War (of Words) with Syria

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Monday, Oct 13, 2003

Iran warns Israel over reports of planned air strike
Ha'aretz -- October 13, 2003

By News Agencies and Haaretz Service
TEHRAN - The Iranian government issued a warning to Israel over reports appearing in a German news magazine Monday that Jerusalem was researching how to strike Iranian nuclear sites.
- mark 10-13-2003 11:23 pm [link]

Sneh dismisses report Israel modified Harpoon missiles on submarines
Associated Press via Jerusalem Post -- October 12, 2003

Israeli and foreign defense experts Sunday dismissed a report that Israel had modified submarine-based missiles to carry nuclear warheads, saying such a modification was technically impossible.

The Los Angeles Times reported Saturday that Israel had modified some of its nuclear warheads to fit US-made Harpoon cruise missiles and upgraded the missiles so they could hit targets on land in addition to maritime ones, according to two US officials and one Israeli official.

Israel made the modifications in response to Iran's alleged nuclear ambitions, the Times reported. Both the US and Israel see Iran as an implacable enemy and say it is close to developing nuclear weapons that might be used against Israeli targets.

Former Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Efraim Sneh called the assertion that Israel had made the Harpoon nuclear "impossible."

"Anyone with even the slightest understanding of missiles knows that the Harpoon can never be used to carry nuclear warheads," Sneh told Army Radio. "Not even (Israel's) extraordinarily talented engineers and its sophisticated defense industries can transform the Harpoon into a missile capable of doing this. It's simply impossible."

Ted Hooton, editor of Jane's Naval Weapon Systems in London, echoed Sneh's assessment, saying that problems with payload weight would put the Harpoon out of balance, drastically limiting its range and accuracy.
- mark 10-13-2003 10:25 pm [link]