It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the Israeli press
The Israel Defense Forces carried out a successful test of the Arrow anti-missile system on Thursday in a secret location in the center of the country, the army said.
The Arrow batteries intercepted a ballistic test missile and destroyed it in what experts described as the most complicated interception test carried out by the military so far.
Around 10:30 am Israel time, the Arrow system was activated to intercept a long range ballistic test missile of sophisticated maneuvering capabilities. The test missile was intercepted and destroyed.
The army said preparations for the complicated maneuver had been going on for a long time, refuting any connection between Iran’s nuclear activity and the Arrow test. Security officials told Ynet that Israel can never be content with the Arrow system which is constantly being upgraded to have better interception capabilities.
“We are in a continuous process of developing the (Arrow) system in line with the developments in our region,†a senior official said.
It was the mainstream media
JERUSALEM (AP) – Israel carried out a successful test of its Arrow missile defense system on Friday, intercepting and destroying a missile similar to Iran’s long-range Shahab-3.
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said that in light of Iran’s threats against Israel and efforts to develop non-conventional weapons, Israel needs an effective shield.
“The state of Israel, which is a clear target of each of these missiles and of the production stations of Iran’s non-conventional weapons, reserves the right to have other capabilities to prevent this threat,” he said.
The Shahab-3 can be equipped with nuclear warheads, and Tehran has said the missile could reach Israel and various U.S. military bases in the Middle East.
Last month, the European Union accused Iran of having documents that show how to make nuclear warheads, and joined the U.S. in warning Tehran that it could face referral to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions.
[…] Israel considers Iran to be its biggest threat, and doesn’t believe Tehran’s claims that its nuclear program is peaceful. Israeli concerns were heightened recently after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad urged that Israel be “wiped off the map.”
But the upshot is this: American and Israeli knowhow are going to defeat Iran’s nuclear capability. This is extremely good news. Anti-missile defenses are a much-needed technology; with them, the Iranian nuclear threat lessens.
If I were Iraq or Jordan, I’d be worried. Because at this rate, that missile isn’t going to fall in Israel. It’s going to be exploded on its trajectory.
Jewish and American ingenuity trump Islamist petrodollars every time.