In a move that comes seemingly a couple of times a year, the Pentagon has once again transferred a large sum of money to Israel to pay for the nation’s “Iron Dome” system. $429 million was transferred “immediately” upon announcement of the deal.
The funding was cheered by Israeli officials, who have touted the missiles as a “game-changer” for the Israeli military, though their actual effectiveness is very much in doubt.
The Iron Dome is designed as an extremely short-range missile defense system, meant for shooting down the non-guided makeshift missiles that are often fired from Gaza.
MIT missile expert Dr. Theodore Postol says Israel’s claims of effectiveness are almost certainly a myth, and that there is no physical way the missiles could hit 84 percent of rockets, as claimed by Israel.
The Israeli military doesn’t seem particularly sold on the system either. They cancelled it outright as not cost effective in 2010, but it was revived when the Obama Administration agreed to pay for it. Since then, the US has made hundreds of millions of dollars in cash to continue the scheme part of their annual multi-billion dollar “aid” to Israel.
I beg to differ. I was there when a rain of rockets arrived from Gaza and people were really glad for the Iron Dome. It saves MANY LIVES.
"Of the approximately 1,000 missiles and rockets fired into Israel by Hamas from the beginning of Operation Pillar of Defense up to 17 November 2012, Iron Dome identified two thirds as not posing a threat and intercepted 90 percent of the remaining 300".
It's OK to be anti-war, but automatic defense systems should be praised.
Let them pay for it themselves…there are a lot of projects without a hint of destruction in them that can do much good for struggling people in the United States.
By the way, it's just feel-good propaganda that Israel can shoot down most missiles with a system the US paid for. How popular would this large transfer of money to Israel be (even more so) if everyone finds out that by and large, it doesn't work, even on the bottle rocket technology the Gazans have?
Yeah you were there. You and the other bloodsucking descendants of the SS.
How about you guys pay for your OWN defense with your OWN money and stop being parasites sucking American taxpayers dry.
I don't need an Olympic-sized swimming pool for my backyard, but if you are going to pay for it, why not?
Someone needs to ask Obama/Hagel what the states could do with $429M…say on fixing our crumbling infrastructure, such as those thousands of bridges that are falling apart (and down) under the strain of 60 years of use.
Why not throw in the kitchen sink with that Obama.
I see. All kinds of money available for Israel and Ukraine, but when it comes to helping unemployed Americans, all of a sudden congress worries about the budget. They are scum.
Austerity supposedly compels cuts to food stamps, unemployment benefits, veterans pensions, and dozens of other US domestic needs, but even after Israel refuses to pay for their own Iron Dome defence – because it doesn't work as advertised – Congress can always find an extra half billion lying around to pay for it. Could that be because US war corporations produce the missiles used in the Iron Dome system?
Austerity supposedly compels cuts to food stamps, unemployment benefits, veterans pensions, and dozens of other US domestic needs, but even after Israel refuses to pay for their own Iron Dome defence – because it doesn't work as advertised – Congress can always find an extra half billion lying around to pay for it. Could that be because US war corporations produce the missiles used in the Iron Dome system?
And what will they want after thi$ ? they are worse than a tapeworm.
who remembers when israeli soldiers dropped a whole bunch of the interceptor missiles off their truck.
"The missiles were damaged and will be removed from the active arsenal, according to the report. Each interceptor costs around $50,000 and usually two are fired at rockets slated for interception, putting the monetary cost of the accident at roughly $1 million."
12/29/2011 http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Disaster-averted-Iro…
woops, there goes a million dollars… well no matter the americans will pay for more.
With a "freind" like Israel, who needs enemies?
Considering me and majority of the Muslim world hate u yanks guts and zionist Israhell is one of the few pro american countries left. I would say beggers can't be choosers.
Your mischaracterizing what I said. It is precisely BECAUSE of America's "Friendship" with Israel, (which is really just political subservience to the rich and influential Zionist-Israel lobby) that America has made so many enemies in the muslim world. It is Israel that has MADE us beggars.
It should have been 429 billion. After all it is Israel