Israel checking whether Hezbollah conducted

[L@mplighterM]

Israel checking whether Hezbollah conducted
missile tests

By Daniel Sobelman, Ha'aretz Correspondent




Israel is checking reports that the Hezbollah organization conducted missile tests in recent days. At approximately 6 P.M. on Sunday, a powerful explosion was heard in the Lebanon Valley, in eastern Lebanon, in close proximity to the Syrian border. The explosion took place in a Hezbollah training camp, in the north-eastern section of the Lebanon Valley. According to the French news agency AFP, the explosion was heard at a distance of twenty kilometers away.

The Beirut-based An-Nahar daily, which does not support Hezbollah, reported Monday that the explosion was the result of an experimental missile produced by Hezbollah. Sources said that the Hezbollah military leader in the area had informed residents of the region of an expected explosion, but sources close to Hezbollah told the newspaper that the explosion did not take place in a Hezbollah camp, but in a rock quarry.

It is likely that Hezbollah tried to send a message to Israel, following statements made in Israel in favor of attacking Hezbollah during an expected U.S. strike against Iraq. The head of the Hezbollah faction in the Lebanese parliament, Muhammad Raed, warned on Sunday that Israel would pay a heavy price for any attack. He said that his organization was preparing for an Israeli attack. Lebanese Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud established a panel to deal with the possible dangers of an Israeli attack against Lebanon.

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pa...ubContrassID=0


Who knows!

[L@mplighterM]

Hizballah misfires first missile of Iraqi shipment
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report
December 30, 2002, 11:08 PM (GMT+02:00)

The powerful blast that reverberated across eastern and central Lebanon Sunday, December 29, was caused by the explosion of a big surface missile in Hizballah hands and of Iraqi origin. Reporting this, DEBKAfile’s exclusive military and Lebanese sources reveal that the Lebanese Shiite terrorist group has recently taken delivery of a shipment of surface missiles, presumed to be medium-range, from the Iraqi army. The blast occurred at a Hizballah training camp near a village called Janta in the northeastern section of the Beqaa Valley close to the Syrian frontier. This camp is also used by the group as a testing ground for new weapons, short range missiles and explosive devices. The blast was heard at a distance of 20 km indicating a warhead of one ton at least.
According to our sources, the missile exploded suddenly, catching the Hizballah team handling it unawares and causing a large number of casualties, as indicated by the long line of ambulances and rescue teams reported by witnesses to be racing to the blast scene from northern and central Lebanon. Among them were Syrian military rescue vehicles. The Hizballah quickly sealed off the ravaged area, allowing no one through but the rescue teams, their own operatives and Syrian officers.
Military sources consulted by DEBKAfile ascribe the missile explosion to three possible causes:
A. One of the recently delivered Iraqi missiles exploded accidentally while being unpacked and stowed in an underground bunker by Hizballah teams.
If this is what happened, then the missiles were armed when they made their way from northern Iraq through Syria to eastern Lebanon – either because the consignment was approved by the Iraqi leadership in great haste, leaving no time to disarm them, or to enable the transport crew to target Israel if attacked from the ground or air.
B. One of the missiles was set up for launching against Israel and exploded prematurely. For the Hizballah, shooting even one missile into northern Israel would have gained the group enormous prestige in its Arab and Muslim milieu, while Israel would have found it hard to justify a large-scale response to a single missile. Had it landed in an open space, the Hizballah would have claimed it was misfired.
Our Lebanese sources report that the Iraqi ruler, Saddam Hussein, is leaning hard on the Hizballah secretary general, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, to open a warfront against Israel in the hope of easing US military pressure on Iraq.
C. The Hizballah was setting the missile up for a practice launch when it blew up. This is unlikely as the Beqaa Valley is not the logical place for testing medium or long range missiles. From there they can only be fired at Syria, Israel or the Mediterranean. Of the three, Israel would make the most sense.
Hizballah officials and media have been working overtime to play down the missile mishap and divert attention from the heavy casualty toll and massive destruction it engendered – a far cry from the blaze of glory that Nasrallah envisioned would be his when he staged his first missile attack on the Jewish state, whether the weapon he launched was supplied by Syria, Iran or Iraq.

http://www.debka.com/article.php?aid=232


I don't know whether Debka can be trusted with their reporting!

[Mediocrates]

Something that big can be tracked from space. Sounds like a job for Ofek-5. Once tracked it's easy to 'energetically disassemble' as we used to say. Plus the ground crew exposure to booster explosions would tend to limit the number of trained crews.

[MichaelC]

Originally posted by Mediocrates
Something that big can be tracked from space. Sounds like a job for Ofek-5. Once tracked it's easy to 'energetically disassemble' as we used to say. Plus the ground crew exposure to booster explosions would tend to limit the number of trained crews.

You're cracking me up here, Mediocrates!! LOL!

[L@mplighterM]

I’m certain that the US and/or Israel has already obtained pictures of the incident. If the story is true then it certainly isn’t good news for Israelis because 1 ton bombs can do a lot of damage.

[Barak]

Well, you don't even have to use the Ofek. If it was a missile launch/test, it should have been detected bij the Green Pine Radar from the Arrow missile

[Gilgamesh]

1. Debka is not 100% reliable, yet, it established itself many times over to produce major scoops. many monthes a head of "main stream" media.

Also, Debka mixes alot of speculations and commentary togather with facts and hearsay. Bottom line, there is always a firm core of truth in each and every one of his stories.

Giora Shamis and his wife are behind Debkafile site. With their phone and connections (and vast knowlage of languages) they get anywhere. Shamis used to write to the Forein report and the economist for many years, leater as a free lance, as well as some other magazines in Israel. I was emailed a year ago an Ha'aretz articals about him. Shamis is in his 60's, and quite rich.

2. We don't need the Ofek spy sat to spy into Lebanon. F-4's fitted with state of the art spy cameras fly over regularly. Lastly, we have a "human" intelligence there, we don't realy totally on visint or elint the way you americans are. (or hopefuly, used to be).

3. If there was an Iraqi missile, and it got exploded mistakenly, don't put all the balame for the incident of poor handling or poor quaility. Israel's FM will never confirm any knowlage of this incident.

4. mishandling of a huge car bomb or an ammo stockpile going off is a better explaination to the explosion.

At any rate, I sure hope the Hizzbala will carry out many funerals, for many days, with hords of spectators and participants... hopefuly, they get drown or freeze to death while they at it. The winter in Lebanon is a bit more "european" then the one in Israel. I pray to G-d, they at least get pneumonia and die in egony. Hopefuly, G-d will arrange for another weather storm over there.

[L@mplighterM]

Snip:

`Arms from Iraq caused blast at Hezbollah base'

By Amos Harel




Western intelligence analysts believe that an explosion at a Hezbollah base in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley on Monday resulted from the use of weapons smuggled from Iraq.

The precise character of the weapon remains unclear.

Following the explosion, Lebanese sources reported on a strong blast at a Hezbollah training base near the town of Jinta. Hezbollah closed off the area and barred media crews from entering it. Ambulances approached the town, but it is not clear whether their crews treated any wounded. At this stage, the number of persons hurt by the explosion remains unknown.

Hezbollah often follows a policy of withholding information about casualties. This was its standard policy during its years of warfare against the Israel Defense Forces in southern Lebanon.

Western intelligence experts believe that the explosion was connected to an Iraqi arms shipment that reached Hezbollah a few days before Monday's blast. Two different explanations might account for the explosion. According to one theory, it resulted from a test that Hezbollah attempted with one of the weapons, perhaps a trial missile launch. Alternatively, a mishap might have occurred when Hezbollah tried to store the arms in a bunker.



http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pa...ubContrassID=0