On the subject of shoulder fired missiles (SFMs), Former Spook asks if a "MANPAD SAM Threat" (i.e. man-portable, surface-to-air missiles) was why President Bush changed his travel plans today inside Israel. The original plan for the President was to travel 37-kilometers by helicopter from Ben-Gurion Airport, in Tel Aviv, to Jerusalem. Bush took a car instead.

WorldTribune.com says the President's plans were revised after the Secret Service determined his helicopter could be targeted by an attacker with a surface-to-air missile. 

"There was an intense last-minute discussion about the possibility of a SAM attack," an Israeli source said. "When the Israeli side agreed that this could not be ruled out, the Secret Service decided to cancel the helicopter flight."

The revision in Bush's travel plans was announced hours after two Katyusha rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israel. The 107 mm rockets, with a range of eight kilometers, landed in the Israeli town of Shlomi on early Tuesday.

Former Spook notes:

"All choppers assigned to Marine Helicopter Squadron One (which provides transport for the President and other senior government officials) are equipped with an advanced self-protection system, designed for the MANPAD threat. The helicopters assigned to Mr. Bush's Middle East trip are capable of handling the threat that might exist in the West Bank–mostly Soviet-era SA-7s/14s/16s.

Still, the White House and the Secret Service can't afford the image of Marine One maneuvering against a potshot from some Palestinian gunner, particularly in light of recent Al Qaida threats against Mr. Bush. So, the decision to cancel the president's chopper flight was a prudent one, even if it cause severe traffic problems for Israeli commuters."

(Photo credit: Getty Images) 

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