Israel's Barak hails US missile shield rethink

WARSAW: Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Wednesday hailed a US move to create a sea-borne anti-missile shield to ward off Iranian threats in place of a planned system in eastern Europe that angered Russia.

“We’ve listened very carefully to the American argumentation about the change in policy,” Barak told reporters during a visit to Poland, where Washington had planned to base a battery of missile interceptors.

“The new approach really provides more flexibility and, in a relatively short time, a much more effective, economical way to deal effectively with the challenge of missiles from Iran,” he said.

Last month, the administration of US President Barack Obama said it was scrapping its plan to deploy the interceptors in Poland by 2013 as well as an associated radar in the neighboring Czech Republic.

The previous administration had insisted the plan was meant to parry threats from Iran, but Russia was enraged by what it dubbed as a threatening US move on its doorstep. Obama’s decision came amid thawing ties with Moscow.

Washington’s new scheme foresees a mobile, sea-based system designed to protect against short- and medium-range missiles.

Moscow has welcomed the US move to scrap the Polish and Czech sites but it has not been entirely happy with the new system, which Washington says could also include land-based components in Europe from 2015.

Barak said it was crucial to forge ahead with the plans, as Iran’s military program moves forward step-by-step – Tehran recently test-fired missiles which it said could reach targets inside Israel.

“Their missiles can now cover Israel and the margins of Europe, and in a few years they will be able to cover Europe as well. Basically Iran is perceived by Israel to be a major threat to world stability,” he said.