U.S. places sanctions on Israel
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationwo...news-headlines
BY CONAL URQUHART
June 13, 2005
TEL AVIV - The United States has imposed sanctions on Israel in a dispute over Israel's sale of drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles, to China, according to Israeli news reports.
They said the United States suspended co-operation on several development projects and froze delivery of night-vision equipment, among other penalties, because of an Israeli deal to export its Harpy Killer unmanned drones to China.
Israel's Haaretz newspaper said the United States considered the deal to have been made "behind its back and against its express wishes."
An official at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv would not comment on the reports and said the information on sanctions had come from Israeli, not U.S., officials.
The sanctions have been in place for at least three months, the reports said, and were approved by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
The dispute was reportedly prompted by Israeli claims that its drones were merely refurbished old ones exported with American consent. U.S. officials argued that the drones had been upgraded using new technology it had shared with Israel.
The Israeli defense ministry issued a statement saying it is "holding quiet and specific talks with the United States with the goal of resolving the misunderstanding."
Haaretz said Washington had made several demands of Israel in an effort to defuse the crisis, including a request for information on 60 recent arms deals with China. It also wants to supervise arms dealings that it sees as sensitive, the report said.
U.S. officials fear that China is becoming increasingly well armed and may seek to settle longstanding territorial and political disputes by the threat and use of force. China has repeatedly threatened Taiwan with attack if it declares its independence.
This is the second time that the United States has had a serious quarrel with Israel over arms sales. In 2000, Israel was forced to suspend the sale of radar equipment to China at U.S. insistence.
Israel gets at least $2.7 billion in grants a year from the U.S. government and most of its military equipment is American-made or incorporates American technology. Israel is believed to be the 10th biggest arms trader in the world.
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