Israel fears Hezbollah anti-aircraft missiles could spark war

[Alamuti Lotus]

Israel fears Hezbollah anti-aircraft missiles could spark war
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent

The defense establishment is concerned that Hezbollah will try to smuggle advanced anti-aircraft missiles into Lebanon in the near future - yet another reason for the rising tension on the Israel-Lebanon border. Israel has made it clear in past statements that it will consider such a development as crossing a red line, which might necessitate preventative measures.

It is believed that Hezbollah would like to deploy SA-8 batteries in Lebanon. Such weapons could pose a threat to Israel Air Force jets flying over the country. In recent years, the IAF has conducted regular flights over Lebanon, part of reconnaissance and intelligence missions linked to assessing Hezbollah's military capabilities. In threatening the IAF, the Shi'ite group is hoping to alter Lebanon's military balance of power vis-a-vis Israel.

In the past year, the Arab press has reported several times that Hezbollah would like to deploy anti-aircraft missiles on Lebanon's mountaintops, thereby checking the IAF's freedom of operations.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1088178.html


Chutzpuh boldly redefined... how dare those vile fiends try to defend themselves against the enemy aircraft invading their space on a daily basis!