Israel has made missile defense a priority since Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein bombarded the country with 39 Scud missiles during the 1991 Gulf War. Israel, in cooperation with the U.S., has developed a multilayer system of missile defense. During the 1991 war, American Patriot missile batteries were deployed to Israel to defend against Iraqi Scud missile attacks. Lt. Gen. Richard Clark, commander of the U.S. troops, said American forces are ready to deploy in Israel at Israel's request. Once Israel gives the green light, he said American forces could start moving from Europe within two or three days.

Source: ABC News March 08, 2018 15:03 UTC