Same War, Different Front?

Hummers orginally meant for use by the Israeli Defense Force will instead be sent to American troops in Iraq.

U.S. officials in Iraq say they could use 800 armored Hummers in just Baghdad. The shortage of beefed-up Hummers has been an issue for awhile.

Looks like someone finally decided to scrounge a few dozen from the IDF.

Comments

[joe]

BTW, you don't have to believe the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is all Israel's fault to object to sending aid to Israel.

[Jason Ligon]

"BTW, you don't have to believe the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is all Israel's fault to object to sending aid to Israel."

I would be a fine example of this point. I don't like the idea of US taxpayers buying defense for Israel any more than I like the idea of paying Egypt not to invade them. I do think that Israel has a right to exist, and I don't have a problem SELLING them weapons.

That said, if we stop all donations to the region and Egypt, Syria, and Jordan invade again, and Israel asks for help, I'm inclined to give it to them.

[Phil]

joe,

It helps though.

[Gadfly]

Maybe we can get some of Israel's bulldozers, too. We'll be needing them soon.

[John]

- Defense contractors that the Israeli military buys from take congressmen golfing at neat courses.

- You don't take congressmen golfing at neat courses.

I suppose you can do the math from there.

[ThatBastard]

Actually, I do take my congressman golfing. The Greenbriar is especially nice now that they've opened the old congressional fallout shelter up for tours.

The defense contractors generally play Agusta. They get enough practice there to have a shot at the green jacket.

[joe]

"Maybe we can get some of Israel's bulldozers, too. We'll be needing them soon."

If you're implying that Iraq is becoming our West Bank, that's a dirty lie.

It's becoming our Beirut. We're Syria.

[jtuf]

I'm against tax money going to foriegn governments period. In the 1970's we sent money to prop up Iran. Then in the 1980's we sent money to Iraq to fight Iran. We also give millitary assistance to the Saudi Arabian government. You guys might remember the Reason articles in December about the Saudi goverment crack down on peaceful protestors. They arrested and exicuted many Arabs without trial. When the 60 year old mother of one protester asked the Saudi government to return her sons body so she can bury it, she was arrested. She is still waiting in jail without trial. If you want freedom for Arabs, I agree whole heartedly. Go to http://www.freedomhouse.org/ to find the Middle East governments that trample on the rights of Arabs the most.

Joseph

[Ben]

Can anyone explain to me why in the hell my tax dollars should be used to buy hummers for Israelis? Especially when OUR troops have an urgent need for them.

[joe]

Humvees. The Hummer is the civilian model, with a cd player and leather seats and stuff. Clearly, this story is about Humvees.

Unless they're intended for people in the Green Zone...

[JAT]

Joe:

I'm just using the term as it has evolved, and Hummer and Humvee have come to be used more or less at random.

[Tim Cavanaugh]

More specifically, a hummer is a blowjob. How can anybody use this word in reference to a vanity vehicle without giggling like a schoolgirl?

[Dink]

Tim,

I was going to post a Hummer/Clinton joke, but it seemed superfluous.

[Russ]

My recollection is that the armored humvees are going to outfits like Blackpool and other private enterprise tax dollar huffing consultants, while the military gets the shaft. I betcha the Blackwater boys are getting all the hummers, too.

[ewilliam]

Well, Ben, judging by your surprise/outrage at this pittance, you're not aware that a handful of armored humvees is merely the tip of the iceberg, when it comes to the United States forking over taxpayer cash to Israel. Every year, the United States gives between 3 and 6 Billion dollars to the Israeli government. Much of that money is used to buy military items like armaments, vehicles, etc., which in turn are used to wage war on the Palestinians. The icing on the cake is that Israel buys many of these weapons from US companies, meaning that the money is, at least, pumped back into our economy.

But honestly, 80 humvees are grains of sand on the beach that is our support of Israel's military incursions. At least we can sleep well knowing that all that money that the government steals from us every coupla weeks is put to good use...like "liberating" Iraq and old folks' meds and Israel's war with the Palestinians. Kinda makes you feel all warm inside, don't it?

[Eric Pobirs]

If the Israelis were truly making war on the Palestinians there wouldn't be any Palestinians left. THe capabilities of the IDF and the lack thereof by the Pals makes that foregone conclusion.

Fighting a defensive war is much more expensive than going on the offensive and ending the problem. The could kill tens of thousands and drive out the remainder any time inthe last twenty years but it simply isn't in their character to do so. Arabs wouldn't be so tolerant. When the PLO tried to overthrow the Jordanian government it cost them 30,000 lives.