Israeli P.M. promises missile protection

JERUSALEM, Oct. 9 (UPI) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak told a parliamentary committee Tuesday the country will soon have protection against 90 percent of the missiles fired at it.

Barak’s appearance before the Knesset Control Committee with Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, the chief of staff, and Amir Peretz, a former defense minister, in response to a report critical of the government‘s defense preparation for last year‘s war in Lebanon, The Jerusalem Post reported. State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss found Israel was not prepared for missiles fired by Hezbollah.

"We will implement the report," Barak promised the committee. "Furthermore, we are giving high priority to the production of a system involving several projects, which, within a few years, will provide protection for Israel from about 90 percent of all attempts to fire rockets at us, from Shihab missiles to Kassams."