US weapons for Hizbollah?

Stephen Pollard has a post on China's influence in the Middle-East and its arms sales to Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia.  He also mentions China's arms trade with Israel, which I posted on in March.

Israel is China's second biggest arms supplier after Russia and most of the trade is in high-tech weapons systems.  The American military has,  for some time,  expressed concern about the transfer of US technology to China via Israel.  It is possible that, in the near future,  Israeli troops might face Hizbollah fighters armed with US technology that has travelled via Israel, China and Iran. 

When it comes to joining the dots,  arms dealers are way ahead of the rest of us.

Update:  China Confidential has more on China's ambitions in the Middle East.

Comments

[G. Tingey]

HELP!

Your direct-contact-details seem to have disappeared, so I'm deliberately posting here.

Warning - have you seen this scary development of ID cards?
http://www.no2id.net/news/newsblog/?p=442

[Rastaman]

No. The few missile sales that went through were from 1986 to 1991. All early Chinese technology. The more modern missile sales were never completed as the US objected and threatened to impose sanctions on China. The sales were all withdrawn.

Israel selling some military technology to China would be no surprise. Just what and how much is a different matter. Many in the West look at China as a threat. I'm not so sure and I have a fresh post up explaining why, for anyone interested. The Chinese aren't about to arm up those whom it may well be fighting later on.

The Middle Eastern Islamic nations have very little in the way of advanced guided missile systems and it's very unlikely that the Israelis will be defending against any of their own transplanted technology.

The Amazing Rastaman
www.islamanazi.com

[Steve]

So why are the US military so worried about Israeli arms trade to China?

[Rastaman]

Are you sure they are? China is perceived by the US as a future threat and it may well be. However, the actual trade that's occurred between China and Israel is minimal, because the US said "No, don't make the trade", quite simply. Some in our government have challenged some of the deals Israel has made with China, but to use the word "worried" is in error. No one is worried.

There are a few politicians trying to make political hay by squawking about what Israel does, and the Left, aka MSM, happily blares it. If you really dig into what they're going on about, it all turns to dust.

Rastaman the Unimpeachable
www.islamanazi.com

[Steve]

No one is worried? Really? They damn well should be:

http://www.sinodefence.com/news/2004/news041225.asp

[Rastaman]

No. China didn't get the 'upgraded' version even though that military hardware was a development of the Israelis and not anything of the USA and the Israelis have a right to sell their weaponry to anyone they want. Give both sides, hey?

You're up to your old tricks, Steve. I said you were anti-semitic a while back and you scrambled to post something pro-Israeli to prove otherwise. Now here you are again trying to make the Jews look bad. You always go back to it. What's your point in posting one-sided anti-Israeli articles otherwise?

http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php4?article_id=5934
http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,1828246,00.html http://www.angloarabia.com/bombs/index.html
British arms sales to Israel, and fueling wars and poverty in Africa, and selling arms to India and Pakistan both.

Do you recall that Bush tried to sell our PORTS to the Arabs?

What the Israelis do that no one else does is withhold sales that the US is against. Can you say that for the UK? You guys sell to anyone no matter how much people bitch about it in your own damn country.
When it comes to arms sales, all countries sell to the highest bidders. We do, you do. Isn't it hypocrisy to single out Israel? And for what purpose, exactly?

Rastaman the Amazing
www.islamanazi.com

[ccs178 (Chris)]

"Rastaman," Your attempt at using anti-semitism as a defense against remarks critical of Israel is a red herring. It is quite old and quite unoriginal.

[Steve]

Rastaman - last time you said that I was anti-Semitic you were called out on it by a number of people. You offered no proof then and you have none now.

Suggesting that some aspects of Israel's arms trade may run counter to Israel's and the West's long-term interests hardly rates as anti-Semitism.

[Wolfie]

We call the British government on skulduggery, not a word.

We call the American government on skulduggery, not a peep.

We call the Israeli government on skulduggery, we are labelled anti-Semites.

Hypocrisy anyone?

[Leo]

Rastaman,

Dude, please quit it with the emotional craziness. Israeli weapons end up in Hezbollah's hands and Steve is an anti-semite. Smoke more weed Rastaman. No, really. Smoke more weed.

[Rastaman]

You guys are such great fun.

Actually, I don't smoke dope. People who call others "dude" commonly do.

Israeli weapons have ended up in Hezbollah hands? Really? Is that what he said? I think you're getting emotionally crazy. He didn't say that.

I think "anti-semitism" applies. I don't have to prove it. Agree or disagree, at your pleasure.

That wasn't a fart, Wolfie, that was your breath blowing back in your face.

Hey, do you guys remember when you were all having such fun "taking the piss" (such a LOVELY British expression. Part of your culture?) of the American (me)?

Do you think you have the intelligence to recognize when someone is doing it to you? Repeatedly?

Yuck yuck, you guys are great fun.
~`^**HIC*~`~^~~

Rastaman
www.islamanazi.com

[Alison]

We can call Steve an anti-semite the day we call Rasta an anglophile.

[Alison]

(she says reaching for a nice tall cold gin & tonic on a friday afternoon)

[Rastaman]

~~``*..HIC..~`~``^

[j0nz]

Rasta"man"... this obssesive emotional crisis you are having... are you?... A woman?