Gates meets AIPAC

WASHINGTON - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates will visit Israel next week for a series of meetings with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz on the strategic situation in the Middle East. During his visit and to ask permission for the sale of advanced weapons systems to Saudi Arabia.

The American defense establishment is determined to sell these systems to Arab states and will seek a compromise formula in order to prevent the AIPAC and their lackeys in Congress from foiling the deal.

Israel has said it wants the same weapons for nothing if they give permission to the Us to sell the weapons at all.

Israel's strong opposition to the sale these weapons systems was covered extensively last week by the New York Times.

“If the deal is not approved by Israel then no deal will be done”, the New York Times reported.

The Gates visit is critical to helping heal the rift in the relations between the U.S. and Israel defense establishments, following the crisis that occurred over Israeli's sale of US military equipment to China.

Gates' main mission at this point is to beg the israelis to allow the sale to Saudi Arabia so that the American arms industry can make a few $$$$s and to counter the Shia build up in the area.

American sources told Haaretz yesterday that Gates is interested in hearing what the Israeli leadership thinks about what he should be allowed to do in the area (Middle East).