Iran's Successful Missile Test Puts Israel Within Range

Ha'aretz ^ | July 04, 2003 | Amir Oren

[DoctorZIn]

Iran has successfully tested a Shihab-3 missile, which has a range that can reach Israel. The launch last week was the most successful so far of the seven or eight tests of the missile over the last five years, and has increased worries in Washington - which spotted the test with its tracking mechanisms - and in Israel.

If the assessment proves to be true that the missile, which was launched from east to west, had an effective range beyond the 1,300-kilometer red line, meaning the range from western Iran to Israel, the Iranians could position the launching pads for the rocket deeper inside their country.

The Iranian threat will be one of the subjects under discussion when Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon visits the Pentagon and U.S. armed forces bases next week. Ya'alon's itinerary is supposed to include the Florida headquarters of two key commands: Centcom and Special Operations at MacDill air force base.

More data is now being collected and collated in the West about the missile test and about the progress being made in the Iranian missile program, which is based on North Korean missiles. In previous tests, when the rocket was powered by a North Korean engine, the tests were successful, but when the engines were Iranian-made, even with North Korean know-how, they tended to fail - despite statements by Iranian Defense Minister Ali Shakhmani in 2002 that Iran can "develop everything" and does not need help from foreign sources like China or Russia.

The report of the Shihab-3 test is an incentive for Israel equipping itself with more Arrow missiles made by the Israel Aircrafts Industries and soon to go into a joint production process with Boeing.

Israel is also concerned about the growing ties between Iran and Libya. Indeed, the Libyan threat is now the reason for a third Arrow battery even though the Iraqi threat is gone. One response to the Libyan threat would be an Arrow battery mounted on a naval vessel.

Western experts said that the 16-meter single-stage Shihab-3, which can carry up to a ton of explosives in its payload, is not very accurate, with the probability of hitting within three kilometers of any target it is launched at. But it is possible that has been improved over the past year. In any case, the missile range already includes Israel, Turkey, the Indian subcontinent and the American forces in the Gulf. Iran has plans for two longer-range missiles: a Shihab-4, with a 2,000-kilometer range and a Shihab-5, with a 5,500-kilometer range.

The last Shihab missile test resulted in a Bush administration statement expressing "serious concerns" about the Iranian missile project, which is a "threat to the region and U.S. interests."

The next commander of Centcom, Gen. John Abizaid, who replaces Tommy Franks on Monday, testified last week to a Senate committee that "Iran has the largest ballistic missile inventory in the Central Command region to include long-range weapons of mass destruction and delivery systems capable of reaching deployed U.S. forces in the theater." And he warned, "Iran's long-term ability to develop nuclear weapons remains a source of serious concern."

He told the committee that "Iran casts a shadow on security and stability in the Gulf region. Iran's military is second only to the United States. U.S. allies in the Gulf acknowledge Iran's increasingly proactive efforts to soften its image and appear less hegemonic; however, Iran's military poses a potential threat to neighboring countries."

[Bobby777]

Israel is also concerned about the growing ties between Iran and Libya. Indeed, the Libyan threat is now the reason for a third Arrow battery

Ezekiel 38:5 Persia (Iran), Ethiopia, and Libya with them

and Ethiopia has strong muslim ties, no?

[Calpernia]

Pardon me. How can you say that when you never responded to my post, http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/940180/posts?page=20#20

I explained the response from realpatriot, which was the same as my own. AND I explained the response in my post that YOU ignored. Yet you call realpatriot dumb? Hillbilly?

I'm not hiding, my profile says who I am, yet you are?

That speaks wonders of your character.

[RedWhiteBlue]

You are most welcome.

[Calpernia]

Arab Tent = Arab League. Arab Tent is used within the culture. I don't see Ethiopia listed; but, Libya is.

Members:

Algeria
Bahrain
Comoros
Djibouti
Egypt
Iraq
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Libya
Mauritania
Morocco
Oman
Palestine
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Somalia
Sudan
Syria
Tunisia
United Arab Emirates
Yemen

[Our man in washington]

There's a Lebanese American in my naval reserve unit. I wish all the sailors had his level of dedication and love of America.

[Phil V.]

Am I the only one concerned about this John Abizaid?

John Goldstein could slip into that neighborhood more easily?

[Search4Truth]

Lebanese American BUMP

[squidly]

I don't expect Israel to tolerate a situation where Iran has nukes and the means to deliver them to Israel. If I had to place money, I'd bet Israel will take out Iran's nuclear program before we do.

[Admin Moderator]

Knock off the personal attacks.

[Search4Truth]

He he!

[ArrogantBustard]

. Pull it out, see that 9-11 did occur, and it wasn't the Irish that did it.

It wasn't Lebanese Christians who did it either. Pull it out, and see that Arabs aren't all mohammedans. And mohammedans aren't all Arabs. The name John Allen Muhammad ring a bell wit' you?

[freedom44]

There are tons of loyal well-ranked Military professional, members of high office (John Sununu Republican Senator of New Hamsphire, Darrell Issa from California, Spencer Abraham Republican Energy secretary) Just to name a few.

With that comment you made the worst of our great nation come through and if you're a 'real patriot' then i feel really sorry for your ranks.

I'm absolutely disgusted.

[freedom44]

His problem is he's an a prejudicide person who thinks by hating people he's expressing his Americanism, whereas in reality he's making himself out to be exceptionally anti-American and totally out of line with our country and our President.

[Ciexyz]

Uh-oh. This is scary.

[Ciexyz]

Gen. Abizaid sounds like a commendable choice for the position.

[Search4Truth]

It may be of value to read realpatriot's responses before posting harsh criticisms.

[FairOpinion]

Sometimes even well intentioned people fall for generalizations. I remember at the beginning of the war in Afghanistan some people were lumping the people of Afghanistan together with the Taliban, but as they learned more, they found out that the people of Afghanistan were oppressed and terrorised by the Taliban and realized the distinction.

Same about the people of Iraq and Iran, it's not the people, it's their leaders. And it was the same thing when people hated the Russians, when in fact they were oppressed by their communist leaders and the people liked Americans.

I think people need to be educated, because it's easy to generalize and sometimes some generalization do make sense.

Then of course there are some people who don't want to learn, but I don't think that was the case here.

And of course the fact that the 9-11 hijackers were Arab Muslims, as are most of Al Qaeda, it's a natural reaction, to be suspicious.

In my opinion the decent Muslims and Arabs should be the ones most outraged by the terrorism of the extremist Muslims, because they give a bad name to all Muslims and Arabs.