Dichter: US Stopped Parts Sales During Intifada

2005-09-22

Nathan Guttman

The Jerusalem Post

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The US imposed a sales embargo on spare parts for helicopters during the first year of the Intifada, former head of the Shin Bet, Avi Dichter, revealed on Thursday.

In a speech at the Saban Center for Middle East Studies at the Brookings Institution, where Dichter is now a fellow, he said that the embargo was short-term, and was imposed because the of the Israeli policy of "targeted killings" by the Israeli air-force using US made helicopters. "The embargo was lifted after the 9/11 attacks", Dichter said in his speech.

This is the first time an Israeli official has mentioned such an embargo on military equipment, and it is not clear what spare parts were banned for sale to Israel.

Human rights groups and members of Congress tried, in the early years of the Intifada, to get the US administration to stop supply of aircrafts to Israel, claiming the Israeli air force was breeching the "terms of use" agreed upon with the US government. The Pentagon and the State Department rejected those claims and did not put new limits on the sales to Israel.

Dichter, who recently met with PM Ariel Sharon to discuss the possibility of joining the political arena, said he is still considering his future, but did not dismiss the possibility of a career in politics.

"I will make my decision in the next three months", said Dichter, who will be spending that time in Washington. "It will take no longer and no shorter that three months."

Dichter refused to say which party he is thinking of joining - "first I'll decide what course I'm taking," he said, adding that the field of politics attracts him more now than it did five years ago.

In his speech, in front of an audience of Middle East experts, Avi Dichter said it is now up to the Palestinian Authority to decide if it wants to choose the path of harboring terrorism, as do Lebanon, Syria and Iran, or the way of fighting terror, like Egypt and Jordan have chosen. "If the PA chooses to fight terror they can build a paradise on the ground," said Dichter, "but if the PA goes the other way, I can assure them they'll enjoy the fruits of hell."

Dichter portrayed the Israeli way of dealing with terror as a success, but pointed out that it was successful only after Israel arrived at the conclusion that it must use full force against the terrorists. "If the M-16 can send a message, then sometimes the F-16 can deliver that message even better."

According to Dichter, Israel erred when it chose the policy of limited response to terrorism, and gained victory only after it employed full force. He said that there is no sense in a measured response, because the escalation will happen in any case.

Source: IMRA – Independent Media Review and Analysis