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Should the US Sell Bunker Buster Bombs to Israel?

CNS News is reporting that US Defense Department intends to sell 1,000 GBU-39 bombs to Israel for $77 million. Congress has thirty days to determine whether it will allow the deal to go through. Is it a good idea?

The specter of Iran is being held up as one reason that we should carry out the sale.
Some believe the bombs could be used in a strike against Iran’s fortified, underground nuclear facilities.

“It is vital to the U.S. national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.

The Jerusalem Post reported on Monday that the bombs “would likely be used in the event of a military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.”
The United States is already minding far too many other countries' business. With a huge outcry from American voters, the Establishment seems to be looking for a way to offload some of that responsibility.

Israel, with its own nuclear arsenal, already has enough ability to keep Iran in check. Even with the crazy Ahmadinejad, who is almost universally reviled in his own country, the chances of Iran foisting an attack on even Israel are very slim.

With the Bush Doctrine of preemption, the chances of Iran getting attacked by the US--or by our little-brother surrogate--are much more likely.
There is some speculation that if Israel were going to attack Iran it would do so after the U.S. elections in November and before the inauguration in January.
All the more reason not to sell bunker busters to Israel.
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Comments

  1. rmwarnick9/15/2008 01:09:00 PM

    Frank, are you suggesting the U.S. government should second-guess Israel? ;-)

    "Asked about the prospect of an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, Ms. Palin said three times that the United States should not 'second-guess' Israeli decisions on self-defense."

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anne Rettenberg LCSW9/15/2008 08:03:00 PM

    No, it's not a good idea. It looks like we are encouraging Israel to bomb Iran, which could engulf (no pun intended) the whole region in war. How stupid can we be?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Frank Staheli9/18/2008 08:57:00 AM

    Richard,

    It would be nice if all we had to do were "not second guess". The problem is that we have provided Israel with so many armaments over the years that we've already encouraged them to play fast and loose with Iran.

    Elizabeth,

    I hope that it's not too late, that the provocations have not already been enough assumed by us and Israel that an Israeli attack on Iran is already in the cards. At any rate, selling bunker busters to them would by tacit encouragement by the US and would likely remove all doubt as to Israel's intent.

    ReplyDelete

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