ISRAEL, with a population around 3.5 million people, has for a long time got more US military equipment than any other country.
request for 1983 included $7bn in 'assistance pro. •times one wisecre East (compared $500m for this, Intral Central America). is to receive $2.485bn of which $1.7bn is military.
This means that this tiny (but expanding!) country will get a stag. gering 23 per cent of all SUCH 'aid' allies worldwide. Furtherof this $1.7bn military 'assistance', *500m is in the form of credits, which means it will have to be repaid, not as money or goods anyway.
course Israel by invading the Lebanon has repaid its US sponsors in a different way with the blood of the Palestinian and Lebanese people. It has also given the US military the chance to test out on human beings the MOST and horrific weapons from The Palestinians and Lebanese have been used as guinea-pigs.
The following tables from the New Statesman tell their own horrific story.
As you can see in the first months of 1980 Aircraft 2 F-16A and Vehicles 1, 704,001 & weapons car cartiers, artiery guns)
Ammunition 278.000 (Heavy artillery cartridges, Missiles Misc support 11,000 Training, maps, other assistance 412,000 Total 24,727,000 rigures in dollars. Source: Us Delense Security Assistance. wasningtor this year while Israel planned the invasion of Lebanon, they received $217,695,000 worth military equipment from the US, 10 times as much as in the same period in 1980 and 50 per cent higher than in the first quarter last year.
These deliveries included ten F-15 aircraft, tank recovery vehicles, 19 self-propelled 155 mm Howitzers, and over $6 million worth of and ammunition. This was either a remarkable coincidence the US willingly financed and backed up US arms deliveries to Israel Three-month period, January-March, 1980, 1981, 1982 1981 1982 (14 F-16A and 17,000 (Truck parts)
Howitzers)
1.068.000 6.752.000 (Heavy artillery (Guided bombs cartriages) and oiner ammo, spare parts)
198,000 1.300.300 2.631.000 148,018,000 217,695,000 the Israeli properations for the invasion.
Perhaps this is what US Defence Secretary Casper Weinberger meant in Congress earfer inis year wnen ne explained the budgetary quirements for the Defence Department in the coming year: "To the challenge this dynamic environment (the Middle East), we must develop robust and flexible to support US policy obRobust, flexible.. and genocidal. Israeli guns and American money did this What Socialist Challenge Supporters can do: • Campaign in your Labour parties for public meetings in support of the Palestinians and Lebanese people • Push for emergency motions to the Labour National Conference demanding unconditional withdrawal of Israel from Lebanon and support for the Palestinians. • Organise factory tours/meetings in Solidarity Events Birmingham Solidarity Campaign with Palestinian People 1000 • or (021) 692 1765 fol details of activities Demo against Israeli inva11 september (details later).
London Labour Committee on Palestine (LCP), open meeting 3 September, County Hall at 7pm LCP meeting a Queens Hotel, South Pro menade. 28 September, Medical Aid to the Lebanon fundraising event; 29 August at 7.30pm, Bloomsbury Theatre, Gordon Street, London WC1.
Featuring: Ekome, Britain's top African Dance and Rhythm group; Al Gabal, Palestinian Folk Group; Palestine Film on Entrance f3.50 waged, £3.00 unwaged. Who to get in touch with for national information:
Palestine Solidarity Liaison Committee, c/o THIS, Oxford House, Derbyshire St., London E2.
Labour Committee on Palestine, c/o 28 Carlton Mansions, Holmleigh Rd., London N16.
Socialist Challenge
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ALAN FREEMAN FREEMAN