Britannia Radio

FREEMAN CENTER BROADCAST- September 3, 2008 FREEMAN CENTER FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES Wednesday, September 3, 2008 Defense industry develops GPS mortar shell - 10 km range - 3m accuracy Yaakov Katz , THE JERUSALEM POST Sep. 2, 2008 www.jpost.com /servlet/Satellite?cid=1220353263631&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull Implementing the lessons of the Second Lebanon War, Israel Military Industries has designed a mortar shell that uses a satellite guidance system to accurately hit its target. The 120mm mortar shell is in the final stages of development by IMI and the American Raytheon defense company. The shell has a range of 10 kilometers and with the GPS system hits targets within a three-meter radius. The built-in guidance system also allow operators to direct the mortar shell to its target with a laser-honing device. Officials said the "smart mortar" would improve infantry units' ability to neutralize enemy forces that were positioned out of sight. Since the shell is especially accurate, IMI CEO Avi Felder said military units would be able to carry fewer mortar shells into battle while achieving the same level of lethality as in the past. The new mortar shell was unveiled on Tuesday at a press conference held at IMI headquarters in Ramat Hasaharon ahead of the government-owned defense industry's 75th anniversary next week. In 2007, IMI had $575 million in sales, and forecasts for 2008 are that the company will take in $676m., Felder said. It is currently investing $85m. in research and development per year. One of the company's key products that is currently undergoing final testing is the Iron Fist active protection system for tanks and armored personnel carriers. IMI says it can neutralize all anti-tank threats, including kinetic (those without explosive charges) shells fired by enemy tanks. Iron Fist is in its final stages of testing, according to Felder, and will be installed on the IDF's new Namer APCs by the end of the year. It will likely become fully operational by the end of the decade. The IDF plans to install Rafael Defense Systems' Trophy active protection system on Merkava tanks in 2009. The Iron Fist consists of a radar and passive optical system that detects incoming threats and destroys them within a fraction of a second using a combustible blast interceptor. Unlike the Trophy, which fires off a large number of projectiles, the Iron Fist intercepts incoming threats by using a rocket the shape of a mortar shell that destroys the threat with a blast that crushes its soft components or deflects the missile or kinetic projectile in flight. Felder said several countries had expressed interest in the Iron Fist and that IMI planned to hold a series of simulations for foreign military officers in the coming months. Wednesday, September 3, 2008 Military Intelligence maintains constantly updated maps in computer for distribution to units on short notice 'No more obsolete maps to combat units' Yaakov Katz , THE JERUSALEM POST Sep. 3, 200 www.jpost.com /servlet/Satellite?cid=1220353266504&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull   The IDF's Military Intelligence has dramatically increased its relevance and capabilities since the Second Lebanon War, when some field units went into combat with outdated maps of Hizbullah strongholds, IDF Chief Intelligence Officer Brig.-Gen. Yuval Halamish told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday. "When we look back today at the past two years we are without a doubt in a different place," Halamish said in a rare interview he granted the Post in honor of MI's 60th anniversary. "Like the rest of the IDF at the time, MI was busy focusing on the Palestinian arena and that is where we invested our resources." Incidents such as units being given outdated maps before going into combat should never have happened, he said, revealing that today MI has established an advanced computerized database that stores all of the maps and other intelligence material that is continuously updated and can be distributed to relevant units on short notice. "We now have updated materials at all levels and this never ends," he said. "Today, the technological capabilities are very advanced and allow us to create material in real time and store it in computer databases." On Wednesday evening, MI will celebrate 60 years of operations at a festive ceremony in Latrun that will be attended by Halamish, IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and President Shimon Peres. Reflecting on the past 60 years, Halamish said that MI has had many successes but unfortunately also some failures - particularly before the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War in 1973. He said the branch did not forget its failures and used them to improve. "Someone who doesn't recognize his past will have difficulty looking to the future," Halamish said. "MI has had failures in the past alongside many successes, which since they are not publicized like the failures are not well known by the public." Intelligence work, he said, was extremely complicated since "your mission is to infiltrate and understand the adversary as if you are part of him." That is why, he said, the IDF invested major resources in recruiting the best people to MI. "The IDF understands that intelligence superiority and excellent intelligence is vital," he said. "The mission is to obtain and bring relevant and effective intelligence to the IDF so we can win in every confrontation." Halamish said that one of MI's major challenges today was retaining officers who were offered lucrative positions in the private sector. "Much depends on commanders and the challenges the officers face, Zionism and their readiness to serve," he said. "If it is money they are looking for they would go to hi-tech, where they start with double the salary I can pay them." Another challenge, he said, was finding soldiers who knew Arabic or Persian to serve in MI. "There are not many high school students who know Arabic today," he said. "We need these people, since in the end we need to understand what our enemies are saying." That enemy, he added, was advancing and improving its capabilities just like Israel and was continuously trying to gather intelligence on the IDF. Since the Second Lebanon War, when the IDF discovered advanced Hizbullah listening posts, the IDF has improved its level of security and now forbid officers from entering sensitive meetings with cellphones. "They are progressing and improving capabilities and, just as I gather intelligence on them, they gather [intelligence] on us," he said. "There is more awareness today since this is a real threat... We understand what the other side wants to know and what it is looking for." Wednesday, September 3, 2008 'Israel-Syria talks to focus on borders' JPost.com Staff , THE JERUSALEM POST Sep. 3, 2008 www.jpost.com /servlet/Satellite?cid=1220353269895&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull A fifth round of indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria are scheduled to begin on September 7 in Istanbul, according to reports in the London-based Arabic dailies on Wednesday. According to French sources quoted by Asharq Alawsat, previous talks have been fruitful and the fifth round will focus on demarcating a future border following Israel's withdrawal from the Golan Heights. According to a French source quoted by Al Hayat, sketching the border would be "the main topic" of the discussions. The sources claimed that Israel and the US have reached an agreement whereas France will take part in the mediation between the two parties as soon as the talks become direct. The Jerusalem Post could not confirm the reports in the Arab press. The reports of France's possible involvement in future talks came as French President Nicholas Sarkozy was scheduled to land in Damascus for the first visit by a Western head of state in several years. Sarkozy will be joined in Damascus on Thursday by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the sponsor of the talks thus far, and Qatari Emir Hamad bin Khalifa. The three of them are scheduled to hold a summit with Syrian President Bashar Assad. On Tuesday, Assad declared that indirect negotiations with Israel have brought "the possibility of peace," although the two countries still have quite a way to go toward that goal. In an interview with France-3 television, the Syrian leader said officials from both sides, as well as from Turkey, were working to make direct negotiations happen. "Today there is a possibility of peace," Assad said. "But nonetheless, we cannot say that we are close to achieving peace. We are preparing for direct negotiations. When we reach that step, we will be able to say that we are approaching peace." "Today, we can only say that we have opened the door to peace," he said, in remarks in Arabic that were dubbed over in French. On Monday, Turkish sources said that there was no new date scheduled for the fifth round of talks, which was originally scheduled for last week. There has been speculation that the delay in the talks was due to a bureaucratic problem. Olmert's chief of staff, Yoram Turbowicz, headed the Israeli delegation but quit his post in the beginning of August, just after Olmert announced his intention to resign following the Kadima primaries. Olmert at the time asked Turbowicz to stay on and deal with the diplomatic issues he had been heavily involved in, primarily as a liaison with Washington and heading the talks with Syria. The legal aspects of Turbowicz working as a volunteer, or setting up a new framework for him in the Prime Minister's Office, have not been resolved and are being dealt with by the attorney-general, giving rise to speculation that the talks will be delayed until this is sorted out. Herb Keinon and AP contributed to this report Monday, September 1, 2008 Hamas calls Arab countries to send armies to Jerusalem rather than Gaza 1 September 2008 Website of Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades - the armed branch of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). www.alqassam.ps/english/?action=showdetail&fid=1194   Hamas movement called the Arab countries to send troops to liberate Jerusalem, In a press conference in Gaza, Hamas spokesperson, Ismail Radwan, said that the Arab countries should send its armies to liberate Al-Aqsa Mosque rather than to send troops to Gaza. Radwan's comment came as a response to a question on the Hamas attitude on an Egyptian suggestion to send Arab troops to Gaza. In an interview with the Cairo based "October" magazine, the FM of Egypt, Ahmed Abu Al-Ghait suggested deploying Arab troops in the Gaza Strip to halt any internal Palestinian fighting and to prevent any Israeli aggression. In the same press conference, Hamas described on Sunday that the Abbas- Olmert meeting in Jerusalem as "failed efforts and absurd meeting". Hamas spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri, said that Hamas is "satisfied for the (PA-Israeli) failing of the negotiations." The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Israeli PM Ehud Olmert, met today in Jerusalem and talked on several issues including the final status issues. Hamas denounced the PA arrests against its members in the West Bank, asserting that such arrests restrict the efforts of launching a comprehensive national dialogue. PA arrested several Hamas members in the West Bank under a security justification the same in Gaza in which Hamas is still detains tens of Fateh members. Radwan criticized the PA "political arrests", while Hamas arrests several political officials including Gaza Governor Mohammed Al-Qidwa and Khanyounis Governor Osama Al-Farra. Hamas spokesperson criticized the running strike in the civil servant sector, including Education and Health. Fateh loyalist employees launch a general strike in response to what they say "Hamas practices and humiliation against them." Tuesday, September 2, 2008 UNIFIL details role in effort to get Israelis out of Ghajar By Dalila Mahdawi Daily Star {lebanon] staff Wednesday, September 03, 2008 www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=95670   BEIRUT: The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said Tuesday that it had offered to Israel and Lebanon concrete proposals on how to facilitate an Israeli withdrawal from the northern part pf Ghajar village. Israel seized control of the northern side of Ghajar, along with the disputed Shebaa Farms, when it captured the Syrian Golan Heights in 1967. The Jewish state ostensibly withdrew from the village in 2000 when it pulled out of most of South Lebanon, only to re-occupy it during the 34-day war of July-August 2006. Although the Israeli Cabinet agreed to hand over Ghajar to UNIFIL in December 2006, it has continued to occupy the side north of the UN-designated "Blue Line" which serves as a de facto border between the two countries. In a statement released on Tuesday, UNIFIL spokesperson Yasmina Bouzianne noted that UN Security Resolution 1701, which was issued to end the 2006 hostilities, "calls on Israel to withdraw from all Lebanese territory." She said that UNIFIL made proposals to both Israel and Lebanon on how to best facilitate an Israeli withdrawal from the northern part of Ghajar "in accordance with 1701." UNIFIL's commander, Italian General Claudio Graziano, had met separately with Lebanese and Israeli officials to discuss the proposals, Bouzianne said, adding that both sides had been positive toward the initial suggestions and that the talks had encouraged the peacekeeping force to pursue its efforts to bring about an Israeli withdrawal. On Tuesday, Bouzianne told the pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat newspaper that she hoped Israel and Lebanon would reach agreement over Ghajar soon, which she said would allow for UNSCR 1701 to be practically implemented. If abided by, the UNIFIL proposals could be a "huge contribution to the building of trust in the region," added Bouzianne. Also on Tuesday, the trial of two Islamic Jihad members accused of planning attacks on UNIFIL troops and on state security installations began at a military tribunal. According to a judicial report, Bashir Mohammed Talal and Mohammed Youssef Hamadi both denied planning attacks. Talal said he had fired rockets at Israel from South Lebanon on two occasions, while Hamadi admitted to "having played a role in the rocket attacks against Israel." The two also testified that they had been trained on how to use weapons and explosives at the Palestinian refugee camp Ain al-Hilweh, near Sidon.