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(Continued from page 20)
• "When I can get them," he answers.
• "I'm down here every day," Montgomery says. "Every morning I hear this."
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Israel says it's downed drone along southern coast as Gaza conflict enters 7th day
• JERUSALEM (AP) -- The Israeli military said it downed a drone on Monday along the country's southern coastline, the first time it encountered an unmanned aircraft since the campaign against Gaza Strip militants began last week.
• The drone was launched from Gaza and was shot down near the southern city of Ashdod, the military said. Hamas claimed it launched several drones Monday at Israel, without immediately providing details on their missions.
• Since the latest bout of fighting began last Tuesday, militants have fired nearly 1,000 rockets at Israel, causing some injuries and damage to property, but no fatalities among Israelis. By contrast, 172 Palestinians have died as a result of Israel's air attacks.
• But the use of drones with an offensive capacity could potentially inflict significant casualties -- something the rockets from Gaza have failed to do, largely because of the success of the military's 'Iron Dome' air defense system in shooting them down.
• "Hamas is trying everything it can to produce some kind of achievement and it is crucial that we maintain our high state of readiness," Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said. "The shooting down of a drone this morning by our air defense system is an example of their efforts to strike at us in any way possible."
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Where others in the Air Force saw nuke business as usual, James saw deep ills -- and said so
• WASHINGTON (AP) -- When Deborah Lee James became top boss of the Air Force seven months ago she had no inkling a nuclear crisis was brewing. But once it erupted in the form of exam-cheating by dozens of missile launch officers, she quickly announced conclusions that no Air Force leader before her had dared state publicly.
• The nuclear missile corps' problems run deep, she said, morale is "spotty" and forceful fixes are needed.
• James reached those conclusions in January after a short visit to the three Air Force bases that operate intercontinental ballistic missiles, or ICBMs. She met not (Continued on page 22)
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