Israel authorises US use of bases to preposition military supplies

JERUSALEM (AFX-ASIA) – Israel has authorised the US to stockpile military hardware at its army bases to support possible operations against Iraq, the daily Maariv reported.
The paper, citing official documents, reported that Israeli Defence Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer has approved the weaponry to be brought in in the coming days.
A senior US officer was quoted, anonymously, as confirming the report.
Under a strategic cooperation agreement, Israel has placed its bases at the disposal of the US, and will provide logistic and intelligence aid, the source said, although Israel would not be an active player in any military action against Iraq.
Maariv added that dozens of US officers and troops are already in Israeli army bases to prepare for the arms shipments.
“The quantities of arms which have already been shipped to Israel are
enormous because Israel is the only country in which we have such confidence,” one of the officers was quoted as saying.