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Last update - 09:36 30/10/2007 Intercepting Qassam rockets By Moshe Arens Tags: rockets Toward the end of World War II, when the Germans began launching V2 rockets against London from sites in Belgium and Holland, the only way to neutralize the threat was for Montgomery's army to reach the launching sites and move the rockets out of range. There was no way of intercepting these rockets in midair, and 1,400 V2 rockets landed in England - most of them hitting London - before Montgomery's army succeeded in reaching the launching sites. As the world entered the missile age during the Cold War, the strategy of the U.S. and the Soviet Union was based on the understanding that intercepting ballistic missiles was a technical impossibility. This assumption was shattered by Ronald Reagan, when in an address to the nation on March 23, 1983, the president advocated the development of missile interception systems. "What if free people could live secure in the knowledge that we could intercept and destroy strategic ballistic missiles before they reach our soil? There will be failures and setbacks, just as there will be successes and breakthroughs," he announced. Thus the Strategic Defense Initiative, frequently referred to as "Star Wars," was born. The U.S. defense budget was increased by more than a third, and a vast scientific and technological effort was launched. Now, 25 years later, an American anti-ballistic missile system is finally approaching operational status. Advertisement It has been argued that Reagan's initiative was instrumental in ending the Cold War by ratcheting up American defense expenditures to a point beyond the Soviets' economic capability to match. Long before the U.S. achieved the capability to intercept ballistic missiles, Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev signaled the end of the Cold War at their meeting in Reykjavik in October 1986. Since then, Israel's Arrow system, developed with the aid of funding from the U.S. Strategic Defense Initiative, has proven that ballistic missiles can be intercepted. The system became operational some years ago. At the time there was no shortage of opponents to the Arrow's development in the Israeli military establishment, including some who currently fill senior positions. It took my insistence as defense minister at the time to prevent the cancellation of the program. One does not have to be a rocket scientist or nuclear physicist to understand that the shorter the range of the ballistic missile to be intercepted, the more difficult interception becomes. When our defense minister announces that within two and a half years we will have an operational interception system against Qassam rockets - rockets which have a range of only a few kilometers - one should wonder whether this is a reasonable time scale, and whether the Defense Ministry's estimates on how much this will cost are correct. These issues need to be debated, and the government has to present its policy and the assumptions underlying that policy. The Qassam interception system the government is funding is presumably the answer to the travails of the people of Sderot and the settlement surrounding the Gaza Strip. Can they be expected to wait two and a half years while Qassams land on their homes? Is this consistent with the government's responsibility to assure the safety of the civilian population? And what if the time required for the development and achievement of operational status has been underestimated by the minister of defense, possibly by a wide margin? And the cost. It will certainly exceed by far the minister's current estimates. Although the cost of this ambitious program is not likely to threaten the stability of Israel's economy - as Reagan's initiative threatened the Soviet economy 20 years ago - the money allocated to the Qassam interceptor program will mean smaller allocations to other military and civilian needs, and may very well not be a wise allocation of Israel's resources. One thing must be handed to the terrorists in the Gaza Strip. Using primitive, cheap rockets, they have forced the Israeli Defense Ministry to allocate billions to the development of a system which may or may not be the answer to the Qassam rockets. They are not only endangering the lives of the residents of Sderot, they are making a significant dent in the Israeli economy. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Google N for Nakba Israeli town sues Google over claim it was built on ruins of Palestinian village. A Belgian treat U.S. Jew says he was kicked out of a Bruges cafe because he was wearing a skullcap.   1.   moshe highlights the brain dead and appeasers 09:51  |  victor hardman 30/10/07   2.   Arens is sentile..comparing homemade projectile 09:52  |  Christian from US 30/10/07   3.   MR ARENS:You don?t have a solution so keep quiet please 09:55  |  Khalil Abo Mohammad 30/10/07   4.   Distance is still king 09:55  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 30/10/07   5.   the quassams and LOST ISRAELI SOUL 10:07  |  Atilla 30/10/07   6.   #1 10:48  |  bill 30/10/07   7.   Margie (paranoia) 10:52  |  Guido 30/10/07   8.   The only solution.... 10:56  |  guy 30/10/07   9.   Guido take off your blinkers 11:14  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 30/10/07   10.   Atilla you are not safe either.Soon the rockets of PKK will reach 11:21  |  Genuine Tosefta 30/10/07   11.   HAMAS HAS ALMOST REACHED ITS TARGET 11:36  |  indrajaya 30/10/07   12.   Does Israel EVER stop whining about Qassams 11:27  |  Stephen Murray 30/10/07   13.   Guido, Lord David Trimble disagrees w/ you on this one. 11:41  |  MaryRose 30/10/07   14.   Costs cannot be related to money 11:49  |  Jonathan S 30/10/07   15.   Hate-filled, and just plain wrong Christian 11:56  |  MaryRose 30/10/07   16.   #6 b ill and a lack of history and expertise 12:07  |  victor hardman 30/10/07   17.   #11 murray sets the cart before the horse ! 12:20  |  victor hardman 30/10/07   18.   Israe lneeds the Qassam attacks more than Hamas does 12:27  |  Natallie Durson 30/10/07   19.   #2 12:32  |  Moshe 30/10/07   20.   billion$ upon billion$$ 12:42  |  akiva (zionist) 30/10/07   21.   #20 good question Akiva 13:03  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 30/10/07   22.   Stereotypical behaviour pattern of the Arabs of Western Palestine 13:10  |  Uzi 30/10/07   23.   Hamas per se are no problem; it`s the PA, Fatah, Abbas, etc 13:13  |  Uzi 30/10/07   24.   iran is the source of evil 13:22  |  goldman 30/10/07   25.   Arens: The instinct and the excuses 13:25  |  Tosefta 30/10/07   26.   What is needed 13:30  |  Ralph 30/10/07   27.   Israel would be better off 13:47  |  Chris Linthwaite 30/10/07   28.   Murray two ways to stop our `whining` 13:47  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 30/10/07   29.   to : Genuine Tosefta 13:59  |  Atilla 30/10/07   30.   Deceitful as ever 14:07  |  Michael N 30/10/07   31.   #Natallie Dur-d`oreille needs psychiatric treatment 14:10  |  Hastaroth 30/10/07   32.   Who would have expected THIS from Jonathan S? 14:10  |  Axel 30/10/07   33.   Star War Tales 14:14  |  Stephen 30/10/07   34.   #22 Chris Linthwaite would be better off shutting his mouth 14:16  |  Hastaroth 30/10/07   35.   #33 Stephen of Geneve 14:21  |  Chris Linthwaite 30/10/07   36.   The Best Defense 14:41  |  Ron 30/10/07   37.   #34 Hastaroth of Athens 14:52  |  Chris Linthwaite 30/10/07   38.   priceless dur-son 14:57  |  ka 30/10/07   39.   Moshe not by land but by air artilliary and planes 14:58  |  yaron 30/10/07   40.   GOOD LORD... I NEVER THOUGHT HAMAS WAS THAT POWERFUL ! 15:03  |  TrippleJump 30/10/07   41.   predetonation 15:03  |  ROB OF MELBOURNE AUS 30/10/07   42.   Isn`t it MUCH CHEAPER to `spend` on permanent peace? 15:05  |  Eric 30/10/07   43.   Ron 15:17  |  ka 30/10/07   44.   #36 is rigfht/offense =defense x2 15:35  |  fered 30/10/07   45.   RETALIATION COSTS ARE LOW 16:13  |  Iskander 30/10/07   46.   Ron 16:35  |  Stephen 30/10/07   47.   barking up the wrong tree... 16:47  |  ravi 30/10/07   48.   It`s Not About Israel, It`s About the World 17:00  |  Dave Levy (zionist) 30/10/07   49.   REAL PEACE IS A MUCH CHEAPER OPTION 17:55  |  TrippleJUmp 30/10/07   50.   Missile Defense System 17:59  |  P. J. Casey 30/10/07   51.   ravi getting rid of her barking reflexes will be a good start 18:00  |  CK Tan 30/10/07   52.   Axel # 32 Excellent 18:23  |  American in NY 30/10/07   53.   Israelis Must be the most foolish people on earth 18:24  |  Dutch 30/10/07   54.   If we were still in our Gaza, there`s be no kassams. 18:25  |  Chaim 30/10/07   55.   Ron # 36 No need for a defense 18:25  |  American in NY 30/10/07   56.   43... your fix tan....? 18:27  |  ravi 30/10/07   57.   Stephen Murray, maybe the Muslims in Holland should chuck some 18:35  |  Steve 30/10/07   58.   An opportunity to improve technology and protect the people 18:40  |  Jason 30/10/07   59.   Option A Or Option B 18:50  |  chet 30/10/07   60.   #4 Margie in TA 18:50  |  Boycott 30/10/07   61.   Repost - Option A or Option B 19:16  |  chet 30/10/07   62.   Boycott 19:29  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 30/10/07   63.   Military Expenditures 19:34  |  Jordan 30/10/07   64.   # 54 chaim 19:35  |  Axel 30/10/07   65.   #47/56 ravi 19:36  |  Hubal 30/10/07   66.   SOLUTION:DESTROY ARAB VILLAGE 19:38  |  LIONS OF JUDAH 30/10/07   67.   NO TO A TERRORIST ARAB STATE IN ISRAEL 19:39  |  LIONS OF JUDAH 30/10/07   68.   Chicken or Egg 19:51  |  Barry 30/10/07   69.   strike on gaza 19:52  |  jonathan 30/10/07   70.   stike gaza 19:58  |  jonathan 30/10/07   71.   #59 chet strikes out 20:08  |  peter 30/10/07   72.   Chris Linthwaite 20:32  |  Stephen. 30/10/07   73.   Boycott & `you people` 20:49  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 30/10/07   74.   The Only SOLUTION to avoid large Silly spending 20:49  |  Hamza 30/10/07   75.   #12.Stephen Murray.The one thing we know 20:56  |  George 30/10/07   76.   #60 21:34  |  H. Torrance Griffin 30/10/07   77.   #61 21:37  |  H. Torrance Griffin 30/10/07   78.   The complete con of missile defence systems 21:45  |  Clickfool 30/10/07   79.   To Stephen Murray # 12 - Firstly..... 22:09  |  Dagma 30/10/07   80.   maybe peace IN NOT a cheaper option 22:15  |  Nicolas from Paris 30/10/07   81.   Boycott & `you people` 22:20  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 30/10/07   82.   LIONS OF JUDAH # 61 - NO! TO A TERRORIST ARAB STATE 22:20  |  Dolly 30/10/07   83.   Arens One of The Smartest Israelis 22:31  |  Yoram 30/10/07   84.   To Dutch # 53 - Most confusing.... ... 22:59  |  Dolly 30/10/07   85.   #53 yes doirs they are stupid enough to post your crap 23:00  |  victor hardman 30/10/07   86.   Mr. Arens errs in analogy to Star Wars System 23:11  |  Jewboy 30/10/07   87.   `Christian from US` 23:20  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 30/10/07   88.   to Guido of Paris, # 7 00:10  |  Judah N. Wenkel 31/10/07   89.   qassams 00:54  |  tom 31/10/07   90.   Ghetto or not? 00:57  |  American Patriot 31/10/07   91.   CUT POWER NOW THIS MIGHT REDUCE ROCKET ATTACKS 00:58  |  D.Emon 31/10/07   92.   Arens needs lesson in logic 01:13  |  Voice of Reason 31/10/07   93.   A correct analysis in some respects 01:35  |  Mark Lincoln 31/10/07   94.   Thus, they are winning BIG 01:38  |  Mark Lincoln 31/10/07   95.   Jewboy - only in a lunatics dreams 01:40  |  Mark Lincoln 31/10/07   96.   #2 Christian from USA 01:41  |  * BEN JABO 31/10/07   97.   It depends Clickfool 01:43  |  Mark Lincoln 31/10/07   98.   Pound of Flesh 01:50  |  Zadok 31/10/07   99.   The non midle easterners are realy do not understand 02:01  |  TOMY 31/10/07   100.   UK would be better off 02:03  |  * BEN JABO 31/10/07   101.   84 Jewboy of Jerusalem - YES 02:18  |  Mark of Lewiston 31/10/07   102.   #11 03:19  |  Moshe 31/10/07   103.   hubal the GREAT con advising the small con 03:29  |  CK Tan 31/10/07   104.   MARGIE FROM TEL AVIV-A "treaser" before bed 03:44  |  JON FEIGENBAUM 31/10/07   105.   #56 ravi - here`s my answer 03:51  |  CK Tan 31/10/07   106.   Intercepting Qassam rockets 05:17  |  Robert 31/10/07   107.   Oh come on Moshe (corrected) 05:20  |  Ramzi, a Palestinian 31/10/07   108.   Jews of Warsaw vs Gaza? 05:59  |  Sam 31/10/07   109.   tripplechump 49 06:46  |  ka 31/10/07   110.   Montgomery`s Army ? 08:00  |  Gershon 31/10/07   111.   To Christian from US # 2 - Starving Gaza??? 09:10  |  Dagma 31/10/07   112.   # 1 to victor hardman re: "facism" 09:19  |  eric 31/10/07   113.   #16, VICTOR HARDMAN, a lesson in history for you 09:32  |  VIPER 31/10/07   114.   #24, GOLDMAN AND HIS PATHETIC LOGIC 09:36  |  VIPER 31/10/07   115.   #31, HASTAROTH, at it again with stupidity 09:41  |  VIPER 31/10/07   116.   #42, ERIC, i have said the same and recieved critism 09:44  |  VIPER 31/10/07   117.   G-d Bless Moshe Arens, An Old Lion who is needed now! 14:02  |  Jack 31/10/07   118.   VIPER - The Amnesiac 16:12  |  * BEN JABO 31/10/07   119.   "higher, stronger, faster"... 19:06  |  Fortuna Benmayor 31/10/07   120.   To: Chris "Israel would be better off" 19:37  |  JT 31/10/07   121.   Intercepting Qassam rockets 12:06  |  Sb 12/02/08

Today Online Bradley Burston: Sderot as Stalingrad, Hamas as Samson Responses: 32 Akiva Eldar: Netanyahu could be the peace candidate Responses: 12 Ahmed Yousef: Palestinian revenge was inevitable Responses: 35 Israeli town sues Google over claim it was built on Arab village Responses: 109 Mayor: I won't let Jerusalem be turned into illegal outpost Responses: 15 Krakow church holds service slamming 'kikes who spit on us' Responses: 54 More Headlines 12:37 Merkel to PM: Gazans suffering due to Qassam fire 10:08 Housing Min. denies delays in East Jerusalem construction 12:11 Turkish diplomat: Ankara may deliver message from Assad to Barak 11:03 Hamas: Israeli attempt to overthrow our rule doomed to failure 11:43 Ex-generals: Roadblocks in W. Bank do more harm than good 10:41 ANALYSIS: Hamas banks on IDF invasion to deliver final blow to Abbas 09:32 Krakow church holds service slamming 'kikes who spit on us' 10:52 Danes seize suspects over plot against 'anti-Mohammed' cartoonists 09:43 Palestinian PM: Israel has failed to keep 'road map' promises 06:28 Police arrest 5 Palestinians who petitioned against IAA digs under their homes 05:59 Barak tells Knesset U.S. unlikely to attack Iran's nuclear installations 04:26 Peki'in house rented to Jew set on fire as deterrent to other Jews 06:36 Indian community in south Israel town enjoy Hindi play funded by U.S. Jew Previous Editions Select Day 11 feb 10 feb 08 feb 07 feb 06 feb 05 feb 04 feb 03 feb 01 feb 31 jan 30 jan 29 jan

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