The US and Israel have reached an agreement to work together on
a multi-layered missile defense system to guard against tactical
rockets and longer range ballistic missiles, the Pentagon said
Wednesday.
The agreements were reached Tuesday at the Pentagon by Defense
Secretary Robert Gates and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, the
Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said.
The two sides agreed to form a committee to upgrade and expand
their existing missile defense systems to counter "not just the
long-range threat coming from Iran, but short range Palestinian
rockets coming from Gaza," the spokesman said.
Israel has deployed its Arrow anti-missile system, which was
jointly developed with the United States and was said to be able to
counter most missile strikes against the Jewish state.
(Xinhua News Agency October 18, 2007)
