Obama urges funds for Israeli missile system

Barack Obama, the US president, has asked Congress for $205m to help Israel speed up construction of a new short-range anti-missile defense system, White House aides have said. The so-called "Iron Dome" project is designed to intercept rockets and artillery shells from the Gaza Strip and neighboring Lebanon. The money would come in addition to annual US assistance to Israel. "The president recognizes the threat missiles and rockets fired by Hamas and Hezbollah pose to Israelis, and has therefore decided to seek funding from Congress to support the production of Israel's short range rocket defense system called Iron Dome," Tommy Vietor, a White House spokesman, told reporters on Thursday. Though it could be years before it is fully operational along Israel's borders, Israeli officials have said the deployment of the system at a few initial locations could begin sometime this year.