Bill includes U.S.-Israel missile coordination

Published: 12/14/2007

Congress is set to approve a plan to integrate the U.S. and Israeli missile defense systems.

The proposal, authored by U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), is part of the Defense Authorization Act passed late Wednesday by the U.S. House of Representatives and due to be considered by the Senate before Christmas break. Under the proposal, the secretary of defense must within six months present a plan to Congress a plan "to improve the coordination, interoperability, and integration of the U.S. National Ballistic Missile Defense System with Israel’s missile defense architecture," a statement from Kirk's office said.

Such a plan will help defend Israel against reported plans by Iran to build missiles that can reach Israel, Kirk said. "Israel will be the first and only country to fully integrate with the American missile defense architecture," the statement said. "It is a symbol of our shared values and a safer 21st century.

Bill includes U.S.-Israel missile coordination

According to The Washington Report On Middle East Affairs Pro-Israel PAC Contributions to 2006 Congressional Candidates, U.S. Rep Mark Kirk (R-Ill) received $66,064 from the American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee the 2005-2006 election cycle with a career total of $119,382

Kirk Proposal to Integrate U.S. National Missile Defense with Israel Carries Handily in House of Representatives

Washington, DC - A proposal to fully integrate Israel into the U.S. National Ballistic Missile Defense System engineered by U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) passed the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday by a bipartisan vote of 394-30.

The proposal, offered in a procedural amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, requires the Secretary of Defense to better integrate the ballistic missile defense system of the United States with the defenses of Israel and to provide "robust protection" against ballistic missile attacks from Iran.

"Democracies are strongest when they stick together," Congressman Kirk said. "Iranian President Ahmadinejad calls for Israel to be wiped off the map and talks of the Jewish people's annihilation.

Today America sends a message to the Iranian dictator-Israel will have the full weight of America's national missile defense system to defend herself."

In addition to Kirk's missile defense integration plan, an amendment offered by U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) authorized an additional $205 million for U.S.-Israel defense projects, including the Arrow missile program, the David's Sling short-range ballistic missile defense system and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) fire unit, a follow-on to the current American-Israel Arrow program.

"Today is an historic day for U.S.-Israel defense relations," Kirk said. "Israel will be the first and only country to fully integrate with the American missile defense architecture. It is a symbol of our shared values and a safer 21st century."

Sure enough, as stated in that article there was nothing about integrating Israel into our system in the first version that was introduced to the House http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.1585...: [*] nor in the 6th version.

In the final version, there it is, another fact on the ground, snuck and stuck in there as concretely as a settlement on a Palestinian olive orchard.

There are 7 versions of Bill Number H.R.1585 for the 110th Congress