Bajnai Orders Inquiry Into Israeli Planes

  • 22 Mar 2010 12:00 AM
Bajnai Orders Inquiry Into Israeli Planes
"Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai has ordered an immediate investigation into the appearance of two Israeli spy planes over Ferihegy airport on Wednesday.

He has demanded information from the ministers of foreign affairs, defence and transport, said government spokesman Do-mokos Szollár.

Fidesz has demanded immediate and clear information from the government.

Israeli ambassador Aliza Bin-Noun told state news agency MTI that the aircraft were performing a routine task, not for the first time, and had received permission from the Na-tional Transport Authority (NKH). Varna in Bulgaria was also part of the exercise, she said.

The ambassador was unable to tell MTI exactly what tasks the planes were perform-ing in Hungary, saying that she had not been informed of the details.

It is no accident that the story appeared in Magyar Nemzet, she remarked, adding that enemies of Israel could be behind the report.

Speaking on Duna TV, Bin-Noun said “I would like to clarify the matter, and I would like to ask: could the fact that the far-right press is making such a big fuss about the in-vasion of the planes before the elections have an ulterior motive?”

The Defence Ministry did not know about the arrival of the planes, a spokesman said, although the ministry had forwarded a flight request to the NKH.

Security policy expert Georg Spöttle said the two Gulfstream V aircraft were probably conducting a test flight, which Israel can do only in friendly countries, but were not spy planes, since they approached the airport at a low height and in daylight.

The online edition of Népszabadság quotes an anonymous aeronautical expert as saying the Israeli Air Force could have been performing a show of strength aimed at Iran."

Source: Hungary Around the Clock.

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