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)