From Defence Talk

 

Israel says will connect to US missile early warning system

Agence France-Presse | Apr 15, 2008

 

Jerusalem: The United States has agreed to connect Israel to its ballistic missile early warning system to warn of any missile attack from archfoe Iran, a senior Israeli defence official said on Monday.

 

"Israel asked the US to connect to its ballistic missile early warning system as part of its efforts to defend itself from missile attacks, first of all from Iran," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

 

"The US has agreed to the request," he said.

 

Israel first benefited from the worldwide radar system, which was built in the 1959, during the 1991 Gulf War when Iraq fired dozens of missiles at the Jewish state.

 

It was put in action again during the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq.

 

Israel claims that Iran's controversial nuclear programme and its recent ballistic missile test firing are aimed at developing an atomic weapon, a claim denied by Tehran.

 

The Jewish state considers Iran's Islamic regime an existential threat after President Mahmoud Ahamdinejad's repeated call for Israel's destruction.

 

Defence Ministry Director General Pinkhas Bukhris and top ministry adviser Amos Gilad have been in Washington twice in recent months to discuss military cooperation between Israel and its chief ally.

 

The US embassy in Israel did not immediately comment on the report.

And, as if to emphasize the point that these two continue to 'love' each other from afar...

 

From Jerusalem Post

 

Iran threatens to eliminate Israel

JPost.com Staff , THE JERUSALEM POST

Apr. 15, 2008

 

Iran will destroy Israel if Israel attacks Teheran, Iranian Deputy Chief of Staff Mohammad Reza Ashtiani warned Tuesday in response to a threat issued last week by National Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer.

 

"We are not worried by the recent Israeli maneuvers, but if Israel wants to take any action against the Islamic republic, we will eliminate Israel from the universe," the Iranian Mehr agency quoted Ashtiani as saying.

 

Ben-Eliezer had warned that "Iran will be wiped off the face of the earth if it dares to fire any missile at us."

 

Later in the week, Ben-Eliezer would not retract his statement: "I do not regret the threats I directed at Iran and its leaders. I am sick of receiving threats to Israel's existence on a daily basis."