About these missles that Hezzbolah is firing (the ones from Iran?)

[chelsea0011]

What type of missle is this? Are they surface to air shoulder type missle or does this need a type of base-launch system? If they are using base systems, how big is the military wing and weapons of Hezzbolah? I've never thought of Hezzbolah of being able to launch any type of ground war. So why the WWIII stuff from the right wacko news?

[sandnsea]

1. Rocket bases

Apparently it happens all the time. From both Lebanon and northern Gaza.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/05/28/israel.lebanon/index.html

[htuttle]

2. Katushya's are normally mounted on vehicles, like trucks

...Generally in multiple racks.

It's the smaller Qassam's that are shoulder fired.

[KurtNYC]

3. Wikipedia pics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katyusha

[chelsea0011]

5. Thanks. I never use Wikipedia. I think I have to bookmark it.

[KurtNYC]

7. I note the wiki entry says they are basically WWII technology

so the RW media is off by 60 years or so calling this the brink of "WWIII"

[ladjf]

20. Russia favored this weapon in their assaults on Germany. They

sent them off in waves by the hundreds of thousands.

[leveymg]

4. Don't call Katyushas missiles. They're big bottle rockets.

One or two guys can carry them, set them up, and launch in about five minutes.

These things are closer to Estes model rockets than Minuteman or MX missiles.


They're rocket-propelled artillery shells.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

6. They Look Pretty Primitive To Me

They are a true terror weapons in that are primarily effective in scaring people or provoking terror.

That being said I wouldn't want it landing on my roof.

[Cvortex_10]

8. Killed a woman and her child with em so far.

.

[DancingBear]

9. Would you happen to know the number of Lebanese children that have died?

In the spirit of full disclosure and all.

I'm sure someone on AM radio must have mentioned it.

I mean, those guys don't have an agenda or anything...

[Cvortex_10]

10. Have no idea. This was a report from NPR.

Why? I personally think babies getting killed on both sides is bad. You seem more concerned with which side the border babies are dying on.

[DancingBear]

12. Yes, I definitely takes sides

<sarcasm>

Ack.

[Guaranteed]

13. LOOK- They are killing EACH OTHER.

They are BOTH killing. BOTH sides have innocent people- children- dying.

And they are BOTH bringing this shit on themselves.

[MsMagnificent]

23. last I saw

the total (& conservative) death count was over 200 civilians, between Lebanon and the re-invasion of Gaza.
Not all children, however.

But hey, a couple IDF soldiers were captured!

[Mass_Liberal]

25. first, a disclaimer

disclaimer: I, too, am horrified by the way CNN (among others), reports Israeli civilian casualties, and headlines them, while completely ignoring or trivializing Lebanese civilian casualties (which are in far greater numbers).

I do feel the need to point out, however, that if a couple of U.S troops were captured by a country bordering us, we would go absolutely apeshit, collective punishment, whatever. I would call on Israel for restraint, and furthermore think that this war/policy is only going to create more terrorism and cost more israeli lives than the original situation, BUT we can't expect Israel not to respond to such provocation.

Everyone in the world can see that Lebanon and Israel are screwing eachother over and this will help nobody, but at the same time Israel feels like it must respond, and this is the only way they can see to do that.

Repeat of disclaimer: what I just said doesn't mean that I think the particular Israeli response is justified or right (I don't). That being said, if I was Israel, I would have no effing clue what to do.

[SPKrazy]

11. One Report Had Iranian Soldiers Operating Alongside Hezbollah n/t

[Solo_in_MD]

15. They may have meant Iranian Revolutionary Guard

which is different that the Iranian national army.

[SPKrazy]

16. Yes That Is What They Said

i don't know what that is then

[lastknowngood]

14. They are not missiles they are bottle rockets with a couple pounds of

tnt on the end. It's ridiculous to call them missiles or threats.

[rockymountaindem]

17. Missles no, threats yes

The Soviets used them to good effect against the Germans in WWII, and according to WWII era studies, rockets were the most fear-inducing weapons on the battlefield. Katushyas are just as deadly as an equally large artillery shell (which is what they are). Would you want to have one blow up next to you?

[ladjf]

21. The Russians fired them by the hundreds of thousands, the only

way they can be effective.

[rockymountaindem]

22. Yes, but one can still be effective if lucky

If I knew someone could fire them at my city (the report on the NBC news said Hezbollah has 13k of them), I wouldn't sleep too well.

[cali]

18. Oh for pity's sake

They've killed 4 people and injured dozens in Israel in the last 2 days, so it's self fucking evident, that it's a threat. Here's my fucking obligatory disclaimer: By correcting you, I am in no way endorsing Israel's incursions into Gaza or Lebanon. In fact I comndemn them, just as I condemn H'zbollah's actions. H'zbollah does have other weapons as evidenced by the Israeli boat they struck with a drone. And H'zbollah won't be shy about using whatever they have to kill as many Israeli civilians as they can. After all, we're talking about the organization that in 1994, bombed a Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires, killing 95. They aren't merely anti-Israeli, they're virulently anti-Jewish.

[ladjf]

19. 10 to 20 mile range with no guidance system. The are essentially

rocket propelled mortar rounds. Yes, they manage to hit a few houses and kill some people (if the reports are true). But, as a piece of serious hardware, they are a pitiful joke. The media is hyping this up to make it appear that there is a two sided military war in progress. The Israelis, in just two days, have basically wiped out Lebanon's infrastructure. It will take years for them to recover which is exactly what Israel had in mind.

[Scurrilous]

24. Report: Hizbullah has 150 kilometer range missiles

London-based newspaper al-Sharq al-Awsat quotes senior Iranian army official as saying Islamic republic’s Revolutionary Guard set up dozens of advanced rocket, missile bases in Lebanon Valley and along border with Israel

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3276451,00.html

<snip>

"London-based Arabic-language newspaper al-Sharq al-Awsat quoted a senior Iranian army official as saying that The Islamic republic’s Revolutionary Guard set up dozens of advanced rocket and missile bases in the Lebanon Valley and along the border with Israel.

Between 1992 and 2005 Hizbullah received some 11,500 missiles and rockets, 400 short and mid-range artillery shells as well as rocket launchers.

According to the report, Iran transferred some 40 different types of missiles and rockets to Hizbullah over the years.

In 2005, for instance, Hizbullah received the first shipment of huge 333 millimeter rocket launchers, as well as large quantities of ant-aircraft SAM-7 shoulder missiles and C-802 missiles, originally manufactured in China. The C-802 was used in the recent attack on the Israeli Navy ship off the Lebanon coast.

The official also said Hizbullah is in possession of four types of advanced ground-to-ground missiles: Fajr missiles with a range of 100 kilometers, Iran 130 missiles with a range of 90-110 kilometers, Shahin missiles with a range of up to 150 kilometers and a 355 millimeter rockets with a 150 kilometer range."