U.S. may 'redeploy BDM in Israel'
UPI.com
Sept. 8, 2009
Israeli officials say there is a “strong possibility” that the United States will leave missile defense systems in the Jewish state after a joint missile defense exercise planned for October is concluded …
The U.S. missiles, part of the Ballistic Defense Program, would almost certainly remain under U.S. control, but it was not clear whether they would participate in defending Israel against Iranian missiles.
The report indicated that the Americans may deploy the missiles in Israel rather than in the Czech Republic and Poland as planned, in deference to Russia’s vehement objections to having U.S. missile systems so close to its border.
The Israeli report published Monday followed an Aug. 27 report in the Warsaw newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza that Washington planned to scrap its plans to base 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and an advanced radar in the Czech Republic to counter hostile missiles aimed at the United States, with Iran seen as the most likely threat. …
However, by redeploying the missiles in Israel, the Americans would be seen to be bolstering the Jewish state’s anti-missile defenses against a possible Iranian strike with its Shehab-3 ballistic missiles.
The Shehabs — Iran is believed to have 80-100 operational — are expected to be bolstered by more powerful Sajjil-2 missiles now being developed.
By adding U.S. weight to Israel’s own anti-ballistic defenses, namely the high-altitude, long-range Arrow-2 interceptor, Washington would be involving itself directly in the defense of Israel.
That would thus raise the stakes to an unprecedented degree in the event of an Iranian attack, either a first strike initiated by Tehran or one retaliating for a pre-emptive Israeli attack on the Islamic Republic. …
www.upi.com/Security_Industry/2009/09/08/US-may-redeploy-BDM-in-Israel/UPI-30531252421354/
