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Subscribe to RSSWASHINGTON -- The Pentagon will seek to provide Israel with an additional $70 million in the coming months for its short-range rocket shield, known as the "Iron Dome," Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said after a meeting with his Israeli counterpart on Thursday.
So far, the United States has provided $205 million to support the Iron Dome, manufactured by Israel's state-owned Raphael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. The system uses small radar-guided missiles to blow up in midair Katyusha-style rockets with ranges of 3 miles to 45 miles, as well as mortar bombs.
But top Republicans have criticized President Barack Obama for what they described as inadequate funding of U.S.-Israeli missile defense cooperation in his 2013 budget request released in February amid deficit-reduction requirements.
Legislation moving through the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives would give Israel additional $680 million for the Iron Dome system through 2015, and some House lawmakers are seeking a deal with Israel to share production of the Iron Dome system with U.S. weapons manufacturers.
Obama's fiscal 2013 budget request calls for $3.1 billion in security assistance to Israel, part of a 10-year, $30 billion U.S. commitment, none of which was scheduled to fund Iron Dome.
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On Thursday, Panetta said the Pentagon would seek additional funding for the Iron Dome program over the next three years "based on an annual assessment of Israeli security requirements."
"My goal is to ensure Israel has the funding it needs each year to produce these batteries that can protect its citizens," Panetta said.
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He said the $70 million would be provided this fiscal year, which ends in September.
"This is assistance that, provided Congress concurs, we can move quickly, to ensure no shortage in this important system," Panetta said in a statement after meeting Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak at the Pentagon.
'Unbreakable bonds'
The Jerusalem Post quoted Barak as saying that Israeli-U.S. defense ties had never been as strong as they were today under the Obama administration.
"The U.S. decision to support further enhancing Israel's security is an important demonstration of the unbreakable bonds between the United States and Israel," Barak added.
The pro-Israel lobby group AIPAC welcomed Panetta's decision, saying it would help Israel better protect its citizens against some 60,000 missiles and rockets amassed at its borders by Hamas and Hezbollah Islamist militants.
As of April, Israel had deployed three operating units of the system, which helped thwart Palestinian rocket salvos during a flare-up in fighting around the Gaza Strip in March. It has spoken of needing a total of 13 or 14 units to protect various fronts.
The system intercepted more than 80 percent of the targets it engaged in March when nearly 300 rockets and mortars were fired at southern Israel, saving many lives, a U.S. Defense Department spokesman said on March 27.
Reuters and msnbc.com staff contributed to this report.
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And who is regulating where the money is actually spent? So we borrow money from China to give to Israel for their safety? How about anyone who doesn't feel safe there can come here, work here, pay taxes here, and spend their money on our economy. There I go making too much sense again! Also, am I the only one who finds it offensive when quoting the president you should say "President" or "President Obama" since when are we on a first name basis? Love him or hate him, it should be about respect for the office.
And who is regulating where the money is actually spent? For the most part Obama and the Democratic run Senate. Don't like it? Change it in November.
Respect? Respect? For a liar? Give me a break! Obama is only interested in himself. He's a Megalomaniac.
Why is one penny going into there miltary ?
You guys bitch about giving money to Israel when we give massive amounts to brutal dictators and countries like Pakistan that hate us? Besides, unlike most countries that we give aid to, they spend a lot buying American expensive goods and services.
At least the money to Israel gives us a say in their actions. This is the reason they stayed out of the Gulf War despite being attacked numerous times. Thier involvement would have escalated the entire war.
This one of the many reasons why we are in financial trouble. Stop funding other countries needs and start taking care of our own needs.
Give Israel technology, not cash. This is silly.
We do not have the money but we could borrow it from the Chinese. Great grandkids could pay it back. Or we could not fund condoms for Sadie Fooker and that would pay part of it.
The Israeli pimps in the AIPAC lobby have their whores in the US Congress and WH administrations. The American officials who suceed in giving that law breaking state money are fascist traitors. $280 million? Treason.
Not 1 damned cent. How dare you tax Americans to support another country's military aspirations. End all foreign aid now.
No, no, no. Israel can pay for it's own iron dome.
I'm sick and tired of sending my tax dollars to the middle east so a few can get wealthy. If Israel wants an iron dome, they can pay for it themselves.
Quit sending my tax dollars all over the world. It's a waste.
News Flash. It ain't your tax dollars. It is dollars that we borrow from the Chinese or Japanese.
We are paying for the research, the us will incorporate into its war machine. Research cost money, in the us or Israel.
I think we should not give isreal iron dome, we should give isreal "iron fist"..
Acid Test Time - Is this so important to our defense that we need to barrow 70 million dollars from China to fund it..?????
Good question. Why doesn't Israel borrow the cash directly from China?
Is it just me or isn't anyone worried that god will curse us for defending the people who killed his only begotten son.
We Say, "In god we trust." We ask a lot of god and then go and defend his son's killers.
Long live the republic!
t., you have one of the best minds of the 12th century. But more recently, two Popes said that the Jews must not be blamed for killing Jesus...even though several of our on-line Jew baiters here do not seem to have gotten the message.
Dear Uncle Sucker, get up off your knees.
stop, stop, stop, stop spending our hard earned tax dollars over seas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How do i a US Citizen with prior military get millions in free money? Please tell me i could use it as much if i not more than these people?
Why do we cry about money in congress then doll it out to whoever we can get to take it from us? Our Government is full of IDIOTS!
That be easy. Answer? Run for Congress, win, then you get all the kickback associated with that job.
Why can't we build the damn thing? So that tax payer dollars go to American workers. Then sell the damn thing to Israel for it's defense.
When the USA "sells" weapons to the jews, the USA loans the jews the money to "buy" the weapons, then the USA "forgives" the debt.
If their God won't protect them why the hell should the taxpayers of the United States??
Patience me lads. Hussein Obama gonna have more flexibility on the subject after re-elected. Think this may be our last election, or so it sounds.
A missile treaty with the Russians is not the same as arming a fascist law breaking criminal state as Israel.
Not another penny, not another bullet, not another drop of American blood to support the jewsih occupation and oppression in Palestine.
When will these Morons stop the spending? What will Penatta do? Borrow more from China to give to other countries? We are "BROKE" you IDIOTS! Give your own money Leon!.................Soooooo easy taking out loans and spending others money, eh Obama. All are PEA BRAINS!
Remind me again why WE (US) has to pay for this? Why can't they pay for it themselves? We have to pay for our weapons...
Squid, I say again. It is not our money at all. Hussein borrows it from the Chinese or Japanese. They are they ones that should complain, not us.
Is it some kind of new juvenile tea time party GOP dogma to use Barak Obama's very common middle eastern middle name? Glenn Beck , Michael Savage, or Fox and Fiends?
DOU44....................Deal with it! Does a Muslim name bother you?
YOO, our Dou is trying to point out that Barack's opponents are using his MIddle Eastern name to attack him.
If we really want to help Israel, we would do so by helping the Jewish people retain their independence in the face of rising economic insecurity, not by aiding the Zionist bullies who seek to give the entire Jewish race a bad name. I have many Jewish friend and believe they are every bit as peace-loving as most Americans. But the Zionist rancor and hostility toward Palestine and Iran make their leaders look hostile, and scared. They need to re-channel their fear and start making an attempt at getting along with their neighbors. They put themselves there, and Israel has not been a good neighbor in decades. We should NOT be supporting this kind of aggressiveness, especially after their threat of attacking Iran which would have untold global economic repercussions, not to mention the human cost of completely needless death and destruction.
Well, Rex, the thing is, Iran keeps announcing that one of their goals is to wipe Israel off the map. That kind of thing does arouse hostility.
All of this is because Israel is part of the real "axis of evil".Israel is nothing more than a vassal state of the imperial USA. The aim is to make wealthy the arms dealers and keep Israel as a client state to enhance its imperial ambitions in the oil rich Middle East region.
On point but 180 out. The jews are the tail that wags the dog. The USA is the vassal. Watch and listen as Obama kowtows to his masters at AIPAC.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0rFbP6KvxY
Bob, in fact support for Israel is much stronger among Evangelical Christians than Jews.
I know. Convincing America's bible thumpers that their god wants the jews to have Palestine is the cleverest thing the zionists ever did.
Bob, our Evangelicals are capable of reading the Bible for themselves.