-Caveat Lector- http://www.albawaba.com/news/index.php3?sid=238435&lang=e&dir=news
British embargo grounds Israel's nuclear capability 06-01-2003 The unofficial but rapidly growing British and European embargo on supply of military equipment to Israel is causing grave concern to Israeli military planners. Following the refusal of Germany to provide critical parts for the local production of the Israeli Army's Merkava battle tanks, a British embargo on ejector seat parts is threatening to seriously damage Israel's much feared nuclear capability. Britain has been holding back on delivery of many military-related supplies to Israel since the outbreak of the Al Aqsa Intifadah over two years ago. Among the items that are being denied to Israel are key parts for the Martin-Baker ejection seats that equip Israel's American made F-4 Phantom jets. Ejector seats allow pilots of the jets to escape their aircraft in case of emergency, and without them Israel will have to ground its Phantom jet fleet. Rachel Niedak-Ashkenazi, a spokeswoman for the Israeli Ministry of Defense, told Israel's Haaretz daily that she didn't know how soon the planes would have to be grounded, but indicated it was a matter of weeks or months. "We are desperately searching for other sources but haven't located any yet," she said. The ejection seat parts are now at the center of a major diplomatic row between Israel and Britain. The British Daily Times has recently reported that Victor Harel, a senior Israeli Foreign Ministry official, called the embargo .a major cloud in our bilateral relations with Britain.. The strong Israeli reaction included several accusations against Britain, not least of which was the charge that Britain was hurting Israel on the eve of potential war with Iraq. The harsh Israeli reaction may seem puzzling in view of the seeming unimportance of the Phantom jets. These are old airplanes, designed in the 1950s, and the Israeli Air Force has hundreds of much newer combat aircraft its inventory. However, despite the introduction of much newer and more advanced aircraft, such as the F-16 and F-15 fighters Israel used to attack Iraq's nuclear reactor in 1981, the Israel Air Force continues to operate the aging Phantom fleet. The Israeli army has even invested large sums of money in upgrading the Phantoms into a new and improved version, the Phantom 2000. Some experts explain that the reason the Phantom is still in service with Israel is its apparent nuclear capability. As early as the 1973 October War, Israeli Phantoms were armed with nuclear bombs and prepared to deliver an Atomic attack as Syrian and Egyptian forces defeated Israeli troops on the frontline. In September 2002, former senior U.S. officials told The Washington Times how eight Israeli Phantoms were set to attack the military headquarters near Damascus and Cairo with nuclear weapons. It must also be realized that despite its age, the Phantom is still a highly capable bomber, with the extremely long range needed to attack countries such as Iraq and Iran. According to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Israel's improved Phantoms have a range of 2,575 kilometers, which means they can fly over 643 Kilometers further than the Israeli Air Force's newer but smaller F-16 fighter-bombers. The Phantom also has another advantage in that it carries a navigator as well as a pilot, giving it an important advantage when attacking targets far off from Israel. Last, but far from least, the large Phantom can carry the Israeli "Popeye" missile, a large and heavy weapon that in the United States Air Force is carried by the gigantic B-52 bombers. The "Popeye" is a precision guided missile that allows the Phantom to deliver its attack through strong defenses, and that also carries a much larger warhead then the smaller precision guided missiles that most modern aircraft carry. In view of the atomic role of the Israeli Phantom fleet, the connection Israeli spokespersons have made between the British embargo and a confrontation with Iraq takes on a much stronger meaning. However, it must be remembered that in addition to the Phantom jets, Israel still has several other means to deliver nuclear weapons throughout the Middle East, including the F-16 and F-15 jets that have already attacked Arab targets as far away as Iraq and Tunisia. . (albawaba.com) <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! 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