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| Israel-Palestine |
| Keep Qassams out of the W. Bank |
| 2004-10-06 |
| By Ze'ev Schiff 10-6-04 The battle taking place in the north of the Gaza Strip is not only about the firing of Qassam rockets at Sderot. The results of the operation will certainly affect the efforts of Hamas and its cohorts to advance to the next stage and turn the West Bank into a base - much broadened - for the launching of Qassams. Hamas has made serious attempts at this - all thwarted. Therefore, what is happening in Operation Days of Penitence is a sign of what can be expected - on a greater scale - in the West Bank. If Ashkelon comes under fire, that could also serve as an impetus for a broader Israeli action in the south, but if Hamas succeeds in establishing a rocket-launching system in the West Bank, the Qassam problem will be transformed from a purely military one to one of strategic magnitude. Anyone who doubts this is invited to study the map and check the number of kilometers between major cities in Israel and the West Bank. Cities like Kfar Sava, Rosh Ha'ayin, Hadera and Beit She'an will be within range of the rockets, as will the Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem. This is the assessment being heard in Israeli intelligence. Even if we adopt the rather unlikely premise that Hamas will not succeed in extending the rockets' range beyond nine kilometers, it would take no more than a "little drizzle" of Qassams toward Ben-Gurion Airport for most airlines to cease flying here. |
| Posted by:Mark Espinola |
| #1 launch detection and massive counter battery are the only answer |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-10-06 8:48:48 AM |