|
Trending Topics
|
Sending "Dumb" Weapons from Israel to Ukraine Is Smart
(Bloomberg-Washington Post) James Stavridis - The U.S. military announced last week that it would take 300,000 American 155-millimeter artillery shells from a weapons stockpile in Israel and transfer them to the Ukrainian military. Israeli officials said the rounds were U.S.-owned and that how they were used was "American business." The U.S. has a substantial amount of combat material and equipment forward-deployed in Israel. I was in charge of those stockpiles when I was commander of U.S. European Command a decade ago. I toured the stockpiles on several occasions, and they are impressive, extensive and well maintained - ready for combat. One reason Israel is comfortable with withdrawing the 155-mm rounds is that this will free up space for precision-guided munitions, which is about all the Israeli air force uses. Preparing intelligently for war is a good way to prevent the need for actually fighting one. Replenishing the war reserve in Israel will help deter Iranian adventurism, tamp down options for mischief by Hizbullah and keep Syrian forces away from the Israeli border. The writer, a retired U.S. Navy admiral, is former supreme allied commander of NATO and dean emeritus of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.