
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, March 14, 1992                   TAG: 9203140116
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: The Washington Post
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

PROBE FINDS ISRAEL SOLD TECHNOLOGY

An internal State Department investigation has found that Israel improperly resold American weapons technology to other countries, and the department's inspector general has recommended that Assistant Secretary of State Richard A. Clarke be disciplined for failing to act on intelligence reports of the sales, officials said Friday.

The probe by the inspector general, disclosed Friday in the Wall Street Journal, comes amid increasing tensions between the United States and Israel over aid issues, including Israel's request for $10 billion in U.S.-backed loan guarantees for immigrant absorption.

The administration had said earlier this week it was investigating a report that Israel exported Patriot missile technology to China. Friday's disclosure highlighted the wider extent of Israel's global arms business and apparent failure of the United States to police Israeli arms transfers. Officials said Clarke, a career civil servant who has served in a number of intelligence posts at the State and Defense departments, was being moved from his position as assistant secretary for politico-military affairs.

The re-export without U.S. permission of defense technology supplied by the United States is prohibited by law. Senior U.S. officials confirmed the Journal's account that U.S. intelligence agencies had compiled "overwhelming" evidence Israel had re-exported U.S. technology without obtaining such permission.

The officials said intelligence agencies had reported that Israel sold an air-to-air missile to China and Thailand and is suspected of having also sold it to South Africa. The missile was adapted from the U.S. Sidewinder, a heat-seeking missile used against aircraft.

Similarly, the Journal reported, Israel has re-exported technology from the TOW antitank missile and numerous electronic systems-in some cases installing U.S. components in Israeli-assembled products, in other cases simply copying U.S. technology.

While Israel has denied selling the Patriot missile technology to China, a written statement Friday from Ruth Yaron, press counselor for the Israeli Embassy, indicated that Israel is negotiating with Washington over the other arms transfers.

One informed source said the inspector general's draft report, while not identifying Clarke by name, faults him for failing to take action on repeated warnings about re-export of weapons technology by Israel and other countries.

by CNB