israelinsider: security: Sharon Stresses Israeli Defense Concerns

Sharon stresses Israeli defense concerns
By Amir Mizroch March 21, 2001


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On his visit to Washington, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon outlined Israel's regional concerns and emphasized the need for a bigger Israeli role in U.S. missile defense planning.

Speaking to the annual policy conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel lobby, Sharon described the eroding security situation of the Middle East region. The Prime Minister assigned a portion of the blame for this regional instability to a "new wave of international terrorism from Afghanistan to Lebanon," and on "acts of terror instigated by the Palestinian Authority."

Despite his reiteration of a call for an end to Palestinian violence, the biggest threat to Israeli, and Middle Eastern security as a whole, according to Sharon, comes from the missile programs of Iran and Iraq. The Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) program has not been monitored in over two years, and "there can be no doubt that Saddam Hussein is seeking to restore his mass destruction weapons capability and his quest for long-range missiles," declared Sharon.

According to Sharon, Iran is providing unprecedented support for terrorism, and is testing missiles that can strike Israel and much of Western Europe. "Missile defense is an absolute imperative," said Sharon, "both for Israel and the United States."

United States Secretary of State Colin Powell, in a speech to the same organization, remarked that Iraq is still a challenge to global security and would receive immediate attention from the Bush Administration. Powell signaled that America's priority was to prevent the Iraqi regime from acquiring or developing weapons of mass destruction or the means to deliver them. Powell also stated that the U.S. was concerned about Iranian efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction.

Powell acknowledged that Israel was particularly at risk: "We recognize that Israel lives in a very dangerous neighborhood, so we will look for ways to strengthen and expand our valuable strategic cooperation with Israel so that we can help preserve Israel's qualitative military edge."