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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Tenchusatsu who wrote (285395)	4/24/2006 2:34:13 PM
From: bentway	Respond to of 1575428

"Maybe one for Mecca, and one just in case the first bomber gets shot down?" Certainly 50 would be far more than "enough"? Israel supposedly has IRBM's in armored silos. I'm sure they have all Arab capitals targeted constantly. No bombers needed. thebulletin.org "Land-based missiles. Israel's quest for a missile capability began at the same time as its quest for nuclear weapons. In April 1963--several months before the Dimona reactor began operating--Israel signed an agreement with the French company Dassault to produce a surface-to-surface ballistic missile. Israeli specifications called for a two-stage missile capable of delivering a 750-kilogram warhead to 235--500 kilometers with a circular error probable of less than 1 kilometer. The missile system, known as the Jericho (or MD-620), was designed to take less than two hours to prepare, be launchable from fixed or mobile bases, and be capable of firing at a rate of four to eight missiles per hour. In early 1966, the New York Times reported that Israel had bought a first installment of 30 missiles. After the 1967 war, France imposed an embargo on new military equipment, and Israel began producing the Jericho missile independently. In 1974, the CIA cited the Jericho as evidence that Israel had nuclear weapons, stating that the Jericho made little sense as a conventional missile and was "designed to accommodate nuclear warheads." Subsequently, Israel developed the Jericho II, which has some similarities to the U.S. Pershing II. In May 1987 Israel tested an improved version of the Jericho II that flew 800 kilometers. A second test was conducted in September 1988, and a third Jericho II tested in September 1989 reportedly flew 1,300 kilometers. In 1989, the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency gave the maximum range of the improved Jericho II as 1,450 kilometers--long enough to reach the southern border of the Soviet Union. Israel vigorously pursued technologies for the missile in the United States and elsewhere, including a terminal guidance system using radar imaging. It is thought that the range has been increased to 1,800 kilometers. According to a 1997 Jane's article, there are about 50 Jericho II missiles at the Zekharyeh missile base, some 45 kilometers southeast of Tel Aviv in the Judean Hills. According to an analysis of satellite images, the missiles appear to be stored in caves. Upon warning, they would probably be dispersed on their transporter-erector launchers (TELs) so as not to be destroyed. The shorter-range Jericho I is deployed nearby in approximately equal numbers. In 1988, Israel began launching several Ofek satellites into orbit atop Shavit (Comet) three-stage rockets, which are derived from the Jericho II missile. The first satellite weighed about 180 kilograms; the most recent, the Ofek 5, about 300 kilograms. The satellites monitor activities in hostile states and provide intelligence. The Shavit could be converted into a long-range ballistic missile, with a range of up to 7,000 kilometers, depending on the weight of the warhead. Missiles are test launched from the Palmikhim Airbase north of Tel Aviv. In April 2000, Israel test-launched a Jericho missile into the Mediterranean Sea, without informing the United States in advance. The missile impacted near a U.S. warship, which reportedly thought it was under attack."

To: Tenchusatsu who wrote (285395)	4/24/2006 6:50:39 PM
From: Road Walker	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 1575428

Didn't you tell me a couple of months ago you thought this was going to change? Still believe it? Bush's approval rating hits new low 1 hour, 39 minutes ago President George W. Bush's public approval rating has fallen to 32 percent, a new low for his presidency, a CNN poll showed on Monday. The survey also showed that 60 percent of Americans disapprove of the way Bush is handling his job. Bush's poll numbers have languished below 40 percent in the last couple of months, hit by growing public opposition to the Iraq war, his support for a now-abandoned plan for a Dubai firm to take over major U.S. port operations and American anger over gas prices now topping $3 a gallon at the pump. Continuing fallout from the Bush administration's mishandling of the initial response to Hurricane Katrina has also hurt his popularity. Bush's approval rating as measured by CNN's poll dropped from 36 percent in March. His lowest job performance measure has been 32 percent, in a Fox News poll this month. Bush has launched a shake-up of his White House staff in an effort to revive his popularity and stave off concerns of fellow Republicans that they could lose control of both houses of Congress in a November midterm election. Bush's response to the gas crisis has been to warn Americans to expect a tough summer, vow that price gouging will not be tolerated and try to promote energy alternatives that will take years to get to consumers.