Shrapnel-filled rockets used on civilians

WND ^ | August 31, 2006 | Jerome R. Corsi

[jdm]

---

TROUBLE IN THE HOLY LAND

Shrapnel-filled rockets used on civilians

Israel documents civilian-targeted weapons from Syria, Iran

---

Posted: August 31, 2006
5:00 p.m. Eastern

By Jerome R. Corsi

© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

School-zone sign in northern Israel shows evidence of lethal metal balls from Hezbollah rockets (photo: Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs)

Steel balls and other lethal fragments were encased in rockets from Syria and Iran that were used by Hezbollah on Israeli civilian areas during the recent war, the Israeli Ministry of Defense confirmed to WND today.

Photographs of the anti-personnel "flying metal" damage done by Syrian-made 220-mm rockets fired by Hezbollah were published today in Israel by Uzi Rubin of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. Rubin served as the head of Israel's Missile Defense Organization from 1991 to 1999, when he oversaw development of the country's Arrow anti-missile defense system.

The published report documented the Hezbollah rockets and rocket launchers as "one of the defining weapons of the second Lebanon war," predicting their impact in the Middle East "will encourage radical movements to adopt rocket attacks against U.S. and Western forces and assets."

The report documented 4,228 rocket impacts inside Israel from rockets fired by Hezbollah from July 13 to Aug. 13. Israel suffered 53 fatalities from the attacks, along with 250 severely wounded people and 2,000 lightly wounded.

Lethal metal balls from Hezbollah rocket embedded in guard rail in northern Israel (photo: Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs)

Nearly 80 percent of the Israeli fatalities involved civilians caught in the open.

Rubin concluded the public shelters and the security rooms dictated by building codes in private dwellings were effective in protecting the 1 million civilians living in the northern Israel areas under attack. Some 250,000 Israeli civilians evacuated the north, relocating to other areas of the country.

Among the Syrian-provided rockets used were:

• Grad-type 122 mm Katyusha, range 18.6 miles, warhead 66 pounds.

• Improved Grad 122 mm Katyusha, range 31 miles

• 220 mm rocket, range range 43.5 miles, probably Syrian-manufactured Russian "Ouragan" Multiple Launch Rocket System

• "B302" 302 mm rocket, range 62 miles, warhead 386 pounds, probably Syrian-manufactured Chinese WS-1 MLRS

The photographs of Syrian and Iranian rockets fired by Hezbollah provided documentation of worldwide speculation during the war that Syria and Iran both had been involved in arming Hezbollah.

Syrian rocket recovered after attack on northern Israel (photo: Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs)

Israel also identified debris from Iranian-made240 mm Fajr-3 with a range of 28 miles. Hezbollah also attacked Israeli naval vessels in the Mediterranean with the "Noor" (C802) anti-ship cruise missile, a Chinese-designed, Iranian-manufactured missile. On July 14, a C802 killed four Israeli sailors aboard the Israeli Navy Ship INS Hanit.

During the first two weeks of the war, Hezbollah rocket attacks averaged about 100 per day. In early August, Hezbollah doubled the rate of attack to a daily average of 200. There was a decline in the final week, although Hezbollah still was able to launch 250 rockets Aug.13, the day before the cease-fire. Rubin concluded "Israeli counterattacks apparently had no serious influence on Hezbollah's rate of fire but had an effect on the accuracy and geography of the attacks."

Rubin concluded Israel needed to reduce the "flash-to-bang" cycle – the interval from the launch of a Hezbollah rocket to the Israeli counterattack – to a few seconds from the time of pinpointing launcher location. Rubin's second major conclusion was Israel needed "to develop and deploy effective and affordable active defense against rockets to protect vital civilian and military installations."

Early warning sirens were credited with providing "timely alarms, saving innumerable lives."

Counter-fire by Israeli artillery was rated "marginally effective," as were raids by Special Forces units on rocket launchers and command posts. Rubin also rated air strikes as "moderately effective," as they degraded the accuracy of the rocket launchers and pushed them away from the best launching zones from which to strike Haifa.

Rubin noted that one of the major effects of the war was that economic activity in Israel effectively was suspended for a month.

[Scotswife]

War crimes!!!
A condemnation from the UN!!!

Oh wait...it was the terrorists doing this? That's ok then.

[kinoxi]

Yeah, they weren't made in the USA so it's A okay...

[ozzymandus]

Weren't the Al-Appeasers complaining about Israel using cluster bombs?

[az_gila]

I think this is what they need.... laser defense..

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/754697.html

[TigersEye]

220 mm rocket, range range 43.5 miles, probably Syrian-manufactured Russian "Ouragan" Multiple Launch Rocket System

Drop one on Moscow.

"B302" 302 mm rocket, range 62 miles, warhead 386 pounds, probably Syrian-manufactured Chinese WS-1 MLRS

Drop one on Beijing.

Then ask them what else they are supplying Tehran.

[ASOC]

Pot = Kettle

Flechettes are an anti-personnel weapon that is generally fired from tanks. The shell explodes in the air and releases thousands of metal darts 3.75 mm in length, which disperse in a conical arch three hundred meters long and about ninety meters wide. .

The IDF uses flechette shells (M494 105mm APERS-T rounds) that are 105 mm in diameter and are fired from tanks.

Supplied by none other than - the USofA - and the IDF has been using them for years. Lots of bad blood to go around.

[DTogo]

BTTT!

[dennisw]

The IDF uses flechette shells (M494 105mm APERS-T rounds) that are 105 mm in diameter and are fired from tanks.

Are these fired at civilians? Because that's who the Katushya rockets are fired at

Your comparison is ridiculous

[Tzimisce]

*crickets chirping*

-Unbiased, left wing media's response to this story....

[ASOC]

Actually, the IDF has been accused of killing lots of civilians, for years now.

Tell you what, instead of just calling a post ridiculous, how about *you* doing a tad of research?

Here is a start for you...

www.btselem.org/english/Firearms/Flechette.asp www.nationalvanguard.org/story.php?id=1242 www.hrw.org/press/2003/04/israel042903.htm And this is not just all Leftist sites

www.janes.com/regional_news/africa_middle_east/news/jdw/jdw010522_2_n.shtml www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=3007

This goes on for another 10 pages if you google "IDF flechette" Other keywords will get you slightly different results.

I am embarresed as an American that these weapons, supplied by us, are used in this manner. And the use may well be against international law.

Kill the bad guys, not everyone in the neighbothood.

I hope this lets you see where I am coming from, based on international news stories and from known 'critical' sources.

[dennisw]

I don't believe their BS stories about the IDF. Where are the credible photographs of flechette injuries. #2 If these flechette rounds have been used it is very very rare and they are not used on innocent civilians but ones in fighting or in rioting mode
___________

http://www.btselem.org/english/Firearms/Flechette.asp
The above site seems credible to me and the IDF use of flechette rounds are justified in the rare instances cited. These maggots fire on the IDF from civilian populations. The IDF takes action. In your book they should do nothing.

I see IDF use of flechette in the recent Hizb'Allah war as justified. What do you think?

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

High Volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel.

also Keywords 2006israelwar or WOT [War on Terror]

----------------------------

[Convert from ECUSA]

[Convert from ECUSA]

Ping!

Naturally, the UN will get right on it and condemn the use of these hideous weapons by Hez-bull-bleep..........um...naturally, the UN will get right on it and condemn the use of these hideous weapons by Hez-bull-bleep........um.........oh, that's right Kofi whats-his-face and the rest of the clowns and the UN are Hez-bull-bleep's buddies. Never mind.

[dennisw]

thnx!

[Sabramerican]

In response the UN, Kofi, issues a condemnation.

UN chief condemns Israel use of cluster bombs in Lebanon

[GingisK]

Well, this is exactly how anti-personnel weapons are made these days. Actually, for quite some time now. I suppose the dimwit thought they were supposed to make them out of paper so they'd just go BOOM?

[dirtboy]

Flechettes are an anti-personnel weapon that is generally fired from tanks

It is one thing to use flechettes against military targets, or Claymores for that matter. It is another thing entirely to aim hundreds of flying Claymores indiscriminately at civilian areas as Hiz did.

Go sell your moral equivalence arguments to will buyers. You will find few such people here.

[dirtboy]

Actually, the IDF has been accused of killing lots of civilians, for years now.

Meanwhile, you can't say SQUAT against Hiz launching attacks from among civilians - a direct war crime - which forces Israel to cause harm to civilians to get at the military targets in their midst - because Hiz wants just that, civilian casualties, so nitwits like you can gripe about horrible Israel.