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Recent news: from China Daily..Oct.6, 2008 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/language_tips/cdaudio/2008-10/06/content_7080484.htm China on Saturday denounced the US government's decision to sell about $6.5 billion worth of arms to Taiwan.
Old News The real danger comes in Israel's habit of reverse engineering U.S. technology and selling to nations hostile to U.S. interests. Israel's client list includes Cambodia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, the South Lebanon Army, India, China, Burma and Zambia. The U.S. has most recently warmed up to India and is now in fact competing with Israel for arms sales there, but the other Israeli customers remain dubious at best. Published on Thursday, May 9, 2002 by CommonDreams.org
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U.S. Arms Sales to Israel End Up In China, Iraq
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by Jonathan Reingold
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Bill Clinton spoke at Hunter College in New York on Tuesday, challenging President Bush to send American troops as part of an international peacekeeping force to the Middle East. What many Americans don’t know is that U.S. forces might as well be there already. From 1990 to 2000 U.S. military aid to Israel totaled over $18 billion. No other nation in the world has such a close relationship with the U.S. military and arms industry. The UN, Amnesty International and other groups have raised questions about the extent the to which U.S. military aid is abetting human rights abuses by Israeli forces operating in the West Bank. These debates will no doubt continue for some time. In the mean time, however, there is another aspect of the American-Israeli relationship that may have an even greater impact on U.S. and Israeli security in the long run: the ongoing transfer of American arms technology from Israel to potential U.S. (and Israeli) adversaries around the globe. From the most sophisticated warplanes to tank engines, artillery systems and armored vehicles, the United States is Israel's one-stop shopping center. Last year alone the U.S. sold one hundred top-of-the-line F-16s to Israel for a total of over $3 billion. That same year Israel purchased 9 of the newest Apache helicopter version equipped with the Longbow Radar system. The helicopter-buying spree didn't end with the Apaches. Israel bought fifteen Cobra attack helicopters last year along with twenty-four Black Hawk transport helicopters. Besides selling aircraft, the United States is also Israel's preferred vendor for missiles. Although Israel has designed its own version of the U.S. air-to-air AIM9 sidewinder missile, the Python 3, it still relies on the U.S. for its ground attack technology. Two years ago Lockheed Martin sold Israel approximately 80 AGM-142D Popeye air-to-surface missiles. Israel also buys the AGM65 Maverick air-to-surface missile produced by Hughes and Raytheon. In addition, the U.S. sells Israel the engines for its "indigenous" Merkava main battle tank. In 1999 Israel purchased 400 power packs for their Merkava fleet. The Merkava was developed by Israel so that it wouldn't have to rely on "fickle" countries like Britain, France or Russia when it was in the midst of a conflict. Transactions between the U.S. and Israel are not necessarily worrisome by themselves; after all, as Israel has proved, there are a host of countries willing to sell the weapons it needs. Currently, Germany is Israel's source for submarines, and if Israel really needed fighters, Russia is always looking to make a buck and always seems to have a surfeit of aircraft and other excess defense articles. The real danger comes in Israel's habit of reverse engineering U.S. technology and selling to nations hostile to U.S. interests. Israel's client list includes Cambodia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, the South Lebanon Army, India, China, Burma and Zambia. The U.S. has most recently warmed up to India and is now in fact competing with Israel for arms sales there, but the other Israeli customers remain dubious at best. Perhaps the most troubling of all is the Israeli/Chinese arms relationship. Israel is China's second largest supplier of arms. Coincidentally, the newest addition to the Chinese air force, the F-10 multi-role fighter, is an almost identical version of the Lavi (Lion). The Lavi was a joint Israeli-American design based upon the F-16 for manufacture in Israel, but financed mostly with American aid. Plagued by cost overruns, it was canceled in 1987, but not before the U.S. spent $1.5 billion on the project. Last April, when the Navy EP-3E surveillance plane was forced to land in China after a Chinese F-8 fighter flew into its propeller, photos show Israeli built Python 3 missiles under the fighter's wings. If Israeli weapons sales to China induce misgivings, including the most recent U.S. blocked sale of Israel's Phalcon airborne radar, the beneficiaries of Chinese arms transfers of Israeli-American technology are even more disturbing. In 1996, as disclosed in the UN Register of Conventional Arms, China sold over 100 missiles and launchers to Iran, along with a handful of combat aircraft and warships. Even worse, in 1997 the New York Daily News reported that Iraq had deployed Israeli-developed, Chinese PL-8 missiles in the no-fly zones, endangering American pilots. Americans deserve to know where their money is being spent, and how money allocated for friends and technology shared with friends can all too easily end up in the wrong hands, threatening all parties involved. At a minimum, discussions on a new security framework for the Middle East should include plans to monitor and restrict Israeli transfers of U.S.-origin military equipment to potential adversaries. Otherwise, this deadly technology could come back to haunt U.S. and Israeli forces in future conflicts. Jonathan Reingold is a research associate for the Arms Trade Resource Center at the World Policy Institute and a military analyst for Foreign Policy in Focus. ### U.S. is No. 1 on weapons supplier listDeseret News (Salt Lake City), Nov 14, 2006by Bryan Bender Boston GlobeWASHINGTON -- The United States last year provided nearly half of the weapons sold to militaries in the developing world, as major arms sales to the most unstable regions -- many already engaged in conflict -- grew to the highest level in eight years, new U.S. government figures show. According to the annual assessment, the United States supplied $8.1 billion worth of weapons to developing countries in 2005 -- 45.8 percent of the total and far more than second-ranked Russia with 15 percent and Britain with a little more than 13 percent. The report was compiled by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. continues... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ US is top purveyor on weapons sales list - The Boston Globe
Nov 13, 2006 ... Meanwhile, more than half of the countries buying US arms -- 13 of the 25 -- were defined as undemocratic by the State Department's annual ... |
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Armament treaties and deals without believable diplomacy and top-notch intelligence is madness.
On that topic: of madness.
And we wonder why our society is so violent..
Parents horrified as most violent video game ever to launch on 'family friendly' WiiBy Daily Mail Reporter
Comments (5) Add to My StoriesLast updated at 1:37 PM on 12th August 2008
A new computer game tipped to be the most violent ever is being released exclusively on the so-called 'family friendly' Wii console.
Nintendo will dramatically transform Wii's image with the release of ultra violent video game MadWorld which, 'revolves around the themes of brutality and exhilaration', according to its creators.
Players in the 'hack and slash' game, which is due for a UK release in early 2009, can impale enemies on road signs, rip out hearts and execute them with weapons including chainsaws and daggers.
The decision to release a violent game on a console which has based its reputation on family fun has shocked anti-violence pressure groups.
The game has not yet been given an age rating.
Mediawatch-UK, Britains longest running pressure group campaigning for decency in TV, films and games, said MadWorld will 'spoil' the Wii.
John Beyer, director of Mediawatch-uk, said: 'This game sounds very unsavoury.
'I hope the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) will view this with concern and decide it should not be granted a classification.
'Without that it cannot be marketed in Britain. What the rest of world does is up to them.
We need to ensure that modern and civilized values take priority rather than killing and maiming people.
'It seems a shame that the game's manufacturer have decided to exclusively release this game on the Wii.
'I believe it will spoil the family fun image of the Wii.'
Nintendo's Wii has enjoyed phenomenal success as an innocent alternative to complex - and often violent - role play video games.
With a repatoire of mostly sports games the basic graphics and easy-to-use motion sensor remotes have become hugely popular with young children and families.
MadWorld is significant departure designed to appeal to 'hardcore' gamers who they claim have been clammering for a more adult theme action game.
MadWorld is a third person game where players control a character called Jack in a virtual world called Varrigan City which is under siege by a group of terrorists known as The Organizers.
The alternative world has been turned into a twisted game show called Death Watch where citizens must kill one another to survive - and win.
The action in MadWorld - developed by PlatinumGames and published by Sega exclusively for Nintendo - is entirely in black and white. The only other colour is red for all the blood.
Players use the Wii remote to control the violent on-screen actions as central character Jack executes his way through the game.
A press release on the Sega website says: 'You play as Jack, whos caught up in the terror of Death Watch, the murderous game created by the terrorists who call themselves The Organizers.
'To remain alive, and solve the mystery behind Death Watch, you must master the use of weapons and items found within the environment and compete in ultra violent mini-games designed to push you over the edge.
'With its irreverent humour and over-the-top violence MadWorld delivers a visceral gaming experience that will be an instant classic on the Wii.'
Sean Ratcliffe, Vice President of Marketing, SEGA of America, Inc, said: 'MadWorld pushes the envelope with its extreme content but takes a step away from the dark and serious nature of most mature games.'
Released in 2006 the Wii has become a market leader with its original games appealing to a far broader age range than competitors like Sony's PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox 360.
Costing around £180 the consoles - which use wireless remotes to control the on-screen actions - have been hailed as the next generation of computer consoles.
While other consoles have focussed on better graphics the Wii has focussed on game play and the physical nature of their games.
It has since become hugely popular with very young children, families and even the elderly.
A spokesman from Nintendo, said: 'Wii appeals to a wide range of audiences from children and teenagers to adult and senior citizens, anyone from 5 - 95, as such there is a wide range of content for all ages and tastes available.
'Mad World will be suitably age rated through the appropriate legal channels and thus only available to an audience above the age rating it is given'
'The game is not made by Nintendo but by Sega.'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1043818/Parents-horrified-violent-video-game-launch-family-friendly-Wii.html
Why would anyone invest their spirit or allow their children's spirits to be poisoned by such violence?
Arms trade, arms sales...look who's hands the arms so often fall into. Heck, we're so careless when dealing with arms, it's no secret that when we leave a location where there was reason for us to be present and armed, we tend to leave more behind than to bring back. Gee, hmmmm, I wonder who bothers to pick up that stuff.
Since when, too, can we ever say that a friendly nation will always be a friendly nation, that an ally will always be an ally...and, even if we stay as friendly allies, how can we say they won't be friendly allies with somebody that isn't the same with us? Sell our arms to whoever and who may they share them with?
I get a kick (not really, I'm being sarcastic here) out of the people that object to love between two people if it doesn't fall within their parameters of "normal and right", but will allow extreme games of violence and hate in their homes. These people, of course, will attend church every week and pray for love and peace for all people of the world.
Thank you for adding to this post.
In regards to "who cleans up the arms/etc. left behind?"
I remember Lady Di's involvement and her getting a Nobel for it.
TOO BAD the United States has NOT signed the Treaty!
Diana was a supporter of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, a campaign that went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997.
The International Campaign to Ban Landmines is a coalition of non-governmental organizations whose goal is to abolish the production and use of anti-personnel mines.
The coalition was formed in 1992 when six groups with similar interests, including Human Rights Watch, medico international, Handicap International, Physicians for Human Rights, Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation and the Mines Advisory Group, agreed to cooperate on their common goal. The campaign has since grown and spread to become a network of over 1,400 groups – including groups working on women, children, veterans, religious groups, the environment, human rights, arms control, peace and development -- in over 90 countries, working locally, nationally and internationally to eradicate antipersonnel landmines. A prominent supporter was Diana, Princess of Wales.
The organization and its chief spokesperson, Jody Williams, jointly received the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts.
The campaign's greatest success occurred in 1999 when the Ottawa Treaty, which bans the production and use of anti-personnel mines, came into force. Some states, including the United States, Russia and People's Republic of China, have thus far refused to sign. In 2004, the first review conference of the Ottawa Treaty, The Nairobi Summit on a Mine-Free World was held in Nairobi, Kenya. The Summit produced the Nairobi Action Plan for 2005-2009, a set of 70 action points that member states committed to undertake in the five year period following the Summit.
The ICBL and its flexible network of organizations remain committed to an international ban on the use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of antipersonnel landmines, and for increased international resources for humanitarian mine clearance and mine victim assistance programs. The ICBL monitors the mine situation in the world (through a network of researchers producing the annual Landmine Monitor Report), and conducts advocacy activities, lobbying for implementation and universalization of the Mine Ban Treaty, humanitarian mine action programs geared toward the needs of mine-affected communities, support for landmine survivors, their families and their communities, and a stop to the production, use and transfer of landmines, including by non-State armed groups. The ICBL participates in the periodical meetings of the Mine Ban Treaty process, urges States not Parties to the Treaty to join and non-State armed groups to respect the mine ban norm, condemns mine use and promotes public awareness and debate on the mine issue, organizing events and generating media attention.
Yes, I knew of the great prize-winning organization and work done, but not with as much detail as you have provided. I believe that Mrs. McCain may be involved in this, am I correct? Anyway, this is a major concern and, unfortunately, it may be impossible to ever locate every mine ever left behind as well as to prevent new mines from appearing from those who just don't believe in "fighting fair" by following any rules of war. I remember not too long ago when a blogging friend of mine, itsjustme, had to detour from his usual route to work because of a discovered land mine...this was in the vicinity of Amsterdam. He says it's not unusual, still today, to find at least a couple or a few per year in that area.