Iran's Shihab missile has changed Middle East
Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Monday, March 15, 1999
WASHINGTON [MENL] -- Iran's Shihab-3 intermediate range missile has
significantly changed the strategic balance in the Middle East, a senior
U.S. official says.
Jacques S. Gansler, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and
technology, told the Senate Armed Services strategic subcommittee on
Thursday, that Iran's Shihab-3 has gone far beyond the planning stage.
He said the test of the Shihab in July proves that the missile has
become a genuine threat.
"We are dealing with a real threat that is with us now," Gansler said.
"With a range of 1,300 kilometers, the Shihab 3 significantly alters the
military equation in the Middle East by giving Tehran the capability to
strike targets in Israel, Saudi Arabia, and most of Turkey. Among those
countries seeking longer-range missiles, North Korea is the most
advanced: a judgement underscored by the recent launch of the Taepo
Dong-1."
Gansler said the United States regards Iran as already possessing a
missile with a range that could strike Israel, and the Gulf states. His
assertion countered that of Pentagon officials who had said Teheran was
still a long way off from completing development of the Shihab-3.
Gansler said the United States is funding a program to operate the
Israeli Arrow anti-missile system together with U.S. missile defense
systems, such as the Patriot. He said the Clinton administration has
allocated $120 million in the fiscal 1999 budget over the next years for
developing hardware, software and procedures "to establish some level of
interoperability between Arrow and the Patriot systems."
Monday, March 15, 1999
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