TEL AVIV [MENL] -- The United States has approved a proposed $1 billion sale
of Israeli advanced early-warning systems to India.Senior U.S. officials told Israel that the Bush administration no longer
has reservations to the Israeli sale of the Phalcon airborne early-warning
radar to New Dehli, Israeli government sources said. The sources said the
White House move came amid Indian pressure as well as a new drive by
President George Bush to launch the so-called roadmap toward a Palestinian
state."There were numerous talks with the administration and they could not
come up with one solid reason not to proceed with the sale except the
Pakistan issue," an Israeli defense source said. "That was an argument that
only India could respond to."India and Israel have been negotiating for New Dehli's procurement of
the Phalcon since 2001. India has expressed interest in three Phalcon
systems.
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