HAMAS switching to rockets....

[MKSheppard]

Yes I know this is from WND, but don't crucify me as it does make logical
sense if I was a terrorist in the West Bank.....

[url]http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/artic ... E_ID=39410[/iurl]

Palestinian terrorist group Hamas is manufacturing a new kind of rocket in hopes of switching tactics from suicide bombings to firing missiles deep inside Israel after Prime Minister Ariel Sharon completes a withdrawal from Gaza.

The new rocket, named Nasser 3, is the most powerful and furthest reaching rocket produced yet in the Palestinian territories. The rocket carries a five-kilogram warhead to a range of 9 kilometers and has a standard explosive warhead combined with metal fragments and a standard fuse.

Previously, the Palestinians had been using Qassam 2 rockets, which used improvised fuses and warheads that didn't always explode upon impact. The Nasser 3 is built to guarantee an explosion.

Since November 2001, some 350 Qassam rockets have been fired from Gaza at targets within the Green Line, causing few casualties and minor damage. Israeli officially initially dismissed Palestinian rocket firing as largely ineffective, though it was recognized that the rockets had the potential to become a more significant threat.

"The Nasser 3 brings things to a whole new level of warfare," a security source told WND. "Hamas knows they can't get inside Israel because of the security fence, and they are setting the stages for a major shift in tactics from suicide bombings to firing effective rockets from Palestinian areas deep inside Israel."

The IDF believes most of the Nasser 3's components are manufactured within Gaza and that Hezbollah engineers trained the Palestinians in rocket construction. The fuses and some parts of the explosives were likely smuggled from the underground tunnels connecting Egypt to the Rafah refugee camp.

The rocket is cased in a 110-120 millimeter diameter steel water pipe, containing some 20 kilograms of improvised solid propellant, usually manufactured from available potassium nitrate fertilizer and powdered sugar.

"It appears there was some improvement in the propellant's mixture, which we cannot yet determine," an Israeli police explosive specialist said.

The Nasser 3 has four stabilizing fins welded to the casing and is launched from rails mounted on a bipod. An electric fuse, triggered by a timing mechanism or a live rocket crew, ignites the rocket's engine.

The new Nasser 3 rockets were recently tested by Hamas and fired from Gaza toward the southern Israeli town of Sderot on June 28, killing two residents, one of them a 3-year-old child.

The IDF has been debating how best to respond to the new rocket threat. Israel has been using both ground and airborne observation platforms, including use of a 24-hour thermal camera, combined with an upgraded artillery-locating radar to detect and attack rocket-firing teams.

Sharon's chief spokesman, Raanan Gissin, would not comment on specific plans Israel is implementing, but told WND: "Israel will deal with this threat and we will suppress it. The rockets are a major violation of the so-called rules of the game."

[Seggybop]

A rocket with a 9km range? Wow, that's so impressive that the Palestinians have finally reached the technological level of American teenagers!

[Sharp-kun]

"Israel will deal with this threat and we will suppress it. The rockets are a major violation of the so-called rules of the game."

There are rules??!!

[Arthur_Tuxedo]

I realize I'm not a mod, but I feel I should warn everyone not to violate the moratorium on Israel vs Palestine for new people and those that forgot.

[Sarevok]

A rocket with a 9km range? Wow, that's so impressive that the Palestinians have finally reached the technological level of American teenagers!

Bear in mind that unlike Israel they dont have sophisticated technology or American aid.

[MKSheppard]

Bear in mind that unlike Israel they dont have sophisticated technology or American aid.

Ignoring Evilcat's pitiful attempt at a flame, if you look at a map of
Israel, 9 km is a lot of "reach out and touch someone", particularly
if it's fired from the west bank.

And lets not forget that these are literally "made from scratch" rockets,
where they don't have advanced production lines run by robots, but is
just one guy mixing the materials for the rocket motor by hand, leading
to a high proportion of "Work accidents".

[GySgt. Hartman]

"Israel will deal with this threat and we will suppress it. The rockets are a major violation of the so-called rules of the game."

There are rules??!!

Yes, the Palestinians are only allowed to use stones.

[HemlockGrey]

And this totally unreliable source citing absolutely no verifiable reports or individuals can be trusted....why?

[Master of Ossus]

If this is true, then it represents one of the stupidest things the Palestinian terrorist organizations have ever done. They are essentially saying, "Well, since Israel's pulling out as per US demands, we're not gonna use suicide bombers, anymore. Let's use rockets." What they apparently neglected to realize is that it gives Israelis the PERFECT FUCKING EXCUSE to move back IN to Palestinian territories. Israeli artillery can now open fire on targets in Gaza and the West Bank, and Israeli strike aircraft can now attack targets in the same areas all because of the retarded rockets. Thank you Palestinian terrorists for admitting you don't give a damn about Palestinian sovereignty or the innocents on both sides that will doubtless die as a result of these weapons, and are solely out to damage Israel.

[Col. Crackpot]

"Israel will deal with this threat and we will suppress it. The rockets are a major violation of the so-called rules of the game."

There are rules??!!

Yes, the Palestinians are only allowed to use stones.

but not sticks. the use of sticks is a clear violation of the peace process.
Israeli F-16's are okay, but no sticks.

[Master of Ossus]

but not sticks. the use of sticks is a clear violation of the peace process.
Israeli F-16's are okay, but no sticks.

What if they get boards with nails through them?

[kojikun]

What if they get boards with nails through them?

The use of boards with nails is pending approval by the Likud Party.

[Col. Crackpot]

but not sticks. the use of sticks is a clear violation of the peace process.
Israeli F-16's are okay, but no sticks.

What if they get boards with nails through them?

[Ariel Sharon] NO! the Palistinians must not be allowed to develop weapons of minimal destruction!
*eats 50 pounds of falafel
[/Ariel Sharon]

[MKSheppard]

And this totally unreliable source citing absolutely no verifiable reports or individuals can be trusted....why?

Because it makes logical sense; once the wall is up, the terror groups can't
use self-guided two legged homing bombs anymore. Rockets make
perfect sense insamuch as keepign the pressure on Israel and making
your movement look credible in the eyes of the Palestinian public.

[BlkbrryTheGreat]

Honestly, I'm wondering what its taken them this long to adopt this tactic. I mean honestly, how hard could it be to look up the blue prints of a Katusha type rocket truck and rig up something similar? Just imagine the terror it would cause every time they heard that signature sound.

[Illuminatus Primus]

Because it makes logical sense; once the wall is up, the terror groups can't use self-guided two legged homing bombs anymore. Rockets make perfect sense insamuch as keepign the pressure on Israel and making your movement look credible in the eyes of the Palestinian public.

Logical consistency does not make something true. Hell we try to write fiction on this very website which is logically consistent.

I wait for corroboration.

[Arthur_Tuxedo]

60 Minutes had an interview with a HAMAS spokesman many years ago and he was talking about this same thing. I assumed they had already been doing it, but I guess they had chickened out. or were just making up bullshit.

[Stravo]

These fuckers can build rockets but can't find jobs for their people? C'mon, instead of figuring out how to kill Israelis how about figuring out how to feed your people and give them jobs. And I don't mean buying cheap Egyptian concrete and then selling it to the Israelis to help build that wall you hate so much instead of using it to build homes for your people.

In the end, they are their own worst enemy.

[phongn]

IIRC, THEL was designed to stop small rockets from being tossed at Israel; if this story is true I wonder if they'll start deploying some THEL batteries to shoot them down.

[Xenophobe3691]

IIRC, THEL was designed to stop small rockets from being tossed at Israel; if this story is true I wonder if they'll start deploying some THEL batteries to shoot them down.

And so begins the game usually called Evolution...First the Virii finds ways of penetrating the cell, then the cell finds ways of smacking down the Virii and going "I'm Rick James' T-lymphocite, bitch."

[Uraniun235]

IIRC, THEL was designed to stop small rockets from being tossed at Israel; if this story is true I wonder if they'll start deploying some THEL batteries to shoot them down.

And so begins the game usually called Evolution...First the Virii finds ways of penetrating the cell, then the cell finds ways of smacking down the Virii and going "I'm Rick James' T-lymphocite, bitch."

Except I'm pretty sure THEL was designed to defeat rockets built and fired by people with a bigger technological base than homebrewed rockets.

[phongn]

Quite. THEL was not designed to take out these type of rockets, though it probably could do it.

[The Dark]

And this totally unreliable source citing absolutely no verifiable reports or individuals can be trusted....why?

Confirmation from Arutz Sheva (Israeli National News):
http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=65514

From the Independent Media Review Analysis:
http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=21441

From the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) (poorly translated):
http://www.kuna.net.kw/English/Story.asp?DSNO=641777

I would say that overall, it seems the early story was fairly accurate.

[Crown]

If this is true, then it represents one of the stupidest things the Palestinian terrorist organizations have ever done. They are essentially saying, "Well, since Israel's pulling out as per US demands, we're not gonna use suicide bombers, anymore. Let's use rockets." What they apparently neglected to realize is that it gives Israelis the PERFECT FUCKING EXCUSE to move back IN to Palestinian territories. Israeli artillery can now open fire on targets in Gaza and the West Bank, and Israeli strike aircraft can now attack targets in the same areas all because of the retarded rockets. Thank you Palestinian terrorists for admitting you don't give a damn about Palestinian sovereignty or the innocents on both sides that will doubtless die as a result of these weapons, and are solely out to damage Israel.

I'm not going to wade into this other than to ask; Israel required and excuse all the other times to ivade Gaza and the West Bank

[Xenophobe3691]

I'm not going to wade into this other than to ask; Israel required and excuse all the other times to ivade Gaza and the West Bank

Aside from the first time, no; but giving them an excuse isn't exactly that good an idea either...