Israel’s newly developed “Iron Dome” missile defense shield will supposedly provide vital protection from rocket attacks from Gaza or Lebanon.
The system’s manufacturer, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, says:
The Iron dome is a cost effective system that can handle multiple threats simultaneously and efficiently [and] has been selected by the Israeli Defense Ministry as the best system offering the most comprehensive defense solution against a wide range of threats in a relatively short development cycle and at low cost.
Israel receives $3 billion annually in military aid from US taxpayers, so you’d imagine that the Israeli government would allocate some of that generous aid to pay for Iron Dome. No, instead President Obama just agreed that we should chip in an extra $205 million because Iron Dome “addresses an immediately existing threat to each Israeli citizen,” a senior administration official said.
But while Israel isn’t willing to cover the cost of deploying this system, it is already looking at opportunities to sell it to NATO.
As for the “low cost” the manufacturers tout, perhaps what they mean is that it will be a low cost for Israelis so long as its paid for by Americans. Whether the system would have any real value — that’s a completely different question.
Some of the harshest criticism of the system comes from inside Israel where Tel Aviv University professor and noted military analyst Reuven Pedatzur charged that despite the well-known ineffectiveness of Iron Dome and other missile defense systems, “for the aeronautics and defense industries, it’s a matter of money; and for politicians, supporting such projects allows them to tell the public that they’re doing something, they’re trying to find answers to the threats we face.”
“The Iron Dome is all a scam,” he said. “The flight-time of a Kassam rocket to Sderot is 14 seconds, while the time the Iron Dome needs to identify a target and fire is something like 15 seconds. This means it can’t defend against anything fired from fewer than five kilometers; but it probably couldn’t defend against anything fired from 15 km., either.”
Added Pedatzur: “Considering the fact that each Iron Dome missile costs about $100,000 and each Kassam $5, all the Palestinians would need to do is build and launch a ton of rockets and hit our pocketbook.
The David’s Sling is even worse, he said. “Each one of its missiles costs $1 million, and Hizbullah has well over 40,000 rockets. This issue has no logic to it whatsoever.”
“…all the Palestinians would need to do is build and launch a ton of rockets and hit our pocketbook.”
Typo. He means “America’s pocketbook.”
I would have to imagine that Obama has been briefed on the problems of the Iron Dome project. The timing of the US decision seems more important to me than the decision itself. $200 million is nothing to sneeze at, but I think this is more an investment in Israeli perception than it is in the project. Particularly now, during the proximity talks, the US has to show that it is committed to Israeli security.
Even if the system is a waste of money, the US investment shows that the US president, despite the recent disagreements with Israel, is still committed to the Israeli state. It is a burden on the US taxpayers, sure. But in the context of talks, the decision oddly makes sense. More here: http://notesfromamedinah.wordpress.com/2010/05/14/why-is-obama-financing-iron-dome/
I’ll be very blunt. ” B.S.” Let Lieberman & McCain pay for it out of their own pockets. I’m sure that after all these years in office, they have amassed the fortunes to pay for it. The “Rats” just keep coming out of the wood work ever since the “Wall Street bail out.” Personally speaking, I believe it’s time that all the Jewish Folk start paying for Israeli defense, instead of the U.S. Taxpayers. This whole Middle East situation, along with the Wars, have taken enough Treasure from the future generations. Stupidity on the part of the U.S. Congress as well as the Executive Branch, along with the Department of Defense, has led the Country into a never ending quagmire. Perhaps the C.I.A. can add to the pot also, considering that more & more in being brought out as to who’s running all the Heroin business in Afghanistan. Wake up people, it’s not too late yet.
Looks very much like our team (USA/ISREAL) is arming itself for the eventual showdown with the other [ evil ] team of RUSSIA/IRAN/SYRIA/TURKEY which is also beginning to increase its armaments for the eventuak showdown. In the meantime the ADL demands that the “Swastika” shaped Navy Medical building is San Diego is offensive aand must be arcchitecturally changed at a cost of $40 million. Wonder how many parapligic veterans can be helped with $40 million dollars?
OR is all this a put up job? Time will tell. In the meantime the US taxpayer gets what he has been accustomed to getting the big screw. Is this the kind of world we are only capable of ?leaving for our children and grandchildren
Thank you for the lesson, America.
This is what happens when you have a political system that allows a foreign power to buy your politicians.