Ready to face any threat
צילום: שיה אגוזי
'We'll shoot down planes if needed'
Army would not hesitate to shoot down hijacked airplanes, anti-aircraft forces commander tells Ynet
TEL AVIV - The army would not hesitate to shoot down a hijacked civilian airplane if it threatened population centers or sensitive facilities, the Air Force's anti-aircraft branch commander says.
"The airplane would be shot down. Unequivocally." Brigadier General Ilan Bitton told Ynet In a special interview.
The Air Force is prepared to face any threat following the September 11 attacks, he said.
"The decision is of course taken by the top echelons of government after much consideration," Bitton said.
Biton recently visited the southern town of Eilat, where an anti-aircraft base was set up shortly before the American invasion of Iraq.
"The base is needed in times of peace, too," he said.
Before the Iraq war, security officials were concerned about possible strikes by Iraqi fighter jets. Other threats considered included a civilian jet hijacking that could threaten Eilat.
However, the missile system deployed in Eilat provides complete response to all aerial threats, Bitton said.
'Threat comes from international terrorism'
Patriot missile batteries set up elsewhere in the country ahead of the American strike on Iraq are still in place, he said.
"The batteries are on very high alert throughout the year," said Biiton. "It's important to remember that the September 11 attacks took place at a time of routine and not during war. The threat we are facing comes from international terrorism."
Paradoxically, Israel could finalize peace agreements with Arab states, but still face the threat of global terror, Bitton said.
