Omedia : The Security Agenda- Sky Guard – From The Expert’s Mouth

Omedia : The Security Agenda- Sky Guard Laser Antirocket System– From The Expert’s Mouth
This is an old article about a laser defense system against Kassam rockets and mortar shells, jointly developed at the turn of the century by Northrop Grumman and the Israelis. This system could be strategically important for defending the Israeli south (and perhaps the north), as the Israeli kinetic missile Iron Dome anti-Kassam missile system, chosen by Olmert, will not be ready to deploy 2010 at the earliest. Unlike the Skyguard (formerly known as the Nautilus), the Iron Dome is untested. As with most stupid Israeli policy decisions, domestic Israeli politics led to this decision to go with developing the Iron Dome over purchasing the existing and fully tested Skyguard.

Why is this important? Putting aside the moral dimension of minimizing Israeli civilian casualties from terrorist rocket attacks from Gaza, if anyone believes there is any chance of developing momentum for a peace deal with Syria or the Palestinians, they will need to make sure that Hamas and Hezbollah cannot play spoiler by launching thousands of missiles at Israel, killing civilians and disrupting society. These attacks would surely generate an Israeli counterassault, which would torpedo peace talks (Hamas and Hezbollah both have tons to lose if, by some chance, Syria or the Palestinians cut a deal with the Israelis). The very simple law of Mideast dynamics hasn't changed -- "no security for Israel, no peace for anyone". Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran know this.

This is another bad decision resulting from morally bankruptcy and a lack of imagination by politicians in Jerusalem and Washington. If Bush had half a brain and was serious about his final push to try to get something going on the peace front with the Palestinians, he'd cram the Skyguard laser system down Olmert's throat, NOW.