Article

2014-02-22 Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Starving Palestinians Update: Hamas tests anti-aircraft missiles against Israel

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Posted by Besoeker 2014-02-22 03:55|| || Front Page|| [4 views ] Top
File under: Hamas

#1 Gazan anti-aircraft missile probably from Libya

Israeli official says Gaddafis downfall allowed Hamas to procure huge supply of missiles

A top Israeli defense official said Gaza is being flooded with sophisticated weapons from Libya and that the anti-aircraft missile fired last week at an Israeli helicopter likely originated there.

Yossi Kuperwasser, who directs the Ministry of Strategic Affairs, says significant numbers of weapons have been smuggled into the territory from Libya since the fall last year of dictator Moammar Gadhafi. The country is awash in weapons after the eight-month civil war and has weakened central authority.

Palestinian militants in Gaza launched a shoulder-fired Strela missile at an Israeli helicopter last week, but missed. It was the first such launch from Gaza.

Kuperwasser said Wednesday that Israel has long assumed that Gaza militants have kept such weapons, but probably only fired them after they amassed a large enough stockpile.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press

October 17, 2012, 8:35 pm The Times of Israel.

Posted by Besoeker 2014-02-22 08:03|| 2014-02-22 08:03|| Front Page Top

Popular Mechanics 7 Sep 2011 article.
UPDATE: CNN originally reported that shoulder-mounted SA-24s have gone missing in Libya. But arms control experts now tell PM that theres no evidence of gripstocks for the missiles in Libya. That means that any SA-24s looted from Gaddafis stockpiles could be vehicle-fired, but not shoulder-fired. This makes them less of a terrorist threat.

That said, the proliferation of these missiles on the black market is still a large concern, especially in other parts of the world where gripstocks might be available that would allow the weapons to be used as Man Portable Air Defense (MANPAD) missiles. Even in Libya, sources tell PM, there is evidence of shoulder-firing capability for the less-sophisticated SA-7s.

Posted by Besoeker 2014-02-22 10:48|| 2014-02-22 10:48|| Front Page Top

#3 AA missiles should bring area-wide destructive response. Warn them first, then do it

Posted by Frank G 2014-02-22 11:20|| 2014-02-22 11:20|| Front Page Top

#4 You (PM) telling me they can rig up a vehicle mount but not a handle? I am not intimately familiar with the system and not much respect for the pooleos but I'd think that could be rigged up.

Posted by swksvolFF 2014-02-22 11:32|| 2014-02-22 11:32|| Front Page Top

#5 Hose clamps and a block of wood, eh?

Posted by Gleatch Sleresh3158 2014-02-22 16:26|| 2014-02-22 16:26|| Front Page Top

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