Israeli Nuclear Arsenal Prohibits US Foreign Aid Under Symington Amendment

[Purveyor]

WASHINGTON, March 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) are heavily lobbying Congress for $2.775 billion in military aid to Israel. However credible reports from the US Army and a former president confirm the existence of an Israeli nuclear weapons arsenal. This could prohibit US taxpayer funded fiscal year 2010 foreign aid.

The declassified US Army report titled "The Joint Operating Environment 2008" identifies Israel as a nuclear weapons power. Specifically the US Army highlights "a growing arc of nuclear powers running from Israel in the west through an emerging Iran to Pakistan, India, and on to China, North Korea, and Russia in the east." Jimmy Carter became the first former President to confirm in 2008 that Israel has secretly financed, developed and deployed an undeclared arsenal of nuclear weapons.

The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 as amended by the Symington Amendment of 1976 and the Glenn Amendment of 1977 prohibit US military assistance to countries that acquire or transfer nuclear reprocessing technology outside of international nonproliferation regimes. Israel, unlike Iran, is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. If Congress wishes to provide US taxpayer funded foreign aid to Israel in compliance with US law, it may do so only under a special waiver from the office of the President as in the case for Pakistan.

Upholding the Symington Amendment could be an early litmus test as Congress and Executive branch strive to restore public confidence in the aftermath of the US invasion of Iraq and global financial crisis. According to IRmep director of research Grant F. Smith, "Governance depends on rule of law-- it is imperiled if government openly flouts important laws. It is no longer acceptable for Congress or the President to invoke 'strategic ambiguity,' a practice whereby US government officials publicly pretend to the American people that Israel possesses no nuclear weapons."

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[Chulanowa]

1. Oh, if only the law counted when it comes to Israel

But the end timers Americans have to have their concentration camp holy land where all the jews can be killed by Jesus establish a viable state, so that the apocalypse can begin the Jewish people will be safe!

[14thColony]

2. Probably enough ambiguity in the timeline of events

that US aid could continue even if Israel outed their whole nuclear weapons program. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty wasn't even opened for signature until July 1968, and by then Israel already had their first bombs, thanks mainly to the UK. Israel is still not a signatory of the NPT, and the UK did no further technology or materiel transfers after the NPT came into effect, as far as anyone knows. Highly likely one could argue this was not a violation of anything that would require suspension of US aid, which the president could just waive anyway.