ARPAVAX:UNKNOWN:arens@UCBKIM (12/20/82)
From: arens@UCBKIM (Yigal Arens)
An article by Leslie H. Gelb that appeared in the New York Times on December
17, 1982. One section, mostly listing other countries supplying arms and
military aid to the region was dropped.
Israel Said to Step Up Latin Role, Offering Arms Seized in Lebanon
==================================================================
Israel is enlarging its military training missions and role as a
principal supplier of arms to Central America, according to State Department
and intelligence officials. They Said that among the arms being offered
were sizable stocks of weapons captured from Palestinian forces in Lebanon.
The arms and trainers are being used to combat antigovernment insurgents
in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Costa Rica. The officials also said
that Israelis were assisting intelligence activities in Costa Rica and
Guatemala and were about to expand their military connections with Honduras.
The numbers of weapons and specialists provided, though not large in
absolute terms, are generally viewed as substantial by standards for the
small security forces in Central America. For example, most of the Honduran
Air Force consists of French aircraft rebuilt by Israel and almost all of
the Guatemalan armed forces carry Uzi submachine guns and Galil rifles.
...
No Israeli or American official said that Israel was in Central America
to do Washington's bidding or to help out in countries such as Guatemala
where the Administration is barred from providing military aid because of
civil rights abuses. Administration officials could think of only one such
instance, last year, when Secretary of State Alexander M. Haig Jr. prompted
Israel to do more in Guatemala. By all accounts, Israel needed no prompting.
According to officials in both countries, Israel does not inform
Washington of its military and intelligence support in the region. Thus,
the Administration officials said, Washington has a difficult time finding
out exactly what Israel is up to.
Most recently, when Defense Minister Ariel Sharon visited Honduras,
Washington was neither told of the visit beforehand nor about its results,
Administration officials said. Whatever chagrin was felt in the State
Department was dampened when officials there discovered that the Israeli
Foreign Ministry learned about the Sharon trip only after it was disclosed
unofficially to the Israeli press.
When asked whether the Administration looked kindly on Israeli
activities in the region, a high State Department official commented:
"Absolutely. We've indicated we're not unhappy they are helping out. But I
wouldn't say we and the Israelis have figured out together what to do."
Israeli officials declined to discuss "security activities" but said
Isarel was providing technical and agricultural assistance to governments in
the region as well as military support. One official described these
governments as friendly to Israel and said, "When a country friendly to
Israel asks for help, we don't ask whether it is democratic or nondemocratic
and we don't ask about its motives."
According to Administration officials, Israel recently offered Costa
Rica a substantial amount of military equipment captured from Palestinian
forces in Lebanon if Costa Rica would pay the transportation costs. Costa
Rica has no army; its functions are carried out by a civil guard.
The officials said there were indications that Israel had made a similar
proposal to Honduras. They said they had no information on the details of
Mr. Sharon's recent proposals to Honduras, but stated the Administration was
unlikely to approve the sale of Israeli Kfir jets to that country. Israel
would have to obtain American approval because the Kfir contains General
Electric jet engines.
Three months ago, the Administration announced a policy of urging
Central American nations to agree to bar the import of "major offensive
weapons," which officials said would certainly include the Kfir. This
constitutes a reversal of earlier policy that allowed Israel to sell 12
Kfirs to Ecuador last year and would run counter to the Administration's
decision last year to sell 24 new F-16 fighter-bombers to Venezuela.
It also comes after Administration approval of more than $1 billion in
arms sales to the region in its first two years, a figure that represents
more than a doubling of the annual average from 1976 to 1980, even after
adjusting for inflation.
Israel entered the Central American arms market in the mid-1970's,
largely to supply small arms to the Nicaraguan regime headed by Anastasio
Somoza Debayle. Those supplies continued nearly until the collapse of the
Somoza regime despite entreaties by the Carter Administration to stop much
earlier.
During this period Israel began to move into markets vacated by the
United States, mainly to countries denied American arms because of human
rights violations. These included not only most of the countries of Central
America, but Argentina and Chile as well.
According to Administration officials, Israel thus became the largest
supplier of infantry equipment -- rifles, submachine guns, mortars and
communications gear -- to El Salvador and Guatemala. It also filled a
comparable role for Hunduras and Costa Rica, which were not human rights
violators.
These countries also bought the Israeli-made Arava short-takeoff-
and-landing aircraft, said to be effective for transporting troops and
equipment in actions against guerrillas in densely forested areas. Some 75
Aravas are known to have been sold to seven Central and South American
coutries in the last few years.
Israel has also sold rebuilt French aircraft to El Salvador and Honduras
and is said to want to sell Israeli-made Kfirs and other aircraft to the
region as alternatives to either French or American aircraft.
In addition, Israel is known to have intelligence teams, security and
communications specialists and military training personnel in Guatemala,
Honduras and Costa Rica. There are conflicting reports about similar ties
to El Salvador. In any event, Israeli and Administration officials denied
any involvement by the Israeli Government in guerrilla action against the
Nicaraguan Government.
Yigal Arens
UC BerkeleyARPAVAX:UNKNOWN:arens (12/20/82)
An article by Leslie H. Gelb that appeared in the New York Times on December
17, 1982. One section, mostly listing other countries supplying arms and
military aid to the region was dropped.
Israel Said to Step Up Latin Role, Offering Arms Seized in Lebanon
==================================================================
Israel is enlarging its military training missions and role as a
principal supplier of arms to Central America, according to State Department
and intelligence officials. They Said that among the arms being offered
were sizable stocks of weapons captured from Palestinian forces in Lebanon.
The arms and trainers are being used to combat antigovernment insurgents
in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Costa Rica. The officials also said
that Israelis were assisting intelligence activities in Costa Rica and
Guatemala and were about to expand their military connections with Honduras.
The numbers of weapons and specialists provided, though not large in
absolute terms, are generally viewed as substantial by standards for the
small security forces in Central America. For example, most of the Honduran
Air Force consists of French aircraft rebuilt by Israel and almost all of
the Guatemalan armed forces carry Uzi submachine guns and Galil rifles.
...
No Israeli or American official said that Israel was in Central America
to do Washington's bidding or to help out in countries such as Guatemala
where the Administration is barred from providing military aid because of
civil rights abuses. Administration officials could think of only one such
instance, last year, when Secretary of State Alexander M. Haig Jr. prompted
Israel to do more in Guatemala. By all accounts, Israel needed no prompting.
According to officials in both countries, Israel does not inform
Washington of its military and intelligence support in the region. Thus,
the Administration officials said, Washington has a difficult time finding
out exactly what Israel is up to.
Most recently, when Defense Minister Ariel Sharon visited Honduras,
Washington was neither told of the visit beforehand nor about its results,
Administration officials said. Whatever chagrin was felt in the State
Department was dampened when officials there discovered that the Israeli
Foreign Ministry learned about the Sharon trip only after it was disclosed
unofficially to the Israeli press.
When asked whether the Administration looked kindly on Israeli
activities in the region, a high State Department official commented:
"Absolutely. We've indicated we're not unhappy they are helping out. But I
wouldn't say we and the Israelis have figured out together what to do."
Israeli officials declined to discuss "security activities" but said
Isarel was providing technical and agricultural assistance to governments in
the region as well as military support. One official described these
governments as friendly to Israel and said, "When a country friendly to
Israel asks for help, we don't ask whether it is democratic or nondemocratic
and we don't ask about its motives."
According to Administration officials, Israel recently offered Costa
Rica a substantial amount of military equipment captured from Palestinian
forces in Lebanon if Costa Rica would pay the transportation costs. Costa
Rica has no army; its functions are carried out by a civil guard.
The officials said there were indications that Israel had made a similar
proposal to Honduras. They said they had no information on the details of
Mr. Sharon's recent proposals to Honduras, but stated the Administration was
unlikely to approve the sale of Israeli Kfir jets to that country. Israel
would have to obtain American approval because the Kfir contains General
Electric jet engines.
Three months ago, the Administration announced a policy of urging
Central American nations to agree to bar the import of "major offensive
weapons," which officials said would certainly include the Kfir. This
constitutes a reversal of earlier policy that allowed Israel to sell 12
Kfirs to Ecuador last year and would run counter to the Administration's
decision last year to sell 24 new F-16 fighter-bombers to Venezuela.
It also comes after Administration approval of more than $1 billion in
arms sales to the region in its first two years, a figure that represents
more than a doubling of the annual average from 1976 to 1980, even after
adjusting for inflation.
Israel entered the Central American arms market in the mid-1970's,
largely to supply small arms to the Nicaraguan regime headed by Anastasio
Somoza Debayle. Those supplies continued nearly until the collapse of the
Somoza regime despite entreaties by the Carter Administration to stop much
earlier.
During this period Israel began to move into markets vacated by the
United States, mainly to countries denied American arms because of human
rights violations. These included not only most of the countries of Central
America, but Argentina and Chile as well.
According to Administration officials, Israel thus became the largest
supplier of infantry equipment -- rifles, submachine guns, mortars and
communications gear -- to El Salvador and Guatemala. It also filled a
comparable role for Hunduras and Costa Rica, which were not human rights
violators.
These countries also bought the Israeli-made Arava short-takeoff-
and-landing aircraft, said to be effective for transporting troops and
equipment in actions against guerrillas in densely forested areas. Some 75
Aravas are known to have been sold to seven Central and South American
coutries in the last few years.
Israel has also sold rebuilt French aircraft to El Salvador and Honduras
and is said to want to sell Israeli-made Kfirs and other aircraft to the
region as alternatives to either French or American aircraft.
In addition, Israel is known to have intelligence teams, security and
communications specialists and military training personnel in Guatemala,
Honduras and Costa Rica. There are conflicting reports about similar ties
to El Salvador. In any event, Israeli and Administration officials denied
any involvement by the Israeli Government in guerrilla action against the
Nicaraguan Government.