-Caveat Lector- Israel purchases 50 F-16 warplanes Despite US Investigation Palestine Media Center - PMC 20 June 2001 Israeli Minister of “Defense” Benyamin Ben-Eliezer struck a deal with Lockheed Martin to purchase more than 50 additional F-16I fighter jets. This comes as a follow up of Israel’s initial order of 50 such jets in 1999. The first batch cost approximately 2.5 billion US Dollars (USD). The deal was reached in the Paris Air Show, where various air plane manufacturers fiercely competed for such large contracts. Ben-Eliezer left three days ago to Paris for the show. Prior to the announcement, senior Israeli Air Force officials had announced their consideration of purchasing some F-15I fighter jets as part of the next batch. However, it is not clear whether the announced order includes any F-15I fighter jets. F-16I fighter jets cost approximately half the price of F-15I’s. Despite the cost discrepancy, F-16I jets are considered one of the most advanced fighter-bombers in the world. The deal will cost 2 billion USD and will be mostly financed through the almost 2 billion USD in annual American military aid to Israel. Deliveries will commence in 2006 and conclude in 2009. The Israeli Ministry of “Defense” issued a statement yesterday announcing the new deal. “This order is another significant development that continues the long heritage of cooperative programs between the government of Israel and Lockheed Martin Corporation. It reinforces the significant defense capability provided by Israel’s air force, which relies on the F-16 as the backbone of its fighter aircraft fleet.” United Technologies’ Pratt and Whitney will provide the F-16I engines and the final assembly will be in the Lockheed and Martin facilities in Fort Worth, Texas. Lockheed and Martin announced that its share of the F-16I deal would be 1.3 billion USD. According to the Jerusalem Post, the “Defense” Minister’s office issued a statement quoting Ben-Eliezer as saying, “the long-range attack jets would give the government [of Israel] to take far-reaching risks for peace”. The Israeli Air Force already prides itself of the largest F-16 fleet in the world after the United States. Currently, Israel has 320 F-16 fighter jets received or ordered. Equipped with a highly advanced US-made radar system, the new F-16I jets will be able to strike as far as Libya and Iran. Following Israel’s F-16 air strike against Palestinian targets in Ramallah and Nablus in May, US Representative John Conyers Jr., a Michigan Democrat asked the US General Accounting Office (GAO) to conduct an investigation. The attack, which leveled a prison and other Palestinian security buildings, killed 14 Palestinians and injured tens others. On June 11, the GAO confirmed that it had begun an investigation into Israel’s use of F-16 fighter jets against Palestinian targets. The investigation will examine whether Israel’s use of F-16 fighter jets diverged from the terms under which the United States sells air drafts and other military weapons. In his late May visit, Israeli President Moshe Katsav lobbied Congress for an additional 800 million USD in aid. It remains unclear whether Congress will approve such an increase when it discusses foreign aid later this summer. <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! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
