DoD News Briefing
DoD Background Briefing
Secretary Cohen's Upcoming Trip to Middle East
Attributable to a Senior Defense Official
Tuesday, November 14, 2000 - 4:40 p.m. EST
(Also participating was Kenneth H. Bacon, assistant secretary of Defense for Public Affairs)
Q: There have been a lot of reports that the Israeli army is using U.S.-made weapons against the Palestinians in that kind of confrontation over the past week. Shall we expect that issue to be raised by the secretary during his visit to Israel? And in any case, did the Pentagon discuss that matter, raise that matter, with the Israelis or check these reports to make sure that there have been no violations?
Senior Defense Official: The Israeli inventory is largely U.S.-made equipment. There is legislation that is - and there's been some concern expressed about the use of that, of U.S. equipment, in certain contexts, and we realize that. That issue, in particular, is not - I don't believe will be raised in that particular context. The issue of violence, of getting back to the negotiating table, finding ways to reduce the violence, are clearly issues that will be at the forefront of not only the region's leadership, but also what we have been trying - what this administration has been doing. So on a broad level, there will be discussions about that.
Q: Yeah, but if I may follow up, but has the Pentagon raised that issue directly with the Israeli government in any way?
Senior Defense Official: No. No.
Q: Did it check these reports to make sure that there --
Senior Defense Official: We have not raised it with the Israeli government.
....
Q: If we can go back to this point about the U.S. weapons for just a moment. How does the administration see - I mean, does the administration see the use of these weapons against Palestinian civilians as a violation of the terms upon which these weapons were transferred to Israel? And does the administration see any linkage between the attack on the USS Cole and the use of these weapons, this heavy weaponry, I mean?
Senior Defense Official: I'll take your second question first. I'm not entirely sure I understand that connection. I'm not sure that there is a connection between --
Q: The attack and the fact that there are reports that the Israeli Army is using U.S.-made heavy weaponry against the Palestinians. Do you see any linkage? And does the administration see that use as a violation of the terms upon which these weapons were given to the Israelis?
Senior Defense Official: Since the investigation is still going on on the Cole, I'm not going to get into what we think are the linkages and what was the cause and effect of it.
As for the first question, I would have to say that we are - clearly, the Israelis are using some of their weapons to engage the way they feel they have to engage. We have not raised that issue with them, nor have we in the past tended to raise that issue with other countries that have used weapon systems in ways that perhaps from our perspective we may see things differently. It's a very - I think it's a very sensitive question when you begin to insist that weapons are used only in a certain way.
Q: But there are no terms telling how to use - I mean, whether to use these weapons against civilians or not?
Senior Defense Official: When we sell our weapon systems, there's a general understanding that the weapon systems are supposed to be used in the way the weapons systems are designed to be used. And when they are not used in the way in which they're supposed to be used, sometimes there can be a problem. I'm not entirely convinced that strictly on that basis, these weapon systems are not being used, you know, improperly. I mean, we may discuss about the violence and whether you should be using that to deal with that kind of violence. That's a separate issue.
