1/1/12 QME & US Democracy Allies Israel & Saudi Arabia

Making it clear that US runs its client state, not the other way around as US apologists absurdly pretend

U.S. Saudi deal assures Israel's QME:

Morris J. Amitay, former head of AIPAC the Pro-Israel lobby, told ABC a chief aim of the sale is insuring that Saudi Arabia can serve as another regional military counterweight to Iran... "It is an attempt to bolster the Saudis at a time when the Iranians are trying to be a hegemonic power for the entire region,"
"Our six-decade-long security relationship with Saudi Arabia is a primary security pillar in the region. This package continues that tradition."
" Defense Sec. Robert M. Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Nov. 16 letter to congress.
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/critics-slam-obama-administration-hiding-m...

US' special fascist democracy friends:

Saudi Arabia's government takes the form of an Islamic absolute monarchy...Interior Minister Prince Nayef as his new heir...
www.wn.com/Saudi_Arabia__A_British_journalist_crying_in_Old_Jeddah
Saudi Arabia's new crown prince Nayef bin Abdel-Aziz, ultraconservative interior minister directly involved in sending troops to suppress pro-reform protests in Bahrain is close to Islamic fundamentalists..US Secretary of State Clinton called Sultan a "good friend to the United States". It is not known what effects succession would have on reforms to allow women to drive and vote

Ensuring Israel's Qualitative Military Edge, QME
Andrew J. Shapiro, Assistant Secretary,?Bureau of Political-Military Affairs
Remarks to The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Washington, DC, November 4, 2011
http://www.state.gov/t/pm/rls/rm/176684.htm
As President Obama said: ?the United States sees the historic changes sweeping the Middle East and North Africa as a moment of great challenge, but also a moment of opportunity for greater peace and security for the entire region, including the State of Israel.?
However, change ? even for the better ? is never easy. The tremendous events of the past year also bring uncertainty. For Israel, a country with security challenges that few countries in the world can contemplate, the volatility that we are witnessing in the region, is both a cause for optimism and concern. But in these changing times, there is one thing that Israel can always be certain of ? and that?s America?s enduring commitment to its security. To be clear, in this time of dramatic change in the Middle East, the United States understands the challenges that these changes could pose to Israel?s security. Our policies and decisions will take this uncertainty into account. As Israel looks to the future, it should know that America will be there by its side.
I am proud to say that this administration has taken steps to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship and preserve it in a new century and era of dramatic change. As a result of the Obama Administration?s commitment, our security relationship with Israel is broader, deeper and more intense than ever before. Prime Minister Netanyahu has said that the security cooperation between our two countries is ?unprecedented.? In fact, I believe that no American administration has done as much as ours for Israel's security.
Yet, with such significant change in the region, we must continue to forge an ever closer relationship. As Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs, one of my primary responsibilities is to preserve Israel?s Qualitative Military Edge, or QME....I want to talk about why this is important to the United States, why it benefits our national security, and the steps we are taking to ensure Israel?s security in these turbulent times.
A Strong Partnership Supports U.S. National Security. So let me first turn to why this relationship is so important to the United States.
It is widely known that our two countries share a special bond that is rooted in our common values and interwoven cultures. It famously took President Truman just 11 minutes to extend official, diplomatic recognition to the State of Israel when it was founded in 1948. Since then, unwavering U.S. commitment to Israel?s security has been one of the fundamental tenets of America?s national security... over 60 years ? across Democratic and Republican administrations. As President Obama said, ?the United States is committed to Israel's security. We are committed to that special bond, and we are going to do what's required to back that up, not just with words but with actions.?
The cornerstone of America?s security commitment is to help Israel uphold its qualitative military edge... Israel?s ability to counter and defeat credible military threats from any individual state, coalition of states, or non-state actor, while sustaining minimal damages or casualties. This commitment was written into law in 2008 and each and every security assistance request from the Israeli Government is evaluated in light of our policy to uphold Israel?s Qualitative Military Edge.
The most direct tool the United States uses to ensure Israel?s qualitative military edge is security assistance. For some three decades, Israel has been the leading beneficiary of U.S. security assistance through the Foreign Military Financing program, or FMF...each year Israel accounts for 60 percent of U.S. security assistance funding distributed through FMF.
The Obama Administration...is carrying this legacy to new heights at a time when Israel needs our support to address the multifaceted threats it faces. Despite these budget constrained times our commitment is unshakeable. For Fiscal Year 2012, the Administration requested more than $3 billion in direct security assistance funding for Israel, the largest such request in U.S. history...

But today, in these budget constrained times ? some are now asking the question why should we keep providing aid to Israel?... I can answer that skepticism directly ? we don?t just support Israel because of a long standing bond, we support Israel because it is in our national interests to do so. This aspect of our relationship with Israel is often overlooked... Ensuring Israel?s military strength and its superiority in the region, is critical to regional stability and as a result is fundamentally a core interest of the United States.?
The United States and Israel also see eye to eye on host of strategic questions. Indeed, a new Washington Institute report by Robert Blackwill and Walter Slocombe articulates the strategic benefits of the relationship for the United States...? Israel is a vital ally and serves as a cornerstone of our regional security commitments. From confronting Iranian aggression, to working together to combat transnational terrorist networks, to stopping nuclear proliferation and supporting democratic change and economic development in the region ? it is clear that both our strategic outlook, as well as our national interests are strongly in sync...

The Iranian regime continues to be committed to upsetting peace and stability in the region and beyond. Iran?s nuclear program is a serious concern, particularly in light of Iran?s expansion of the program over the past several years in defiance of its international obligations. As Secretary Clinton said, ?for Israel, there is no greater strategic threat than the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran.? In response the Obama administration has rallied the international community and built an unprecedented coalition to impose the most far-reaching sanctions Iran has ever faced. Today, Iran finds itself increasingly isolated from the international community, making it ever harder for it to acquire materials for its nuclear and missile programs.

However, the dangers emanating from Iran go well beyond its nuclear program. This was clearly demonstrated last month with the uncovering of the Iranian plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador on U.S. soil. While such a brazen and reckless plot has surprised many around the world, to many Israelis, Iran?s menacing actions are all too familiar. Iran?s support for Hezbollah and Hamas, enables these groups to fire rockets indiscriminately at Israeli population centers. Iran?s extensive arms smuggling operations, many of which originate in Tehran and Damascus, weaken regional security and disrupt efforts to establish lasting peace between Israel and its neighbors. As change sweeps the region, Iran has and should be expected to continue its attempts to exploit much positive change for its own cynical ambitions.

Iran?s support also extends to Syria, which has long threatened Israel?s security. In the last few months, the true nature of the Syrian regime has been vividly displayed with its brutal oppression of the Syrian people. Violence is escalating in the country rooted above all in the regime?s refusal to allow a real political transition to go forward. Not only is the regime driving the cycle of violence and sectarianism ? we believe it is a deliberate strategy. In these circumstances, a peaceful political transition is the only positive way ahead, and we urge President Assad to step aside and allow other Syrians to move it forward.
But despite the instability in Syria, its support for Lebanese Hezbollah continues virtually unhindered. Syria remains the vital link between Hezbollah and Iran. The Syrian regime continues to provide critical military and logistical support to Hezbollah, including safe passage for Iranian assistance to the group via overland transit routes. Hezbollah also maintains a permanent presence in Syria via its offices in Damascus. And there is growing concern in the region that Syria may be providing sophisticated missile technology to Hezbollah.
We must recognize that the ever-evolving technology of war is making it harder to guarantee Israel?s security. For six decades, Israelis have guarded their borders vigilantly. But advances in rocket technology require new levels of U.S.-Israel cooperation...

Maintaining Israel?s Qualitative Military Edge
Preserving Israel?s Qualitative Military Edge is therefore a multi-faceted endeavor that includes more than just security assistance or ensuring that Israel has access to technologically advanced defense systems. It also involves building operational capability through exercises, training, and personnel exchanges. It involves a close bilateral relationship with constant consultations. It includes taking Israel?s QME into consideration when conducting defense cooperation with other countries in the region. And lastly it involves maintaining and strengthening our very close ties with countries throughout the region...above and beyond the $3 billion in Foreign Military Financing we provide...
Another way... is through joint military exercises and training. Last fall we conducted the ballistic missile defense exercise: JUNIPER COBRA 2010. More than 1,000 U.S. troops participated in JUNIPER COBRA, making it the largest U.S.-Israeli military exercise in history. However, that accolade won?t last long. Because next year, we will combine the U.S. European Command?s premiere annual exercise, Austere Challenge, with the annual iteration of the Juniper Cobra exercise. This will involve more than 5,000 U.S and Israeli forces simulating the ballistic missile defense of Israel, making it by far the largest and the most significant exercise in U.S.-Israeli history. U.S. and Israeli forces also take part in numerous exercises throughout the year in order to test operational concepts, improve interoperability, and practice urban terrain and counter-terrorism operations. This intensive collaboration enhances Israel?s military capabilities and develops a greater understanding and closer relationship between the U.S. military and the Israeli Defense Forces.... also furthered by the fact many Israeli officers and enlisted personnel attend U.S. military schools such as the National War College....allow Israel?s future military leaders to acquire essential professional skills, and build life-long relationships with U.S. military counterparts.
A third way we support Israel?s defense needs is by ensuring Israel is equipped with highly advanced systems...to provide Israel with advanced products and systems restricted to only the closest U.S.allies and partners....we have notified Congress of a number of significant sales, most notably the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter... a key contribution to upholding Israel?s military edge for many years to come. Additionally, Israel benefits from a War Reserve Stockpile maintained in Israel by U.S. European Command... to boost Israeli defenses in the case of a significant military emergency. Also... Israel is also able to access millions of dollars in free or discounted military equipment each year through the Department of Defense?s Excess Defense Articles program.
We are also improving the process through which defense sales to Israel are notified to Congress. Israel will soon join some of our closest partners, including NATO members, Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand, subject to an expedited Congressional Notification process. This also puts higher thresholds on the value of transactions that need to be notified to Congress...
Furthermore, unlike other beneficiaries of Foreign Military Financing, Israel is the only country authorized to set aside one-quarter of its FMF funding for off-shore procurements. This exception provides a significant boost for Israel?s domestic defense industry to develop indigenous production capacity and invest in research and development critical to developing advanced systems...

However, what underpins all of these efforts to support Israel?s QME, is the closeness of our bilateral political-military relationship. This Administration?s commitment to Israel?s security is not just about providing resources or just implementing existing policies. Rather, we have been cultivating new ways to ensure Israel?s security and enhance our relationship...there has been an unprecedented reinvigoration of our bilateral defense consultations. And in the wake of the dramatic changes in the region, to expand these even further.
Through nearly continuous high-level discussions and visits, we have re-energized dialogues such as the U.S.-Israel Joint Political-Military Group, or JPMG, and the Defense Policy Advisory Group, among others. I lead the U.S. government?s discussions within the JPMG, which includes representatives from both the State Department and the Pentagon on the U.S. side and the Foreign and Defense Ministries on the Israeli side. These discussions cover a wide range of political-military issues, but it is first and foremost focused on maintaining Israel?s qualitative military edge. The DoD-led Defense Policy Advisory Group also provides a high-level forum that is dedicated to further enhancing defense policy coordination.

But these forums are just one piece of a larger set of dialogues. We are conducting an unprecedented number of intimate consultations at senior levels of our governments...small private sessions allow us to talk about a wide range of security issues, ranging from defense procurement to regional security... provide an opportunity for our governments to share perspectives on policies, how we perceive certain threats, address potential concerns, and find new areas for cooperation.
One example of our growing cooperation, can be found in joint efforts to prevent and interdict the illicit trafficking of arms into Gaza...the Gaza Counter Arms Smuggling Initiative.. The eighth GCASI meeting will be held in Paris in December...under this multi-national initiative, we are working to employ a broad range of diplomatic, military, intelligence and law enforcement tools to stop the shipment of arms, especially rockets and missiles into Gaza... The U.S. and Israel are also working closely in a number of other areas, such as combating terrorist financing and countering the proliferation of WMD through the Proliferation Security Initiative...collaboration possible because of the strength of our bilateral political-military relationship.

Our Commitments To The Region Support QME
...Our Israeli QME considerations are not simply focused on security assistance and defense sales to Israel, they extend to our decisions on defense cooperation with all other governments in the region... as a matter of policy we will not proceed with any release of military equipment or services that may pose a risk to allies or contribute to regional insecurity in the Middle East. In the wake of dramatic events impacting the region, we are closely examining all defense cooperation in light of QME...assessments aided by the close consultations with Israel...
Our relationships with Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and many Gulf countries allow the United States to strongly advocate for peace and stability in the region. For instance, our close relationship with Jordan has helped support peace in the region and is especially critical in light of the uncertainty in Syria... our extraordinary relationship of cooperation is reflected in the more than $300 million in security assistance we provide Jordan annually. Jordan continues to provide support for U.S. regional priorities, such as the Middle East Peace Process, countering radicalism, stabilizing Iraq, and most recently Operation Unified Protector in Libya...
Our close partnership with Egypt, rooted in the peace reached at the Camp David Accords has been an important factor in maintaining peace in the region. For the past 30 years, the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt has served as the basis for the $1.3 billion in annual U.S. Foreign Military Financing (FMF)...helps Egypt maintain a strong and disciplined professional defense force able to act as a regional leader and a moderating influence. Our assistance helps build ties between militaries, ensures that foreign militaries conduct themselves in restrained and professional ways, and creates strong incentives for recipient countries to maintain good ties with the United States... the uncertainty over the Egyptian transition has prompted some in Congress to propose conditioning our security assistance to Egypt. The Administration believes that putting conditions on our assistance to Egypt is the wrong approach, and Secretary Clinton has made this point strongly. Egypt is a pivotal country in the Middle East and a long-time partner of the United States. We have continued to rely on Egypt to support and advance U.S. interests in the region, including peace with Israel, confronting Iranian ambitions, interdicting smugglers, and supporting Iraq. Egypt?s well-being is important for the region as a whole....Our longstanding relationship with Egypt has helped support peace in the region. And we believe that as Egypt undergoes its political transition, it has the opportunity to become a model for a new democratic Middle East, an even more positive force for peace and stability in the region....we understand change can also be unsettling. The attack on the Israeli Embassy in Cairo this last September raised legitimate concerns. However, I am confident that Egypt will continue to value the security and opportunities the Israel-Egypt peace treaty provides. We are also encouraged by the positive, cooperative steps that Egypt and Israel have taken since then, including their cooperation on the release of Gilad Shalit...

I understand that in these budget constrained times Congress will take a close look at all our assistance programs...Conditioning assistance risks putting our relations with Egypt in a contentious place at the worst possible moment. As the Secretary explained, ?We support the democratic transition, and we don?t want to do anything that in any way draws into question our relationship or our support.?... Members of Congress should be clear about the potential second and third order effects of cutting off assistance to Lebanon or the Palestinian Authority... if we are no longer a partner, who will fill the void? We must think about the potential partners that could fill the space we leave behind ? and that should give us pause.

Furthermore, with our troops coming home from Iraq... Secretary Panetta noted the U.S. will continue to have a robust presence in the region. As U.S. forces begin to come home after years at war in Iraq, our diplomatic efforts, our development work, and our security assistance programs will prove critical to maintaining a robust presence in the region. Our total FMF funding amounts to just $5.5 billion per year, of which more than 80 percent goes to the supporting our partners and allies in the Middle East. Therefore deep and disproportionate cuts to the State Department budget, which accounts for just one percent of the overall federal budget, will not make a dent in the deficit or debt. But they will undermine U.S. national security and our ability to effectively engage the region. We don?t yet know how the budget discussions will play out but we are all bracing for their impact.

The last point I would like to make today is also one of the most important ways we work to support Israel?s security. And that is through our efforts to promote peace between Israelis and Palestinians. As the President and the Secretary, as well as many in this room, have acknowledged time and again, the status quo is simply unsustainable. Neither Israel?s future as a Jewish, democratic state nor the legitimate aspirations of Palestinians can be secured without a negotiated two-state solution.

Israel itself is not immune from the winds of change. As the people of the region attain greater freedom of movement, access to information and a deeper understanding of the political landscape, Israel will come under even greater scrutiny. This will certainly bring increased pressure to bear on the efforts to achieve a comprehensive peace in the region.

Israel has also faced concerted diplomatic efforts to undercut its legitimacy and isolate it from the international community. As the President has said, Israel's legitimacy is not a matter for debate. We have consistently opposed efforts to isolate Israel. We have stood up strongly for Israel and its right to defend itself after the Goldstone Report on the 2009 Gaza conflict was released. We have refused to attend events that endorse or commemorate the flawed 2001 World Conference Against Racism, which outrageously singled out Israel for criticism. This Administration has also made clear that a lasting and sustainable peace can only come though negotiations and remains firmly opposed to one-sided efforts to seek recognition of statehood outside the framework of negotiations, whether in the UN Security Council or other international force.
But let me be clear on this point: the changes impacting the region are prompting us to redouble our commitment to Israel?s security. This is why this Administration is not only sustaining and building upon practices established by prior administrations, but we are also undertaking new initiatives to make our security relationship more intimate than ever before.

Series: US embassy cables: document Israel grateful for US support
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 28 November 2010 13.15 EST
Friday, 31 August 2007, 12:45
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 05 TEL AVIV 002652
SIPDIS
EO 12958 DECL: 08/24/2017
SUBJECT: U/S BURNS' AUGUST 17 MEETING WITH ISRAELI MOSSAD
CHIEF MEIR DAGAN
Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones. Reasons: 1.4 (b)(d).
Summary
1. US undersecretary of state Nick Burns was thanked by Mossad chief Meir Dagan for agreement providing Israel with US$30bn in security assistance and guarantees to its "qualitative military edge" [QME] over any enemies. Laconic reference to "covert measures" against Iran. Key passage highlighted in yellow.

ISRAEL APPRECIATES AMERICA'S SUPPORT WITH THE SECURITY ASSISTANCE MOU. U.S. COMMITTED TO ISRAEL'S QME
3. (S) Dagan observed that the signing of the MOU on security assistance could not have come at a better time, and stressed that Israel appreciated America's support. The Under Secretary agreed about the timing, noting that the U.S., Israel and like-minded countries were facing multiple threats around the world, and that the Middle East is a very dangerous region. He said that the MOU serves as a concrete reminder that the U.S. stands by its long-term security commitments to its friends, and is ready to help them with their needs. The Under Secretary noted that the Middle East is at the heart of American interests. Because Egypt also plays a vital role in the region, the U.S. would also renew its security assistance commitment to that country. U.S. relations with the Gulf states were longstanding, and America would stay true to those friendships, as well. The Under Secretary stressed that the USG is committed to Israel's QME. He noted that the majority of systems and equipment the U.S. would sell to Egypt and other Arab partners would replace items sold to those countries in the past.
4. (S) Dagan said Israel sees itself in the middle of a rapidly changing environment, in which the fate of one Middle Eastern country is connected to another....Iran, Dagan observed is in a transition period... Instability driven by inflation and tension among ethnic minorities presents unique opportunities, and they might see a change in Iran in their lifetimes. Iraq may end up a weak, federal state comprised three entities, one each belonging to the Kurds, Sunnis and Shias Dagan said...
8. (S) Turning to the Gulf Security Dialogue (GSD), Dagan agreed enhancing the capabilities of the Gulf states "is the right direction to go," especially as they are afraid of Iran. Such a U.S. commitment will be a stabilizing factor in the region...
11. FIVE STRATEGIC PILLARS
A) Political Approach: Dagan praised efforts to bring Iran before the UNSC, and signaled his agreement with the pursuit of a third sanctions resolution. He acknowledged pressure on Iran is building up, but said this approach alone will not resolve the crisis. He stressed that the timetable for political action is different than the nuclear project timetable.
B) Covert Measures: Dagan and the Under Secretary agreed not to discuss this approach in the larger group setting.
C) Counterproliferation: Dagan underscored the need to prevent know-how and technology from making their way to Iran, and said that more can be done in this area.
D) Sanctions: Dagan said the biggest successes had so far been in this area. Three Iranian banks are on the verge of collapse. The financial sanctions are having a nationwide impact. Iran's regime can no longer just deal with the bankers themselves.
E) Force Regime Change: Dagan said that more should be done to foment regime change in Iran, possibly with the support of student democracy movements, and ethnic groups (e.g., Azeris, Kurds, Baluchs) opposed to the ruling regime.

12. (S) Dagan agreed the U.S., Israel and like-minded countries must push on all five pillars at the same time. Some are bearing fruit now; others would bear fruit in due time, especially if more attention were placed on them....urged more attention on regime change, that more could be done to develop the identities of ethnic minorities in Iran. He said he was sure that Israel and the U.S. could "change the ruling regime in Iran, and its attitude towards backing terror regimes. We could also get them to delay their nuclear project and become a normal state."
13. (S) Dagan said Iran has weak spots that can be exploited. According to his information, unemployment exceeds 30 percent nationwide, with some towns and villages experiencing 50 percent unemployment, especially among 17-30 year olds. Inflation averages more than 40 percent, and people are criticizing the government for investing in and sponsoring Hamas, saying that they government should invest in Iran itself... Iran's minorities are "raising their heads, and are tempted to resort to violence." ...

(SBU) Accompanying Under Secretary Burns in the meeting were: -- Ambassador Richard H. Jones -- Acting PM Assistant Secretary Stephen Mull -- Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Mary Beth Long -- NEA/IPA Deputy Director Nicole Shampaine -- Embassy Tel Aviv Counselor for Political Research -- Embassy Tel Aviv Political-Military Officer (notetaker)
(SBU) Accompanying Mossad Chief Meir Dagan were: -- Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Salai Meridor -- Advisor to Foreign Minister Livni Omer Caspi -- Two unidentified Mossad officials
(U) Under Secretary R. Nicholas Burns cleared on this cable. TEL AVIV 00002652 005 OF 00
Embassy Tel Aviv's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website. ********************************************* ********************

US earmarks $235 million for Israel's defense systems
Washington to allocate unprecedented sum for development of anti-missile safeguards
Yitzhak Benhorin, 12/22/11, http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4165744,00.html
WASHINGTON The US announced it will allocate $235 million for development of safeguards against rockets and missiles that could be launched towards Israel by Hezbollah and Iran
designed to intercept medium- to long-range rockets and cruise missiles, and the Arrow 2 and 3 systems against long-range ballistic missiles. This unprecedented sum comes at an unexpected time when the American government is dealing with large budget cuts, including at the Pentagon.However, Pentagon officials requested that Congress approve a $106 million aid budget for Israel's defense systems budget.Congress nearly doubled that amount, approving a budget of $235 million for 2012, $25 million more than in 2011. This budget is not to part of American aid to Israel, but goes towards military cooperation between both countries.. US defense assistance to Israel is estimated to have been over $3 billion for 10 years

Mayor Bloomberg, Cornell, and the Technion Announce Historic Partnership to Build a New Applied Sciences Campus
December 19, 2011 The City of New York Office of the Mayor
http://www.ats.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=7159&news_iv_ctrl=1161
In addition to the Roosevelt Island site, the City will also provide $100 million in City capital to assist with site infrastructure, construction, and related costs. This is the first selection announcement for the Applied Sciences NYC initiative. Productive discussions are ongoing with other respondents ? Carnegie Mellon, Columbia and a New York University-led consortium ? and the possibility of additional science and engineering partnerships in the City is still open. Mayor Bloomberg made the announcement at Cornell?s Weill Cornell Medical College, and was also joined by Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert K. Steel, New York City Economic Development President Seth W. Pinsky, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, State Senator Jos? M. Serrano, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, Council Member Jessica Lappin, as well as other civic and business leaders....
The campus will be organized around three interdisciplinary hubs: Connective Media, Healthier Life, and the Built Environment...In keeping with the focus on community involvement contained in the RFP, the Cornell/Technion proposal outlined a number of areas in which the universities will touch the lives of New Yorkers - involvement to which both schools have been committed for many years. For example, each year 7,000 Cornell students and 150 faculty members participate in programs at the Cornell Public Service Center. In fact, Cornell recently received the nation?s top award as an ?institution of community engagement? from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The Technion, meanwhile, operates a Center for Pre-Academic Education for those who require additional preparation prior to formal schooling, and in the last academic year 80 Technion employees volunteered in after-school centers in low-income areas....
In fact, Cornell recently received the nation?s top award as an ?institution of community engagement? from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The Technion, meanwhile, operates a Center for Pre-Academic Education for those who require additional preparation prior to formal schooling, and in the last academic year 80 Technion employees volunteered in after-school centers in low-income areas. Plans for community involvement in New York City include the creation of education enhancement programs that will impact a minimum of 10,000 New York City students and 200 New York City teachers per year. Cornell/Technion also intends to work closely with PS/IS 217 on Roosevelt Island and the Child School charter school on the island...
?Cornell and the Technion are each well-established global leaders in the fields of science and engineering, as well as entrepreneurship,? said Charles Vest, President of the National Academy of Engineering, and President Emeritus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. ?This newly formed partnership marks an important moment for New York City, its economy, and the future of innovation and higher education in this country.? ?Earlier this month, Facebook announced we would be opening an engineering office to add to our already strong presence in New York City,? said Serkan Piantino, head of engineering at NYC Facebook....

propaganda to 'disengage' US from its proxy
New York to Host Israel's Top Drone Lab
12/24/11 By Max Blumenthal http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/new-york-host-israels-top-drone-lab
December 19, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the establishment of a 2 million square foot engineering and applied sciences university campus in the heart of New York City. New York-based Cornell University and the Technion, Israel's Institute of Technology [the American Technion Society] were chosen to oversee the new institution. For decades the Technion has provided the brains Isreal required to create the elaborate mechanism of control under-girding its occupation of Palestine.... Technion's creations have been imported to armed forces around the world.
In 2008, the Technion signed a joint research agreement with Elbit Systems, the Israeli weapons and security systems giant, best known for providing the monitoring system for the Israeli separation wall, a 760 kilometer long concrete barrier that juts into the occupied West Bank, enabling Israel's annexation of tens of thousands of dunams of Palestinian land. The company also produces weaponized aerial drones procured by the Brazilian and US air force...
Technion, in recent years, has distinguished itself in the field of robotic weapons systems, developing some of the latest in aerial drone and unmanned combat vehicle technology through its Arlene and Arnold Goldstein UAV & Satellite Center. Here are a few American Technion Society creations intended to enhance the violent capacity of America's ongoing drone wars and streamline Israel's occupation
The unmanned "Black Thunder" D-9 armored bulldozer ? As Jerusalem Post military affairs correspondent Yaakov Katz reported, "The IDF Ground Forces Command plans to double the number of unmanned D9 armored bulldozers in the Engineering Corps arsenal after the vehicle provided exceptional results during Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip in January."

The "Stealth UAV" drone ? According to the American Technion Society website in 2010 Technion students designed weapon that appears to be an unmanned version of the US-made B-2 "Spirit," known as the Stealth Bomber. "A 'Stealth UAV' designed to fly up to 2,977 kilometers without refueling that can carry two 499 kg 'smart bombs,' and be equipped with various electro-optic, infrared and radar sensors to enable operation in the dark, under all weather conditions" ...that
has the Palestinian Center for Human Rights reported has killed 825 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. And over 1800 civilians and suspected militants in Pakistan during the same period according to The New America Foundation think tank.
The "Dragonfly UAV" mini-drone ? Tiny, remote controlled drones capable of flying through windows and into homes and buildings for delicate spying operations are the latest craze in UAV technology. Technion students recently designed a drone plane with a 9-inch (23cm) wingspan and a 7.9-inch (20cm) body modeled after the dragonfly insect.
As America's manufacturing base enters its death throes, once industrialized cities are seeking out high-tech research and development projects... filling blighted urban centers with a young, upwardly mobile "knowledge class." The Cornell-Technion NYC campus, with its direct link to the American military-industrial complex and the Israeli occupation exposes the disturbing underside of a seemingly progressive model of urban renewal...

Based in New York City, the American Technion Society (ATS) is the leading American organization supporting higher education in Israel, with 22 offices around the country
http://www.ats.org/site/PageServer?pagename=news_presskit
The American Technion Society: A Fundraising Pacesetter
The mission of the American Technion Society (ATS) is to raise funds on behalf of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, to help the university be among the World?s leading institutions, improving the well being of Israel and humanity through leadership in science and technology. Since it was founded in 1940, the ATS has raised more than $1.6 billion for the Technion, making it one of the fastest growing fund-raising organizations in the United States.

http://www.ats.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5777&security=1141&new...
55 East 59th Street ? New York, NY 10022
Tel: 212-407-6300 ? Fax: 212-753-2925 ? E-Mail: info@ats.org
Copyright ? 2008-2011, American Technion Society

The Board of Governors of the Technion is the supreme authority of the Institute. It sets policy, appoints top management, oversees operations, and is empowered to act, decide and direct in all matters pertaining to the Institute as regulated by the Constitution and Statutes.The next Annual Meeting of the Technion Board of Governors will take place June 10 to June 13, 2012.
BOG 2011
Honorary Chair - Uzia Galil, Israel
Chair - Lawrence Jackier, USA
Deputy Chair - Norman Seiden, USA
Deputy Chair - Gen. (Res.) Amos Horev, Israel
Vice Chair - Martin Kellner, USA
Vice Chair - Ben Sosewitz, USA

Source: http://www.burbankdigest.com/node/380

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