Israel puts arms suppliers on war footing
Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Saturday, January 27, 2001
TEL AVIV — Israel has placed its weapons suppliers on
alert amid military warnings of an outbreak of regional war.
The Israeli Defense Ministry alert has been relayed to purchasing
missions
in the United States and Europe as well as to suppliers of weapons,
ammunition and emergency equipment. Officials said the ministry alert does
not mean that war is imminent but constitutes preparations for any conflict.
Defense Ministry director-general Amos Yaron has ordered Israeli
purchasing delegations abroad to prepare for conflict that would require
accelerated deliveries. Officials said a similar alert was last issued in
1996 amid reports that Syria had advanced commando forces near Israeli
positions along the Golan Heights.
The order by Yaron, approved by Prime Minister Ehud Barak, is largely
meant for U.S. contractors, which supplies most of Israel's defense needs.
Israel has signed orders with U.S. defense firms that require them to supply
spare parts and other equipment in times of emergency in the Jewish state.
The Defense Ministry has a major purchasing mission in New York.
In addition, the United States maintains ammunition and equipment in
Israel that can be used in case of emergency. But the United States must
provide the green light for use of the supplies.
The Israeli Haaretz daily quoted defense sources as saying that Israel
does not sustain an ammunition shortage and has a reasonable supply of parts
and supplies.
The missions in Paris and Bonn would focus on providing protection
against a
nonconventional weapons attacks. European companies supplied most of the gas
masks to Israel in 1998 when war between Iraq and the United States appeared
imminent.
The alert comes as the ministry has been battling allegations of
corruption by procurement officials. The ministry said it suspended a senior
member of the New York delegation accused of embezzling $230,000. The
ministry said the unidentified official returned half of the money.
Saturday, January 27, 2001
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