March 5, 2013
U.S. aims to support Israeli defense systems despite budget cuts
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An Iron Dome launcher fires an interceptor rocket in the southern city of Ashdod, about an hour after a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas went into effect on Nov. 21. Photo by Amir Cohen/Reuters
New U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel met with his Israeli counterpart on Tuesday, expressing strong support for Israeli missile and rocket defense systems despite fiscal uncertainty caused by across-the-board spending cuts.
"Secretary Hagel is committed to working with members of Congress to ensure that there is no interruption of funding for Iron Dome, Arrow, and David's Sling rocket and missile defense systems," a U.S. defense official said.
Hagel's nearly two-hour-long talks with Israel's Ehud Barak represented his first face-to-face meeting with a foreign counterpart since he took over the Pentagon on Feb. 27.
Reporting by Phil Stewart
