- The United States has offered Israel a new generation
of Patriot missiles that could intercept missiles fired from Iraq, public
television reported here.
-
- The new Patriots specially designed to destroy Scud missiles
in flight would be placed under the control of US troops deployed in Israel,
the television added.
-
- Quoting high-ranking officials, however, the television
said Israel would decline the offer on the grounds that it already had
Hetz (arrow) anti-missile missiles developed in cooperation with the United
States to face up to a possible Iraqi attack.
-
- Furthermore, Israeli leaders fear that the presence of
US troops in Israel would provide a pretext for Iraqi President Saddam
Hussein to attack.
-
- In 1991 during the Gulf war 39 Iraqi Scuds hit Israeli
territory, killing two people and wounding hundreds, despite the presence
of earlier model Patriot batteries.
-
- Since August the Israeli army has had Hetz batteries
deployed north of Tel Aviv in case of an American attack on Iraq.
-
- On November 7, an Israeli-American team successfully
tested the latest Patriot model, an Israeli military source said. The missiles
have been deployed to protect Israel's nuclear plant at Dimona in the Negev.
-
- On Monday a German defence ministry spokesman said Israel
had asked Germany for Patriot missiles to be used in case of Iraqi attacks
during any US military intervention in Iraq.
-
- "It is true that Israel has asked Germany to supply
it with Patriot anti-missile missiles," the spokesman said in a statement,
confirming information to appear in Tuesday's edition of Die Welt newspaper.
-
- He said the German government "is currently studying
this request."
-
- Israel has not officially confirmed or denied the report.
-
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