Podcast: Ted Postol: On Iron Dome, Patriot Missiles and Welfare for the War Industry

Broadcast 8/18/2014 at 12:03 PM EDT (66 Listens, 46 Downloads, 1668 Itunes)
The Rob Kall Bottom Up Radio Show Podcast

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Theodore Postol is Professor of Science, Technology and National Security Policy in the Program in Science, Technology, and Society at MIT. He's also an expert on Missile defense.

He's on the show because he was recently on Democracy Now speaking about Israel's Iron Dome system.

Rough Notes from the audio interview

Rob: Tell me about your experience that gives you expertise to discuss missiles and military weaponry?

Rob: Can you give me some examples of previous missile systems you've criticized?

Patriot missiles failed to destroy a single scud warhead.

Rob: How much did the US spend on those for the US and Israel?

Rob: So, basically, Raytheon defrauded the US. How did we buy something that didn't work?

army air defense artillery-- tends to reward people who cover up problems.

Army air defense artillery was hand in hand in the coverup.

Software problems known by AADA and Raytheon-- actually shot down two of our own aircraft.

So Patriot missiles actually shot down our own aircraft?

Have there been hearings in congress on the AADA dysfunction?

You said that most of the money the US gives to Israel-- an estimated $3.5 billion a year-- is required to be spent in the US?

It seems that the companies would be motivated to lobby for funding of Israel.

A good part of NATO expansion has been pushed by the military industry.

Rob: We're still buying and providing Patriot Missiles?

and Poles pay more than the US.

Rob: it seems to me that this system is set up to perpetuate war between Israel and the Palestinians.

Israelis are pushing hard to sell iron dome-- to places like South Korea.

Tell me about Iron Dome

80-90% of Iron Dome intercept rockets are approaching from the side, and they can't work.

Are there video records of iron dome interceptors have destroyed incoming rockets?

we have two cases out of a hundred or hundreds

The IDF loves social media and flickr and youtube, and if they had the evidence, they'd be showing it.

radar data would show breakup of the artillery rocket.

Rob: And they would be keeping records on every one of these, right?

Rob: If Iron Dome doesn't work, why are the Israelis using it? What benefits?

From the point of view of the Israeli government it's a very good way to get the Israeli people to believe they are defended.

Rob: There have been over 4000 rockets fired in recent weeks. How many of them have been responded to with the iron dome.

Israelis are claiming 500 intercepts.

From point of view of affecting the Palestinians-- an attempt to defuse a sense that they are having an effect upon the Israelis.

Rob: I think the people who will buy the bridges you have to sell are the members of congress who authorize spending on these systems that don't work.

Israelis have provided congress with no data on Iron Dome.

US has funded it-- at least a billion dollars--

They're claiming 40% level-- Patriot missile success level. What do you say?

Probably zero percent.

Rob: What would you speculate is their motivation to keep this charade, this fraud going?

avoiding changing bureaucracy

political appointees and political considerations

Rob: Are you aware of any FOIA requests that have been done on any of the missile systems we've discussed?

another whole discussion is the misuse of secrecy to conceal misuse of funds, failures and violations of law.

Rob: Do you know anything about military technology being transferred to police.

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