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Israel deploys missiles on border with Lebanon

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Friday, September 15, 2000

TEL AVIV — Israel announced the successful test of its Arrow anti-ballistic missile Thursday, as Lebanese military sources said Israel had deployed surface-to-air missiles and on its border with Lebanon.

The sources said the weaponry included a launching pad for four surface-to-air missiles pointing towards Lebanon. They said this appeared to be part of a new defense line following Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon on May 22.

Israeli military sources refused to confirm the reports, Middle East Newsline reported. But they said Israel has bolstered its defense line along the Lebanese border and has established new outposts.

The Arrow successfully completed a frontal interception and destruction of an incoming Rafael Black Sparrow missile fired from an F-15 fighter simulating a Scud missile at 11.55 am Thursday at the Palmahim base in southern Israel, Israeli officials said.

The position of the Black Sparrow missile was fixed on the radar manufactured by Israel's Elta, then the Arrow was launched and completely destroyed it target, an official said.

The Arrow missile, designed to intercept incoming missiles between ten and forty kilometers above the ground, is jointly funded by Israel and the United States. The test was conducted in the presence of a Pentagon official.

"By 2001, the system will be fully operational," Israel Aircraft Industries Dir.-Gen Moshe Keret said.

On Sept. 29, the same test was aborted at the last moment due to a problem in one of the control systems. The next test will be carried out in several months.

Lebanese sources said cement casings some six to eight meters wide and two meters above ground level protrude from behind a four-meter fence along the defense line on the border. The same fencing was used almost two years ago to defend against TOW anti-tank missiles deployed by Hizbullah.

Israel's military buildup on the border also includes construction of new infrastructure and roads near the Shebaa plateau as well as the expansion of established positions.

The new 20 kilometer defense line stretches from the foot of Mount Hermon and the Shebaa plateau to opposite the Lebanese village of Wazzani. The Israeli army is expanding its position at Hammari, 1.5 kilometers west of Wazzani.

Since the Israeli withdrawal, Shebaa has been plagued by violent confrontations between Lebanese hurling stones at Israeli soldiers on the opposite side of the border fence.

On Wednesday, tank carriers, including nine Merkava tanks and five trucks loaded with ammunition were deployed near Shebaa.

Friday, September 15, 2000

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