Palestinians to Hagel Report: "We Don't Need U.S. Troops Here"

by Khaled Abu Toameh
March 1, 2013 at 5:00 am

http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/3607/palestinians-hagel-report

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Any Arab leader who agrees to join a U.S. or NATO force will be denounced by his people as a traitor and puppet in the hands of Zionists and Americans. Any foreign troops will become a target for terror attacks, as happened in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Palestinians repeated this week their opposition to the new-old idea of deploying a U.S.-led international force in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
"We will not agree to the presence of any foreign forces in our territories," spokesman for various Palestinian groups said. "Such forces, especially if they are led by the U.S., would be viewed as an occupying power."
Those who are opposed to the deployment of foreign troops in the Palestinian territories say that they would never accept a situation "where Israeli occupation is replaced with another occupation."
The Palestinians were commenting on a 2009 report that resurfaced this week, entitled, "A Last Chance For A Two State Israel-Palestine Agreement."
The report was co-authored by then-Senator Chuck Hagel, who was confirmed this week as US Secretary of Defense. It talks about deploying a "US-led multinational force" which would "feature American leadership of a NATO force supplemented by Jordanians, Egyptians and Israelis."
Commenting on the idea, a senior Palestinian Authority official in Ramallah said, "We don't need U.S. troops here. Instead of sending us the Marines, why doesn't [President Barack] Obama just put pressure on Israel to withdraw from out lands?"
The official warned that Palestinians were not enthusiastic about the presence of U.S. or any foreign troops in their territories. "We already have our own security forces," he stressed.
However, the Palestinian official pointed out that the Palestinian Authority leadership was not opposed to the idea of temporarily deploying an international peace-keeping force along the border between Israel and a future Palestinian state. But this arrangement would be unacceptable to Israel: terrorists would strike inside Israel, then the foreign forces would effectively prevent Israel from exercising its right of "hot pursuit" to follow and apprehend the perpetrators.
There is also no guarantee that Egypt, Jordan or any Arab country would be prepared to join a US-led force in wake of the current events in the Arab world.
Many Arabs and Muslims continue to view the US as an enemy, especially because of Washington's support for Israel. Any Arab leader who agrees to join a U.S. or NATO force will be denounced by his people as a traitor and puppet in the hands of Americans and Zionists.
Besides, who said that the Arab countries are keen on sending troops to patrol the streets of Palestinian cities?
Does anyone seriously think that Jordan's King Abdullah would ever send Jordanian soldiers to Palestinian cities? Hasn't Jordan's policy over the past two decades been to distance itself as much as possible from the Palestinians?
And does Hagel or anyone else in the US Administration really believe that the Egyptians would be happy to deploy their troops in the West Bank or Gaza Strip? Don't the Egyptians already have enough problems at home?
Even if Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas were to accept such an idea -- either under U.S. pressure or by being offered financial aid -- it is certain that he would never be able to convince his people to accept the presence of any foreign troops in their cities.
Hamas and other radical Palestinian groups have openly stated that any foreign troops will become a target for terror attacks.
Any foreign military intervention in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will only complicate matters and pave the way for Muslim fundamentalists from all around the world to make an effort to also get involved. Al-Qaeda and other Islamist terror groups will start sending their men to the Palestinian territories to fight against the American "infidels" and their Arab "collaborators," as happened in Iraq and Afghanistan, where Muslim fundamentalists were dispatched to launch jihad against the U.S. and other Western forces.

Related Topics: Khaled Abu Toameh

U.S. Helping Israel's Defense

by Yaakov Lappin
March 1, 2013 at 3:00 am

http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/3606/us-israel-defense

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Cooperation between the two countries today is at an unprecedented level. The other part involves devastating offensive capabilities, designed to surprise adversaries, bringing any war to a swift conclusion.

The cheering and the hugs exchanged by Israeli and American teams this week at Palmahim Air Force base, south of Tel Aviv, marked a historical turn of events.
For the first time ever, a successful test launch had been carried out of the Arrow 3 missile defense system, designed to stop Iranian long-range ballistic missiles – even those carrying nuclear warheads – in space.
The product of Israeli-American cooperation, and years of research and development led by the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), together with the US Department of Defense's Missile Defense Agency, the successful test represented a leap forward in missile defense technology, and a key development in the ongoing Israeli-Iranian arms race.
Travelling at twice the speed of a tank shell, the Arrow 3 interceptor is carried into space by a missile, which then falls away. The interceptor is actually a space vehicle that carries out several swift maneuvers as it locks on to its target. It then lunges directly at the incoming projectile, for a head-on collision.
At speeds of up to 4000 meters (13,123 feet) per second, the interceptor relies only on its self-generated kinetic energy to destroy the hostile missile, and does not require its own explosives to get the job done.
The successful trial underscores the fact that despite significant political differences that exist between Jerusalem and Washington, defense cooperation between the two countries is today at an unprecedented level.
The first batch of four Arrow 3 batteries is expected to come into service between 2014 and 2016. Four additional upgraded batteries, carrying more interceptors, could be built later.
Israeli and American companies are working together to get Arrow 3 operational. The technological breakthroughs that allowed for Arrow 3 to be tested have been led by IAI, but collaboration with Boeing has been significant.
Iran is amassing hundreds of missiles capable of striking Israel, while taking steps forward in its nuclear program. As the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv has recently noted, Iran has Shihab 3 missiles that put all of Israel in range, as well as the Ghadr-1, which is an upgraded version of the Shihab 3.
Tehran is also developing the Sajjil-2, a two-stage solid fuel missile that can strike targets 2,000 kilometers away. Any of these missiles can be fitted to carry unconventional warheads.
To cope with this ballistic missile challenge, as well as the threat posed by Syrian scuds, some of which have reached Hezbollah, Israel has the Arrow 2 missile defense system in place, which shoots down incoming projectiles in the upper atmosphere.
Once it becomes operational, the Arrow 3 will form another layer of defense over millions of Israelis, thereby giving the Israel Air Force two to three shots at intercepting incoming missile.
"We are in arms race. We hope to be one step ahead, technologically," said defense source well acquainted with the Arrow 3 program.
As part of the race to protect its civilians, Israel has set up the Iron Dome rocket protection system, which intercepted over 90 percent of rockets from Gaza during last year's conflict with Hamas .
Other projects under development include the David's Sling system, designed to stop intermediate rockets and missiles, which are a part of Hezbollah's arsenal of more than 60,000 rockets.
Despite the progress being made in this field, Israel can never rely solely on defense for its national security. In an unstable region filled with radical non-state actors, collapsing states, and an Iran marching towards nuclear weapons capabilities, defense can only form one part of the plan to keep Israel safe.
The other part involves devastating offensive capabilities, designed to surprise adversaries and throw them off balance, bringing any conflict to a swift conclusion.

Related Topics: Israel | Yaakov Lappin

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