defense Mnister Ehud Barak celebrating the U.S. “present” of 20 advanced fighter jets to Israel in exchange for implementing an additronal freeze. Landau clarified that the jets are not guaranteed to Israel and noted that they depend on reaching a final agreement with PA which most Israelis do not believe is possible.
Landau also reminded Barak that, during the retreat from Lebanon he ordered when he was Prime Minister ,he promised Israelis that the U.S. would give Israel $800 million in return for making the move. “Whatever happened to the money they promised us then?,” asked Landau.
Hmmm.
In other words, the only way we MIGHT have a chance of seeing these planes is reaching an agreement with the 'Palestinians' - which is VERY unlikely. And if we do reach an agreement with the 'Palestinians' - which is likely to be on their terms - we may not be around long enough to see those planes roll off the assembly line.
If this report is to be believed, what clinched the 'settlement freeze' extension for Prime Minister Netanyahu is the extra F-35 squadron.
The offer of a second squadron of F-35s was first made to Israel in early September, in talks which Defense Minister Ehud Barak led in Washington ahead of the expiration of the previous 10- month freeze on settlement construction, in a bid to get Israel to extend the freeze. At the time, Israel rejected the offer.
After the offer in September, the IDF established a team consisting of officers from the air force and the military’s Strategic Planning Division, which analyzed the effect the arrival of an additional squadron of F- 35s would have on Israel and its strategic standing in the Middle East.
“This is a very difficult offer to say no to,” a senior defense official said on Sunday, amid news that Netanyahu was working to obtain a majority in his cabinet to approve a new moratorium.
It is unclear when the additional squadron would arrive, if Israel accepts the US offer.
Delivery of the squadron Israel ordered last month is scheduled to begin sometime between 2016 and 2017.
God willing, the Arabs and the Persians won't succeed in destroying us by then.
A Pentagon review indicates that there will be more delays and higher costs to develop the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the Pentagon’s costliest program, may see more price increases and new schedule delays of as much as three years, two government officials familiar with the matter said.
...
The $50 billion development phase may cost as much as $5 billion more, and Pentagon analysts now estimate the JSF may be as much as 1 1/2 times more expensive to maintain than the warplanes it will replace, according to preliminary estimates in Venlet’s review, the officials said.
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Slippage in the JSF’s timetable may be as much as one year for the Air Force and Navy versions and two to three years for development of the Marine Corps model capable of short takeoffs and landings, the officials said.
The potential increases would be on top of changes unveiled this year by the Pentagon: a 13-month extension to the current development phase to November 2015, shifting of $2.8 billion in production funds for continued research and delaying the purchase of 122 jets to beyond 2015.
“How many more reviews will Gates have to hear before he acknowledges the F-35 is an unaffordable failure?” said Winslow Wheeler, a program critic who is director of the Washington- based Straus Military Reform Project. “The F-35 is rapidly becoming a millstone around his neck.”
Last month, Israel signed a contract to become the first non-JSF country to purchase the F-35. Delivery of the 20 F-35's was to take place over eight years beginning in 2015. If they're still in the development phase in 2015, I doubt Israel will be getting any planes that year.
Fifteen months ago, the Obama administration proudly killed the funding for the F-22, a jet coveted by Israel and Japan. Now, it looks like it will be 2016 or later before Israel gets the F-35, and it's going to cost 50% more than first estimated to maintain.
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
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