THE HANDSTAND

U.S. Nuclear Weapons Being “Guarded” by Israel

Submitted by a reader... U.S. Nuclear Weapons Being “Guarded” by Israel

American supporters of Israel were delighted to learn that an Israeli company, Magal Security Systems—owned in part
by the government of Israel—is in charge of security for the most sensitive nuclear power and weapons storage
facilities in the United States.

The largest perimeter security company in the world, Magal started out as a division of Israeli Aircraft Industries
(IAI)—which was owned in part by the government of Israel. In recent years, however, Magal evolved into a
publicly-traded company, although IAI (and thus the government of Israel) still holds a substantial share in the highly
successful firm.

What all of this means is that the government of Israel will actually have control over the security of America’s nuclear
weapons.

Supporters of Israel say that this is a splendid idea, since Israel is said to be perhaps America’s closest ally on the
face of the planet. However, there are some critics who question the propriety of America’s super-sensitive nuclear
security being in the hands of any foreign nation, particularly Israel which, even today, officially denies that it is
engaged in the production of nuclear arms.

Be that as it may, however, Magal’s global interests are quite broad-ranging. Having secured 90 percent of Israel’s
borders through a wide-ranging array of super-modern “space age” technology, Magal has now branched out
internationally. Not only does Magal provide security for American nuclear facilities, but it also does likewise for most
major nuclear facilities in Western Europe and Asia.

In addition, the Israeli firm also provides security for Chicago’s O’Hare Airport and, for the last fifteen years, has kept
watch on the Queen of England’s famed Buckingham Palace in London. What’s more, Magal provides security for
90% of the American prisons that utilize electronic systems.

Magal brags that its other clients around the globe include: borders, airports, industrial sites, communication centers,
military installations, correctional facilities, government agencies, VIP estates and residences, commercial buildings
and storage yards. There is hardly a major country or major enterprise that does not have Magal’s security specialists
keeping a close watch on their activities.

Clearly, Magal is no small enterprise. While 27% of its total sales are in the Israeli market, its largest market is in
North America, which currently accounts for 35% of its sales.

However, Magal’s American outreach is expected to increase substantially, especially now that firm has set up a
Washington, D.C. office which will promote its products to federal agencies and to the members of Congress who
provide funding for federally-supervised security projects across the country at all levels: local, state and national.

And with current U.S. Homeland Security Chief, Michael Chertoff, not only a strong supporter of Israel but also the son
of a woman who has strong Israeli ties—even including service with El Al, the national airline of Israel—Magal, owned
in party by Israeli Aircraft Industries—will be a clear-cut favorite in the eyes of the power brokers in official Washington
who have the power to grant lucrative security contracts.

At the moment, Magal has four U.S.-based subsidiaries: two in California, Stellar Security Products, Inc. and Perimeter
Products Inc., as well as the New York-based Smart Interactive Systems, Inc., and the Virginia-based Dominion
Wireless, Inc.

All told, the Israeli company holds a 40% share in the worldwide market in perimeter intrusion detection systems and
is working to expand its business in the protection of oil pipelines.

Magal is also said to be quite interested in guarding water lines around the globe, particularly in the United States. In
fact, Magal may have an inside shot at getting a monopoly in guarding America’s water supplies. On July 19, the Bush
administration’s Environmental Protection Agency announced a “partnership” with the Israeli Ministry of National
Infrastructures to improve what they called “water supply system security in the United States and Israel.” Since Magal
is so highly respected in Israel, it’s an even bet that Magal will soon be guarding the U.S. water supply.

From the Maga web-page at:
http://www.magal-ssl.com/pages/clients.asp

"Nuclear Facilities and Other Utility Installations

The Magal Group is a leading contractor in securing nuclear power generating plants, nuclear research facilities, chemical processing plants and weapon storage sites. Our extensive product range together with the experience of our key technical staff has enabled the Magal Group to successfully respond to the unique requirements of these high-risk installations as mandated by the International Atomic Energy Agency. More than 80 percent of such facilities in the United States, as well as the majority in Western Europe and Asia have been supplied with our perimeter security systems."

DU - The Ticking Nuke
In Bush's White House
War Room
By Dave Lindorff
8-16-5

Quietly, and under the radar for now, a movement is growing across the country that could blow up White House war planning and finish off the U.S. adventure in Iraq.

That movement is state-by-state legislation to provide for testing of returning National Guard troops for signs of contamination by depleted uranium.

Kicked off in Connecticut by a feisty Democratic state representative from New Haven named Patricia Dillon, a woman who was trained in epidemiology at Yale--her bill passed the state legislature in July unanimously, and goes into effect this October, about the time many Connecticut Guard troops will finally be coming home from Iraq--the measure has copycats hard at work in some 14-20 other states. Louisiana has already passed a similar law.

The military has been insisting that the 3000 tons of DU munitions it has blown up in Iraq in this war so far (and the 1000 tons more it has exploded and fired off in Afghanistan) are safe for troops and for civilians, though there is no real data to prove this because the Pentagon has vigorously resisted testing returning troops (only 270 so far, and using a far-from-state-of-the-art test) and the State Department and Pentagon have barred UN or other outside testers from looking into DU contamination in Iraq.

The official line --really an obfuscation--is that Uranium is only minimally radioactive. While this is true, it is chemically toxic in minute trace amounts, because Uranium ions are actually attracted to bond with DNA, where they can wreak havoc with cells (especially the cells of developing fetuses).

Meanwhile, an early small test sample of nine returned NY State National Guard soldiers, financed by the NY Daily News, found four, or nearly half the sample, to be clearly DU contaminated, with the others showing obvious symptoms (headaches, renal and neurological problems, etc.).

If even a much smaller proportion than 44% of the tens of thousands of U.S. Guard troops who get tested in Connecticut, Louisiana and other states prove to be contaminated with uranium from U.S. weapons, more states are bound to establish similar testing laws. Beyond that, reservists and active duty troops and veterans, all already anxious about the issue, are certain to start demanding the sophisticated tests.

Meanwhile, if DU tests start showing serious contamination of U.S. troops, how are Iraqis going to react? Already Iraqis are troubled by a dramatic (seven-fold) rise in childhood cancers and birth defects, particularly in the south.

Unlike in the first Gulf War, when all 300 tons of DU used was fired off in the Kuwaiti and Iraqi desert, this time nearly 10 times as much DU has largely been exploded and burned in urban fighting, putting the dust right in the path of millions of civilians.

This bomb is ticking...