U.S. may 'redeploy BDM in Israel'
www.upi.com/Security_Industry/2009/09/08/US-may-redeploy-BDM-in-Israel/UPI-30531252421354/

TEL AVIV, Israel, Sept. 8 (UPI): Israeli officials say there is a "strong
possibility" that the United States will leave missile defense systems in
the Jewish state after a joint missile defense exercise planned for October
is concluded, according to The Jerusalem Post.

The U.S. missiles, part of the Ballistic Defense Program, would almost
certainly remain under U.S. control, but it was not clear whether they would
participate in defending Israel against Iranian missiles.

The report indicated that the Americans may deploy the missiles in Israel
rather than in the Czech Republic and Poland as planned, in deference to
Russia's vehement objections to having U.S. missile systems so close to its
border.

The Israeli report published Monday followed an Aug. 27 report in the Warsaw
newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza that Washington planned to scrap its plans to base
10 interceptor missiles in Poland and an advanced radar in the Czech
Republic to counter hostile missiles aimed at the United States, with Iran
seen as the most likely threat.

U.S. President Barack Obama's administration is seeking to find an
accommodation with a resurgent Russia on a host of issues, including having
Moscow stop aiding Iran's nuclear program and providing it with advanced
weapons systems that could impede any potential pre-emptive military strike.

By removing the planned anti-missile shield from Central Europe and
relocating it is elsewhere -- Israel and Turkey have been seen as the most
likely candidates -- Washington could expect a quid pro quo from Moscow.

In this case, that would likely be blocking the sale of advanced Russian
S-300 air-defense missiles to Iran or supporting U.S. efforts to impose
harsh new economic sanctions on Iran to force it to abandon its alleged
quest for nuclear arms.

However, by redeploying the missiles in Israel, the Americans would be seen
to be bolstering the Jewish state's anti-missile defenses against a possible
Iranian strike with its Shehab-3 ballistic missiles.

The Shehabs -- Iran is believed to have 80-100 operational -- are expected
to be bolstered by more powerful Sajjil-2 missiles now being developed.

By adding U.S. weight to Israel's own anti-ballistic defenses, namely the
high-altitude, long-range Arrow-2 interceptor, Washington would be involving
itself directly in the defense of Israel.

That would thus raise the stakes to an unprecedented degree in the event of
an Iranian attack, either a first strike initiated by Tehran or one
retaliating for a pre-emptive Israeli attack on the Islamic Republic.

Israel, which considers Iran's nuclear and missile development as an
existential threat, is widely perceived to be considering a unilateral
pre-emptive strike against Iran.

The Americans already have a long-range X-Band radar unit operating in
Israel. The radar, a key element in the U.S. missile defense array, is
intended to give Israel early warning of an Iranian missile launch.

The unit was set up at Nevatim Air Base in the Negev Desert a year ago at
the request of the Israeli government and is operated by 100 U.S. personnel.
It would be linked to the U.S. missile systems if they are deployed in
Israel.

The Jerusalem Post reported that "while the United States has yet to
announce it will leave the systems in place here, the possibility is strong,
one official said, particularly in light of reports that the Pentagon was
conducting a review of its European missile shield."

The daily noted that a "senior Israeli defense official" said that "while
the United States has not made an official request to deploy the systems
here, the topic was being discussed in unofficial channels."

The upcoming exercises, codenamed Juniper Cobra, will involve the Arrow-2
system along with the U.S. Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system and
the ship-based Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System.

Meantime, Iran claimed Sunday that it has developed a missile defense system
that can shoot down radar-evading cruise missiles.

But Western analysts were skeptical. They questioned why Iran was so anxious
to acquire Russian S-300s to defend its strategic installations if it was
capable of producing its own defense systems.