US Provides Israel With Weapons, Cash, Technology, Supports Attacks in Gaza
16:29 04/08/2014
MOSCOW, August 4 (RIA Novosti) - The US government plays crucial part in Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip, providing Tel-Aviv with cash, weapons and surveillance technology, according to documents revealed by NSA ex-contractor Edward Snowden and published by Intercept.
The documents shed light on how the United States enabled Israel's military assaults on Gaza.
Over the past decade, the NSA has significantly increased the surveillance assistance it provides to the Israeli SIGINT National Unit (ISNU, also known as Unit 8200), including data used to monitor and target Palestinians. Often the NSA and ISNU have cooperated with British and Canadian intelligence agencies.
During last week's press conference, US President Barack Obama responded to questions concerning civilian deaths in Gaza, acting as if he was just a bystander and refusing to admit any US involvement in the Gaza conflict.
"It is heartbreaking to see what's happening there," Obama said.
At the same time, Barack Obama's administration "agreed to Israel's request to resupply it with several types of ammunition. Among the items being bought are 120mm mortar rounds and 40mm ammunition for grenade launchers," according to last week's CNN report.
US Congress anonymously enacted several resolutions to support and enable Israel.
The top-secret NSA document revealed by Edward Snowden stated that the "NSA maintains a far-reaching technical and analytic relationship with the Israeli SIGINT National Unit (ISNU) sharing information on access, intercept, targeting, language, analysis and reporting."
The document also stated that the "NSA's cyber partnerships expanded beyond ISNU to include Israeli Defense Intelligence's [Special Operation Division] SOD and Mossad."
Among Israel's priorities for cooperation are what the NSA calls "Palestinian terrorism."
Documents from Edward Snowden's archive reveal at least one covert transaction of $500,000 in cash to Israeli operatives to conduct surveillance on Palestinian targets.
Another classified NSA document from 2013 describes how the "NSA's partnership with EWD [the Jordanian Electronic Warfare Directorate] is a well established, long-standing and trusted relationship dating back to the early 1980's."
The two agencies "cooperate on high-priority SIGINT targets of mutual interest" that include the Palestinian Security Forces.
It is unclear how, given strong NSA cooperation with Tel-Aviv, the agency still constantly characterizes Israel as a potential threat to US national security and Middle Eastern regional security.
Israel launched its Gaza offensive on July 8, targeting the Hamas movement and its allied groups of rebels.
On July 17, following days of fighting, Tel Aviv switched to a ground offensive to find and destroy the network of Hamas tunnels around the border area.
The total number of those killed in course of the operation has reached 1,700 Palestinians, mostly civilians. The Israeli side has lost 67 people.
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