{UAH} AND THIS IS THE OFFICIAL "I TOLD YOU" OF THIS WEEK

Hamas boosting anti-aircraft arsenal with looted Libyan missiles

Anti-aircraft missiles smuggled into Gaza at Iran's initiative, but fall of
Muammar Gadhafi regime provided Hamas with higher quality missiles; rocket hits
south Israel Wednesday night after period of relative calm.

A few weeks ago, the cabinet discussed the issue of protecting civilian aviation in Eilat, including the possible purchase of systems to defend planes against anti-aircraft missiles. The issue has been put off for nine years since the failed attempt by an al-Qaida faction to shoot down an Israeli passenger plane in Mombasa, Kenya.


Haaretz, 27.10.11

rocket fired by Palestinians from Gaza Wednesday night landed between Ashdod
and Gedera, in the first such attack after a two-month period of quiet. Sirens
sounded in Ashdod and nearby communities and residents were told to enter
protected rooms and shelters. There were no injuries.
Since the terrorist attack on the Egyptian border near Eilat that killed
eight Israelis on August 18, the Gaza border has been relatively calm with only a few
rocket launches, most directed at small communities near the Gaza Strip. Last
night's rocket, fired around 11:10 p.m., landed in a field. It seems to have
been fired from the northern end of the Gaza Strip, from a distance of about
30-35 kilometers . The explosion was heard clearly all over Ashdod, which means
it had a relatively large warhead.


It was not clear last night which Palestinian organization fired the rocket,
though Israeli intelligence officials believed that in recent months Hamas had
little incentive to launch such attacks and cause an escalation. It is possible
a small faction fired the rocket in defiance of Hamas, which is trying to
leverage its success in freeing prisoners in the Gilad Shalit swap.





Libyan anti-aircraft missiles reach Gaza



The improved quality of anti-aircraft missiles held by Hamas in Gaza is
increasingly worrying the Israeli defense establishment. Hamas recently managed
to smuggle relatively advanced Russian missiles, which were looted from Libyan
military warehouses, into the Gaza Strip. Israel is worried about the presence
of the missiles, both because they curb the air force's almost unlimited freedom
of movement over Gaza today, and because of their possible use against civil
aviation in Eilat.



Shoulder-fired anti-aicraft missiles have been smuggled into Gaza in recent
years at Iran's initiative. But the fall of Muammar Gadhafi's regime has enabled
Hamas to bring in much higher quality missiles - and in much larger quantities.




Rings of smugglers utilized the riots in Libya to break into military storage
facilities and steal large quantities of weapons, some of which have relatively
advanced capabilities. The weapons were then sold to terrorist organizations,
first and foremost to various Palestinian factions. It seems that extremist
Islamist organizations in Somalia also bought large quantities of weapons.



The United States is also worried by the developments. U.S. Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton, who visited Libya last week, announced the U.S. would
grant the new Libyan regime millions of dollars in aid in an attempt to fight
the arms smuggling. American experts expressed their fears in particular over
the transfer of shoulder-launched missiles to terrorists, and said the aid was
intended to allow the Libyans to locate where such weapons are stored - and
destroy them.



There have been previous reports of the smuggling of Russian SA-7
anti-aircraft missiles into Gaza. Now there are reports of more advanced
missiles.



A few weeks ago, the cabinet discussed the issue of protecting civilian
aviation in Eilat, including the possible purchase of systems to defend planes
against anti-aircraft missiles. The issue has been put off for nine years since
the failed attempt by an al-Qaida faction to shoot down an Israeli passenger
plane in Mombasa, Kenya.



In the August 18 battle between the IDF and terrorists, the terrorists fired
a missile at an Israeli attack helicopter. The missile missed. But the Air Force
has been operating for a number of years over Gaza on the assumption that
various Palestinian factions possess anti-aircraft missiles.



The anarchy in Sinai in recent months has allowed the Palestinians in Gaza to
operate almost without interference, and improve their training and weaponry.

 

 

EM

On the 49^th Parallel          

                 Thé Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja and Dr. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda is in anarchy"
                    Kuungana Mulindwa Mawasiliano Kikundi
"Pamoja na Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja na Dk. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda ni katika machafuko"