- WASHINGTON -- The United
States is demanding the dismissal of four senior defense ministry officials
over weapons sales to China.
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- Ynet has learned the officials are Defense Ministry Director
General Amos Yaron, head of the ministry,s New York-based procurement division,
Kuti Mor, Yossi Ben-Hanan, head of the department for security assistance
and export, and Yehiel Horev, security officer for the ministry.
According to reports, the call is not part of Washington,s official solution
to the deepening crisis between the two defense departments, but if they
are not removed from their positions, the Americans will refuse to participate
in joint ventures.
Started with Clinton administration
Tensions between Washington and Jerusalem began several years ago, when
former Prime Minister Ehud Barak signed a deal to supply a Falcon-model
F-16 fighter aircraft to China, over the strenuous objections of then-President
Bill Clinton.
Israel initially resisted American pressure to cancel the sales, but in
practice failed to supply the aircraft.
Yaron, Horev and Ben Hamou then visited China last year in an attempt to
defuse the crisis.
Current crisis
The current crisis stems from a recent upgrade of unmanned drones, developed
for China by Israel Aircraft Industries.
Israel says it has merely supplied "support for the drone system,
as per the original contract of sale, but the Americans reject the claim.
Pentagon sources say they have been lied to, and that China sent spare
parts to Israel to be upgraded, not merely maintained.
Understanding in August
Israeli sources said they hoped a memorandum of understanding, expected
to be signed in August regarding bi-lateral coordination with regard to
each country,s sales of military equipment, would signal the end of the
crisis.
However, the Americans want to see that Israel has drawn definitive "conclusions
before opening a new chapter in relations between the two security establishments.
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- http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3098057,00.html
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