The Defense Department said it has suspended Israel
from the U.S. Joint Strike Fighter Program and has launched a review of all
arms exports to the Jewish state.
At issue between the allies is Israel's failure to understand the U.S. responsibility for defense of East Asia, U.S. officials said.
In the first such acknowledgement, the Pentagon outlined the sanctions
imposed on Israel after the dispute over its military sales to China, Middle East Newsline reported.
The
Pentagon said the United States has restricted weapons and technology
transfers linked to the JSF and launched a review of all defense exports.
"We had some restrictions within the Joint Strike Fighter Program that
we've discussed," Pentagon spokesman Lawrence Di Rita said. "And it's mostly
restrictions on technology going forward in that program."
Di Rita did not elaborate. But other officials said that since August
2004 the Pentagon and State Department have reviewed every Israeli request
for weapons and technology in a process that acknowledged has resulted in
delays of several months.
"It's not a uniform freeze, but it's a case-by-case basis," another
Pentagon spokesman, Bryan Whitman, said.
Officials said Israel and the United States remain deadlocked over
several issues regarding Washington's demand for supervision over Israeli
exports to China. On Thursday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the
United States has engaged in "very difficult" talks with Israel.
"We have had some very difficult discussions with the Israelis about
this," Ms. Rice said. "And I think they understand now the seriousness of
the matter and we'll continue to have those discussions."
At a news conference, Ms. Rice did not indicate that the dispute over
China would be resolved in the near future, an assertion made by senior
Israeli officials. She said Israel must recognize U.S. responsibility for
defense over the Pacific, which has been jeopardized by China's military
buildup.
"And so Israel has a responsibility to be sensitive to that,
particularly given the close defense cooperation between Israel and the
United States," Ms. Rice said. "I would hope that our Israeli friends would
understand that the United States, of course, has primary responsibility for
defending in the Pacific."
Officials said Ms. Rice would discuss arms sales to China during her
talks with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz next
week. Ms. Rice arrives in Israel on June 18.
