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Last update - 02:54 09/01/2008
Early warning system fails to spot Katyusha strike in North
By Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Ehud Barak, Katyushas 

The two Katyusha rockets fired against Israel from southern Lebanon early Tuesday were not identified by the Israel Defense Forces' early warning system.

The IDF said poor weather conditions were probably the cause, and the residents of northern community Shlomi thought the blasts had been thunderclaps.

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t Northern Command, IDF officers said it was still unclear which militant group in Lebanon was responsible for the attack.

During a similar attack last June, a local Palestinian organization, Fatah al-Islam, claimed responsibility. That time, a barrage of rockets targeted Kiryat Shmona.

Officers from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) visited the site where the Katyushas hit Tuesday.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak, meanwhile, visited the northern border, though the trip had been planned and was not related to the attack.

Accompanied by GOC Northern Command Gadi Eisenkot and Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Harel, Barak visited the base of Division 91 and met with its commander, Brigadier General Imad Fares.

Barak and the senior IDF officers were briefed on the IDF's readiness along the border and the changes put in place after the Second Lebanon War.

Barak said the Katyusha attack was both unusual and serious.

"We do not intend to allow a change in the status quo in the area. We discussed the situation with the division commander, Brigadier General Fares and the GOC Northern Command. I also spoke with the head of the local council of Shlomi, Gabi Neeman, and we will evaluate the incident, think, decide and take action," Barak said.

The defense minister explained that the bad weather made it impossible to identify the launching of the two missiles in the early morning hours.

At the Home Front Command they were quick to point out that the early warning system is not under their command, but is controlled by the Northern Command. They also said the system is not an automatic one and is put into operation based on situation assessments by the Northern Command.

Hezbollah gets stronger

Defense Barak said Monday night at the Council for Peace and Security in Tel Aviv that Hezbollah has become stronger since the Second Lebanon War, and now has more missiles than it did on the eve of the confrontation.

Barak stressed that because of its missile arsenal, Hezbollah now threatens more areas of Israel. He also charged that "there is free passage of weapons and armaments from Syria to Lebanon."
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  1.   There is no effective anti-missile system, period! 02:49  |  Fairplay 09/01/08
  2.   (UNIFIL) visited the site where the Katyushas hit Tuesday 03:02  |  Born In The USA 09/01/08
  3.   zion is domned :) 03:40  |  muslim 09/01/08
  4.   Thunder claps, katyusha rockets... 04:07  |  Maureen Ann 09/01/08
  5.   Israel Paying for Its Stupidity, Particularly, Barak`s 05:21  |  Tod Zuckerman 09/01/08
  6.   Nothing in South Lebanon is done without Hezbollah`s say 07:21  |  Marwan مروان خوري 09/01/08
  7.   Firing at Israel 08:28  |  Antoine Haddad 09/01/08
  8.   One "missile defence systems" 09:37  |  Clickfool 09/01/08
  9.   Tit for tat 09:48  |  John kant 09/01/08
  10.   For John Kant # 9 10:16  |  Clickfool 09/01/08
  11.   Maureen Ann mishmash 10:28  |  Iz Ray Leigh 09/01/08
  12.   Muslim - Still dreaming... 11:19  |  Chris Tobin 09/01/08
  13.   Clickfool`s in-depth military analysis 11:29  |  Ben 09/01/08
  14.   Now that the attack occured, um let us strike back! 11:30  |  Mark Hamil 09/01/08
  15.   CLICKFOOL......just a note. 11:30  |  Stephen. 09/01/08
  16.   #6 Marwan`s machinations 11:30  |  Chris Linthwaite 09/01/08
  17.   The early warning system is useless 11:31  |  Natallie Durson 09/01/08
  18.   Maureen you`re a bigot and an embarassing Australian 11:36  |  Yered Shmuel 09/01/08
  19.   watching eli yishai kiss the hands of ovadia yosef 11:37  |  allouryesterdays 09/01/08
  20.   muslim "zion is domned(sic) 11:41  |  endisnigh 09/01/08
  21.   Time for Round 2 11:42  |  Mark Hamil 09/01/08
  22.   For "Ben" supposedly in Brighton # 13 12:19  |  Clickfool 09/01/08
  23.   johnboy "the un is filled with child molesters" 12:21  |  zevelun 09/01/08
  24.   For Stephen # 15 12:23  |  Clickfool 09/01/08
  25.   #21 Mark Hamil of New York 12:26  |  Chris Linthwaite 09/01/08
  26.   clickfool "top of the range cruise missiles" 12:46  |  brighton rock 09/01/08
  27.   clickfool "guardian telegraph and haaretz" 12:51  |  brighton rock 09/01/08
  28.   `Israel`s perceived enemies ` by Clickfool! 12:57  |  Raymond Ashtraigh 09/01/08
  29.   Same Problem as in Gaza 13:06  |  Tzfonit 09/01/08
  30.   clickfool the afghanistan times perhaps 13:09  |  brighton rock 09/01/08
  31.   Warning System Pointed in WRONG direction 13:31  |  hmm 09/01/08
  32.   MAUREEN,muslim,Cfool.Obviuosly Lebanese brothers have forgotten 13:39  |  PETER SM 09/01/08
  33.   For Brighton Rock on Iran`s cruise missiles # 26 14:55  |  Clickfool 09/01/08
  34.   It`s so frustrating 15:00  |  Fortuna Benmayor 09/01/08
  35.   Answering Brighton Rock # 27 15:00  |  Clickfool 09/01/08
  36.   How to deal with the northern problem 15:30  |  Tosefta 09/01/08
  37.   clickfool and sunbeams 15:40  |  brighton rock 09/01/08
  38.   clickfool is a sunbeam 15:43  |  brighton rock 09/01/08
  39.   #38 Brighton Rock 16:01  |  Chris Linthwaite 09/01/08
  40.   can you get another test shot? 16:33  |  US tech firm 09/01/08
  41.   Chris Linthwaite #16 If anyone is misstating facts its you. 16:55  |  Marwan مروان خوري 09/01/08
  42.   Tosefta`s Naivete 16:56  |  Fortuna Benmayor 09/01/08
  43.   chris linthwaite pure fantasy and wishful thinking 17:01  |  brighton rock 09/01/08
  44.   #13 Consider The Source 17:03  |  Tony Anthony 09/01/08
  45.   chris linthwaite "israel will be hearing the news" 17:04  |  brighton rock 09/01/08
  46.   chris linthwaite "iran bought 10 nuclear devices" 17:06  |  brighton rock 09/01/08
  47.   chris linthwaite a lecture on the iran iraq gulf war 17:10  |  brighton rock 09/01/08
  48.   notice i never sleep nor go to work? 17:12  |  Marwan مروان خوري 09/01/08
  49.   Hi-tech can`t defend Israel forever. 17:15  |  Michael 09/01/08
  50.   chris linthwaite "bush backed down because 17:18  |  brighton rock 09/01/08
  51.   #45, 46, 47 Brighton Rock 17:30  |  Chris Linthwaite 09/01/08
  52.   Clickfool 17:38  |  Nik "BANNED" Miller 09/01/08
  53.   israel-haters had best hope the warning systems improve 17:51  |  frenz 09/01/08
  54.   Calm down Nik "banned" Miller 17:53  |  Clickfool 09/01/08
  55.   WHEN CAN I GET ANOTHER TEST SHOT? 18:08  |  US tech firm 09/01/08
  56.   chris linthwaite think for a minute 18:08  |  brighton rock 09/01/08
  57.   chris linthwaite you are confused 18:12  |  brighton rock 09/01/08
  58.   Message 54 is Fake Clickfool 18:13  |  Clickfool 09/01/08
  59.   chris linthwaite pointing to sites on the web 18:14  |  brighton rock 09/01/08
  60.   For Nik "Podge" Miller # 52 18:19  |  Clickfool 09/01/08
  61.   Clickfool Ain`t No Fool 18:22  |  Cool B 09/01/08
  62.   53. ACTUALLY FRENZY? we were hoping just the opposite 18:24  |  know what i mean? 09/01/08
  63.   Blah Blah Blah 18:51  |  Danite 09/01/08
  64.   Tosefta 18:53  |  Danite 09/01/08
  65.   # 49 Michael of London. High Tec....! 19:12  |  Stephen. 09/01/08
  66.   # 17 At last, something reasonable from, Fatmeh... 19:37  |  Misha 09/01/08
  67.   I wonder why they didnt spot those rockets? 19:40  |  lordzombie 09/01/08
  68.   WAKE UP ISRAEL...!! 19:42  |  Ravi 09/01/08
  69.   Woof Woof, Dumbite #64 19:45  |  Tosefta 09/01/08
  70.   #51 Chris Linthwaite (Michael Salla) 19:46  |  Amish 09/01/08
  71.   #68 Ravi 20:09  |  Amish 09/01/08
  72.   Message #8, #24, #54, #58, #60 are fake Clickfool 20:12  |