Following the near-catastrophe in Kenya when two terrorist missiles just barely missed an Israeli civilian airliner three days ago, Foreign Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told a group of foreign ambassadors today that Israel plans to initiate an international pact for civil aviation defense. "The firing of missiles on a civilian plane is a most dangerous development and terror escalation," he said. "This is the second warning bell we have had - Sep. 11 was the first - but if there were governments that pressed the 'snooze' button the first time, they have now received the second alarm. We were very close to the downing of a civilian plane with hundreds of passengers aboard."
Foreign Minister Netanyahu said that there must be a concerted joint international effort in several areas: developing technological means to defend planes, sharing of intelligence, and diplomatic cooperation to prevent the transfer of weapons from one terror group to another. He revealed that Iran supplies Hizbullah with shoulder-held anti-aircraft missiles, for instance. HaModia military correspondent A. Pe'er reported on Friday that Israeli-developed technology to warn aircraft against missiles and possibly neutralize them already exists, though it is not yet ready for use.
Arutz-7's Kobi Finkler reported that the investigation of the missile attack in Kenya had turned up the following important points: The two missile launchers were Strella FA7 models - the same as two others found last year near an airport in Prague. It was suspected at the time that these Russian-made models were meant to target an El Al flight that was carrying then-Foreign Minister Shimon Peres. In addition, investigators found two other ready-to-fire shoulder-held anti-aircraft missiles and their launchers, of the same model. They were found only a few meters away from the suspected launch site of the two missiles, hidden under bushes.
Foreign Minister Netanyahu said that there must be a concerted joint international effort in several areas: developing technological means to defend planes, sharing of intelligence, and diplomatic cooperation to prevent the transfer of weapons from one terror group to another. He revealed that Iran supplies Hizbullah with shoulder-held anti-aircraft missiles, for instance. HaModia military correspondent A. Pe'er reported on Friday that Israeli-developed technology to warn aircraft against missiles and possibly neutralize them already exists, though it is not yet ready for use.
Arutz-7's Kobi Finkler reported that the investigation of the missile attack in Kenya had turned up the following important points: The two missile launchers were Strella FA7 models - the same as two others found last year near an airport in Prague. It was suspected at the time that these Russian-made models were meant to target an El Al flight that was carrying then-Foreign Minister Shimon Peres. In addition, investigators found two other ready-to-fire shoulder-held anti-aircraft missiles and their launchers, of the same model. They were found only a few meters away from the suspected launch site of the two missiles, hidden under bushes.