Article

2004-10-03 Israel-Palestine

Analysis / IDF believes Hamas has up to 200 Qassams

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Posted by Mark Espinola 2004-10-03 1:51:50 AM|| || Front Page|| [11129 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 In this country, the ATF has been taking a lively interest in model rocketry, much to the annoyance of hobbyists. Things like the Qassam rocket are the reason. Apparently, Paleo propagandists and the Street^tm take considerable pride in their ability to make such an "advanced" weapon in clandestine workshops. Here in the States, it would not take such a network to manufacture much better rocket weapons than the Qassam. It might be best not to discuss exactly what it would take but, annoying or not, the ATF's interest is probably well-founded. Some so-called model rockets are "models" only relative to ICBMs and space boosters. Some of them reasonably qualify as ballistic missiles, with quite sophisticated guidance and control and very high performance.

Rocketry is not the only source for the home-made missile threat. As we have already discussed here at Rantburg, it is now feasible for vigilantes or terrorists to build home-made cruise missiles with trans-Atlantic range, precision guidance, and God knows what other over-the-counter capability.

Posted by Atomic Conspiracy 2004-10-03 2:56:22 AM|| 2004-10-03 2:56:22 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 AC-
There was a Discovery Channel special a couple weeks back that covered a model rocketry show where some of the 'models' were over thirty feet tall and capable of altitudes in the 10K range, with some pretty amazing homebuilt solid-fuel engines. I can see why they'd be worried.

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2004-10-03 6:12:37 AM|| 2004-10-03 6:12:37 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 I saw the same program Mike, oh yeah the little Estes rockets of my childhood have come a long way.

I also imagine that you could create quite a bit of mischief with modern remote control planes as well.

Sorry hobby dudes but it's a brave new world don't ya know. :/

Posted by RJB in JC MO 2004-10-03 6:27:24 AM|| 2004-10-03 6:27:24 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 Yes, it is a brave new world. We can't have the people being armed with weapons that might threaten the power of the supreme, omniscient and almighty state on which we depend for everything.

Posted by Mrs. Davis 2004-10-03 7:27:10 AM|| 2004-10-03 7:27:10 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 Having been involved in the design of some of this country's most advanced weapons systems, such as anti-missile interceptors, and also having been an avid builder of model rockets and airplanes, I often speculate on how hard it would be for terrorists to build more advanced weaponry. So far I see no sign of the Paleos or other terrorist groups reaching the level of sophistication that American hobbyists and amateurs have. The Paleos have obviously become pretty expert at building solid fuel rocket engines, but that is not a hard thing to master. They seem to be happy with the unguided Qassam, since their goal is just to hit anything within the radius of a town. The most likely path of evolution for this weapon is simple scaling up to hit towns farther inside Israel. But there is a limit to how far they can scale up without making concealment more difficult. As for guided missiles, I think it is much more likely that they would import these from some country like Iran.

Posted by V is for Victory 2004-10-03 9:47:29 AM|| 2004-10-03 9:47:29 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 Hey! We the good guys.

Posted by Troon Snorong Shipman 2004-10-03 11:00:52 AM|| 2004-10-03 11:00:52 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 IDF believes Hamas has up to 200 Qassams

Which should equal another 200 orchards uprooted, miles of road plowed up or houses leveled. These rockets lack guidance and are therefore anti-civilian by nature. That Israel does not widen their retaliation to include the Palestinian population in general is a mark of their incredible and admirable restraint.

This penetration also allows it to take control of "dead areas," from which the Qassam cells would launch the rockets and then flee.
If I didn't loathe such a detestable technology, I'd say that Israel should go ahead and sow these "dead areas" with landmines. Instead, these dead areas should become "dead zones." Notice should be posted at these areas that drones carrying machine guns patrol the strips and will kill any who enter them. If they happen to be farm land, tough sh!t. The farmers will have to enforce against trespassing upon their land or be denied its use.

If the entire infrastructure isnât toppled, itâs only a matter of time before Hamas manages to increase the range of the Qassam rockets and then be able to fire them from deeper inside the Gaza Strip.

If Israel is unwilling to enter that deep into Gaza, they should patrol the urban launch sites with drones to pinpoint departure locations and then go in and level them with helicopter launched missiles.

Hamas needs to have its reputation directly linked to massive suffering by the Palestinian people. Continued admiration of this terrorist organization should come at a stiff price. It is to Israel's lasting credit that they have not reached their limit and begun massive retaliation against civilian areas. So much of the Palestinian population openly advocates Hamas' terror tactics that they are essentially accomplices to the mayhem being wrought. The price they have had to pay for this evil is minuscule. So much of their suffering is a direct result of their own misdeeds and corrupt leadership. That the world continues to blame Israel for the internally imposed decay that blights the Palestinians signals just how anti-Semitic much of this planet remains.

Posted by Zenster 2004-10-03 1:34:16 PM|| 2004-10-03 1:34:16 PM|| Front Page Top

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