(New York Times) Eric Schmitt - The Pentagon is tapping into a vast but little-known stockpile of American ammunition in Israel to help meet Ukraine's dire need for artillery shells in the war with Russia, American and Israeli officials say. The stockpile provides arms and ammunition for the Pentagon to use in Middle East conflicts. The U.S. has also allowed Israel to access the supplies in emergencies. The Pentagon has tapped a similar stockpile in South Korea. According to two senior Israeli officials, the U.S. has promised Israel that it will replenish what it takes from the warehouses in its territory. Israeli officials said that Israel had not changed its policy of not providing Ukraine with lethal weapons and rather was acceding to an American decision to use its own ammunition as it saw fit. The Israeli minister of defense at the time, Benny Gantz, brought the issue to the Israeli cabinet, where the defense establishment recommended accepting the plan because the ammunition was American property.
2023-01-19 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive