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U.S. forces, allies vulnerable to Scud missile attacks

Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Friday, August 10, 2001

The Pentagon says it needs another year to complete defenses against Scud-class missiles.

Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said the Pentagon needs several billion dollars to complete an umbrella that would protect U.S. troops and allies abroad from Scud-class missiles. Iran, Iraq, Libya and Syria have deployed such missiles.

"We're trying to get our ability to defend against those threats out in front of the threats, and we aren't yet there," Wolfowitz said on Monday.

"We're still just a year away from deploying an answer to that Scud missile that we dealt with 10 years ago. But with this acceleration of the program that President Bush has directed, I think we can catch up."

The administration has requested more than $8.1 billion in missile defense for fiscal 2002.

The effort against the Scud is based on the Patriot Advanced Capability 3 system. The Ballistic Missile Defense Organization has turned the PAC-3 system over to the U.S. Army for procurement, officials said.

The PAC-3 has been offered to U.S. allies in the Gulf and Middle East as part of a regional defense umbrella against ballistic missiles. So far, Egypt, Israel, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia plan to obtain the PAC-3.

Officials said several Middle East countries, such as Iraq, Iran, Libya and Syria have Scud missile arsenals. North Korea has been a leading supplier of such missiles.

The United States sustained a Scud attack in 1991 when 28 U.S. soldiers were killed in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf war. Israel sustained more than 40 Scud missiles fired by Iraq.

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