| Updated 27 November 2008 |
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Ofek-7 Spy Satellite Launch Successful as US Ready to Strike Iran By Amihai Zippor (IHC News, 11 June 2007) Israel successfully launched its Ofek-7 spy satellite late Sunday night, 10 June 2006. Replacing the older Ofek-5, the updated device has extensive improvements over its predecessor, Ofek-6, which failed after take-off in 2004. “With this launch we have improved Israel's operational capabilities by dozens of percent,” director of Space Programming at the Ministry Of Defense (MOD) Research and Development Directorate, Brig.-Gen. Haim Eshet, said. Though Defense Minister Amir Peretz also described the launch, as “an important layer to Israel's security and it is evidence of Israel's technological strength”, military officials refused to divulge what enhancements make the Ofek-7 of superior quality. Meanwhile, as diplomatic moves aimed at forcing Iran to halt its nuclear program continue to fail, Ofek-7 will undoubtedly aid in any future military action that Israel or the US may take against Teheran. Senior US military officers told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday that they are giving President George W Bush their full backing to stop Iran from building the bomb. US politicians are also raising their voices in favor of stopping Iran militarily, though not only because of the nuclear problem. “I think we've got to be prepared to take aggressive military action against the Iranians to stop them from killing Americans in Iraq,” said Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman. Lieberman noted, “that would include a strike over the border into Iran, where we have good evidence that they have a base at which they are training these people coming back into Iraq to kill our soldiers.” Source: Original text contributed by the author, IHC reporter. Copyright © Israel Hasbara Committee, 11 June 2007. Permission is granted to use this material on condition the Israel Hasbara Committee is properly credited and that it is not for commercial purposes. |
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