US offers Israeli coop with Egypt, Jordan

Reuters:

A U.S. general has proposed on Monday that Israel expand its anti-missile systems to include neighboring Jordan and possibly Egypt, and an Israeli official cautiously welcomed the idea.

Brigadier-General John Shapland, chief defense attache for the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, raised the idea of extending Israel's anti-missile umbrella in comments to a security conference in the city.

"If we were able to build a regional defense capability in, say, Jordan, that capability could easily defend Israel, Jordan and even Egypt, if you so desired, adding one more layer to your multi-layered defense," he told Israeli officials and experts gathered at the INSS think-tank.

Shapland, whose country has extensively underwritten Israel's two deployed missile interceptors as well as others in the works, and allowed their integration with U.S. counterpart systems, said his proposal was "just one idea to consider".

Yair Ramati, head of the Israel Missile Defence Organisation, appeared open to the idea. "The policy of the (Israeli) 'Defence' Ministry is always to cooperate with the countries of the region, including the countries cited," Ramati said at the conference, in reference to Jordan and Egypt.

Jordanian officials and a spokesman for the Egyptian embassy declined immediate comment.

Ramati declined to be drawn on whether Israel's two deployed systems, the Arrow II ballistic missile interceptor and Iron Dome short-range rocket interceptor, could already provide coverage for Arab neighbors.

"I won't be sharing operational maps with you," Ramati told Reuters. "You can draw your own conclusions from the fact we insist on not answering."