WASHINGTON — The United States has approved an Israeli request for
"accelerated deliveries" of precision-guided air munitions to Israel.
Officials said the Bush administration approved an Israeli request for
bunker-buster weapons days after the outbreak of the Hizbullah war on July
12. They said the Israel Air Force concluded that its heavy air strikes on
Hizbullah strongholds around Lebanon have been ineffective.
Officials said the Israel Air Force failed to destroy Hizbullah
headquarters in southern Beirut. On July 19, Israeli F-15I and F-16I
fighters dropped 23 tons of munitions on Hizbullah's command and control
bunker, but failed to destroy the hardened facility, Middle East Newsline reported.
"The administration and Congress already approved the PGM sale," an
official said. "We're talking about accelerated deliveries."
On Monday, the London-based A-Sharq Al Awsat said the U.S. Air Force
would transfer the GBU-28 bunker-busters to Israel. The newspaper said the
air force would take bombs stored in Central Command headquarters in Qatar.
In 2005, the administration approved an Israeli request for satellite
and laser-guided air bombs used by the U.S. Air Force in the war against
Iraq. The deal, meant to be led by prime contractor Raytheon, included as
many as 100 GBU-28's.
The GBU-28 is a 5,000-pound laser-guided bomb intended to destroy
concrete bunkers. This was Israel's first purchase of the GBU-28, meant for
deployment on Israel's F-15I fleet.
