Israel Shut Out Of Olympic Security

TEL AVIV [MENL] -- Despite hopes of billions of dollars in contracts,
Israeli security firms have been shut out of the Olympic Games in China.
Industry sources said U.S. pressure blocked the Israeli Defense Ministry
from granting export licenses for security equipment and training to Beijing
to protect the Olympic Village. The sources said without U.S. pressure China
would have ordered up to $1 billion in security equipment and expertise from
Israel. China was said to have budgeted $4 billion for protection of the
games.
"It was a major opportunity wasted, but that's what happens when your
security and military policy depends on the United States," an industry
source said.
[On Aug. 13, Israel's Haaretz daily reported that the United States
rejected an Israeli request for advanced military systems that would
facilitate an attack on Iran. Haaretz did not identify the U.S. systems.]