Jinsa: Israel Has The Right to Sell Radar Planes to China
'Jinsa' (The Jewish Institute for Security Affairs) published the following statement:
JINSA has long been concerned about exports of military-related and dual use technology to China because of American responsibilities in Asia and because China is a major proliferator to countries with policies inimical to ours, Iran and Pakistan among others. The Clinton Administration, however, eviscerated export controls and sold china supercomputers that can do nuclear weapons modeling, hot section technology for building fighter jet engines and machine tools with military application, and more. Where was congress? Despite the Cox Commission Report on Chinese spying in this country, and despite a demonstrable Chinese military buildup incorporating American technology, and despite overt threats by China to Taiwan and to American intentions to defend Taiwan, Congress has been largely silent.
Until now. Unfortunately, our legislators are not preparing to take the Administration to task for playing fast and loose with American security requirements and commitments to our Asian friends. Instead, Congress has joined the Administration in complaining mightily as Israel prepares to fulfill a three-year-old deal for radar planes known to the Pentagon from the beginning. We don't like the deal either. But Rep. Sonny Callahan's announced determination to withhold $250 million from Israel's military aid appropriation - precisely the amount of Israel's arms sale to China - is a very bad idea.
The money the United States provides to Israel in the form of military aid is not a gift. It is predicated on the well-founded belief that a strong and secure Israel is an asset that American military planners can rely on, and a democratic force for stability in a region with precious little of it right now - Syria, Lebanon, the PA, Iran and Iraq are all dangerous. Egypt is little better. Saudi Arabia will soon have a new king. Russia has been asserting itself and finding a fairly warm welcome. China has been doing the same.
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