The IDF spokesman has confirmed that Israel has deployed Iron Dome batteries in Haifa and the north, in response to the escalating civil war in Syria and worries that its chemical weapons could end up in Jihadist hands.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today, "Syria, which is cracking apart, has lethal weapons, and we must be ready, strong, and determined against any potential threat."
The developments follow a mysterious explosion at Iran's underground nuclear centrifuge facility at Fordo. A Beirut newspaper implies that Israel was involved in the incident, and that the Israel Air Force yesterday flew over Lebanon yesterday.
The IDF spokesman said, "An Iron Dome system is undergoing operational deployment, including the deployment of a battery at various sites around the country. As part of the operational deployment, the battery has been sent to the north."
An IDF source told "Channel 2 News" that there was no connection between the deployment and statements about Syria and developments in the north, and that the deployment had been planned beforehand.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on January 27, 2013
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