TOW anti-tank missiles supplied by Israel to Iran 14 years ago are now in the hands of the Hizbullah. This was reported by the highly influential commentator Daniel Schorr in the US public radio network NPR.
At least some of the Israeli positions in South Lebanon, in which seven IDF soldiers were recently killed, we hit by anti-tank missiles, but whether or not of the TOW model was not reported.
The commentator, quoting Israeli intelligence sources, says the Hizbullah forces in South Lebanon recently received large shipments of arms and ammunition from Iran, including TOW antitank missiles.
The last known shipments to Iran included 2,008 missiles sent by Israel in 1986 in return for the release of the American hostages held in South Lebanon. It was later reported that this deal was implemented on the initiative of President Ronald Reagan's aides, Robert MacFarlane and Oliver North, in the Iran-Contra affair.
This report lends particular significance to the criticism recently voiced by US Congressmen to David Ivri, Israel's new Ambassador in Washington, against Israel's decision to sell China an advanced radar system, over US protests.
Contrary to the belief of elements in the Israel Aircraft Industries, opposition in Washington to the sale of the radar system to China is mounting. The system in question is a Falcon model airborne early warning radar system manufactured by IAI subsidiary Elta, and mounted on a Russian plane in one of the largest arms deals in the history of Israel's defence industries.
"The sale of the Israeli radar to China is not expected to come off the agenda", a Capitol Hill source told "Globes", "not because we maintain that the system contains US technology, but because the sale runs directly counter to the security and political interests of the United States. You can be sure you will be hearing a lot more from us on this matter, also in the discussions on the foreign aid budget".
Published by Israel's Business Arena on 13 February, 20000