The United States is pissed at Israel for allegedly concealing from Washington an upgrade of a major weapons system it sold to China more than a decade ago.
China is using arms sales to Iran and other producing countries in order to cement ties. Thus Israel is selling weapons to China who might be passing them on to Iran who wants to attack Israel.
Now Israel is seeking to stop a missile deal between Russia and Syria.
Reference: Through bilateral agreements, rather than international mechanisms, and using arms sales and dual-use technology transfers - nuclear equipment, guidance systems for missiles - to cement ties, China has obtained oil exploration and exploitation rights in some of the most turbulent nations in the Middle East and North Africa - Iran, Sudan, Libya, Algeria and, until the recent war, Iraq. #msg-3830816 http://dailynews.att.net/cgi-bin/news?e=pri&dt=041118&cat=news&st=newsd86e9qbo0&src=....
Israel's relationship with its closest ally, the United States, seems to have hit a rough patch, with Washington apparently upset with Israel's clandestine dealings with China. The spat is not new, however. It has its roots in a decade-old issue. Old suspicions have returned. It is an explosion into the public domain of a row that has been going on for a few years.
The quarrel is over Israel's alleged concealing from Washington of an upgrade of a major weapons system it sold to China more than a decade ago. The United States claims that by upgrading the system, Israel violated its commitment not to transfer US technology to China without Washington's permission. Israel, however, insists that the upgrade was really just routine maintenance of a system that had originally been sold to China with US approval. #msg-4883457
Israel and China find themselves embroiled in a potentially damaging argument over Israeli manufactured drone aircraft, purchased by China and sent to Israel for an upgrade.
An Israeli military official said that the United States has demanded that Israel confiscate the drones, fearing that they could upset the military balance between China and Taiwan. #msg-4946046
So it was Russia who tipped the United States off to Israel helping China build unmanned planes.
I am not sure I am following this, Israel thinks it should be allowed to sell to the number one threat to the United States, China, but Russia cannot sell to Israel’s ‘enemy’ in this case Syria. #msg-3379438 #msg-4883457
-Am
Russia denies Syrian missile deal
Russia has denied reports that it intends to sell modern missile systems to Syria.
Defence Minister Sergey Ivanov, on a visit to the US, said there had been no talks about missiles with Damascus.
US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher warned Moscow that Washington could consider sanctions if Russia went ahead with such a deal.
Israel has raised serious concerns about the prospect of Syria having missiles that could hit its territory.
Speaking after a meeting with US State Secretary Colin Powell on Wednesday, Mr Ivanov told Russian television: "There are no talks under way between Russia and Syria concerning shipment of such missiles. Such talks are not taking place."
Mr Boucher said that Washington considers such deals with Syria inappropriate.
"The Russians know about this policy. They know about our views," he said. "There are potential sanctions under the US law."
Diplomatic row
Claims that Russia planned to supply its new Iskander missiles to Damascus caused what both the Israeli and Russian media described as a crisis in bilateral relations.
Israeli newspapers linked these plans with Syrian President Bashar Assad's forthcoming visit to Moscow. But Mr Ivanov said such allegations always emerged whenever a Middle East leader visited Moscow.
Iskander is an updated version of the Soviet-era Scud missile Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had held an urgent government meeting and consulted the US over relations with Moscow.
It also noted the cancellation of Russian deputy foreign minister Aleksandr Saltanov's visit to Tel-Aviv during his trip to the Middle East to observe the Palestinian elections.
The Russian government newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta said on Thursday that the alleged crisis had other components, apart from the missile issue.
It said Israel was angry about Russian scientists allegedly helping Iran to create new weapons.
The newspaper also says that Israel may have been upset by Russia allegedly transferring information to the US about Israel helping China to build unmanned planes.
Market Data 
Markets 
AI
