On Monday, a terrorist drone aircraft easily entered Israeli airspace - and then returned safely to Lebanon. The highly-publicized incursion demonstrated just how precarious Israel's security is.
The militant Hezbollah claims it manufactures the dangerous drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that are flying over Israel.
But U.S. and Israeli intelligence sources have told NBC News that the terrorist organization actually obtained the UAVs from Iran and that Iranian soldiers operate them from bases just across the border from Israel in Lebanon.
Story Continues Below
Hezbollah has been launching the UAVs that fly over Israeli towns and return to Lebanon for months now – with Hezbollah officials bragging that the unmanned surveillance plane, called Mirsad 1, can be rigged with explosives and penetrate deep inside Israel.
"You can load the Mirsad plane with a quantity of explosive ranging from 40 to 50 kilos and send it to its target," said Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Nov. 2004. "Do you want a power plant, water plant, military base? Anything!"
According to the NBC News report, at an air show in Iran earlier this year, an aviation official showed off Iran's UAVs to NBC News.
"When you turn on the engine, it takes off and flies," Abbas Fallah of Iran Aircraft Manufacturing told NBC. "It's so easy!"
Curiously, Iranian officials have taken credit for supplying the UAVs to Hezbollah and at the same time denied it.
Meanwhile, says the NBC report, U.S. and Israeli intelligence believes Iran gave Hezbollah a half-dozen UAVs which feed live video and have sophisticated guidance systems.
"Well, there is a clear escalation, a provocation, and it could be an attempt to collect and gather information and intelligence to attack us," Daniel Ayalon, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S. said.
Says the NBC report, "Israel's vastly superior military is embarrassed that a terror group's little unmanned spy plane has been able to penetrate Israeli airspace - twice.”
Experts worry that the Iranian missions may be a harbinger of future attacks.
Editor's note:
Breaking: Dick Morris Says It’s Condi vs. Hillary in 2008 – Click Here Now
The Pope’s New Book Is Shocking Europe – Read It! FREE OFFER – Click Here Now
Get your Web site listed on NewsMax.com – reach millions for pennies! Click Here Now!