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U.S. to boost Israel's missile defense against Iraqi Scuds

Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Monday, July 8, 2002

The United States seeks to increase Israel's missile defense assets amid rising tension with Iraq.

U.S. officials said Israel has pressed the Bush administration to accelerate the production and supply of Arrow-2 missiles to the Jewish state to defend against any Iraqi strike. The officials said Israel and its supporters in Congress are alarmed by the Iraqi military buildup and the emerging showdown between Washington and the regime of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

The issue was discussed during a recent hearing by a joint House subcommittee on missile defense. Rep. Mark Steven Kirk, an Illinois Republican, expressed concern over the prospect of an Iraqi nonconventional missile strike on Israel.

Kirk said he wanted to ensure that Israel would have sufficient early warning of an Iraqi attack as well as enough Arrow-2 inteceptors. The House member also proposed that a U.S. Aegis-class cruiser visit the Israeli port of Haifa in a demonstration of missile defense support for Israel. The Aegis radar can detect missile launches from long distances and could be equipped with the SM-3 interceptor.

Missile Defense Agency director Lt. Gen. Ronald Kadish acknowledged Kirk's concerns. Kadish cited a U.S.-Israeli agreement for the production of the Arrow-2 interceptors in the United States. The agreement calls for the Boeing Co. to coproduce the interceptors, which would allow Israel to use U.S. military aid to finance the purchases.

Officials said the contracts for the Boeing project are being drafted and licenses are being obtained for the export of Arrow-2 components to Israel. Meanwhile, Israel is producing the Arrow-2 at the state-owned Israel Aircraft Industries.

Kadish said Israel is building what he termed a limited Arrow inventory. "So they will have a capability against Iraqi Scuds just because they have that in place right now," Kadish said. "And the Arrow system is, from all the testing I've seen, very capable."

The missile defense agency director said the United States could provide Israel with PAC-2 and PAC-3 systems to augment the Arrow. Kadish said Israel and the United States have conducted lots of interoperability tests between Arrow and Patriot.

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