Inside Report (1)

October 3, 1980

During the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Israeli Phantom jets were ordered to shoot down a US SR-71 spy plane. So claims a just-published book, "Weapons," by Russell Warren Howe. The books asserts the order came after US planes spotted Israel arming Jericho missiles with nuclear warheads.

According to Howe, a US ship heard Israeli ground control give fighters the attack order. Alerted to the danger, the US plane climbed out of harm's way.

Howe concedes the unusual voice commands by radio may simply have been designed to hustle the unwelcome visitor out of the area.m