The following statement appears on the Facebook page of the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempey

“I’ve been in Israel for the past couple of days meeting Israeli military and civilian leaders and observing the Austere Challenge exercise, along with my counterpart, Lt.-General Benny Gantz of the Israeli Defense Force. We shared thoughts on regional security and air, land, and seaborne missile-defense capabilities. Austere Challenge 2012 is the largest joint exercise we’ve conducted with the IDF and reinforces a long-standing partnership — one that is built on trust and confidence.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)