Iran to resupply Hamas with longer-range rockets
posted at 1:30 pm on January 20, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
In Iran, Hope and Change mean bigger rockets. Now that the Israelis and Hamas have mostly stopped fighting each other, the Iranians will surprise no one by attempting to rearm Hamas with better weapons. Hamas refuses to acknowledge this as “smuggling”, but whatever it’s called, Israel intends to stop it before Hamas can hit Tel Aviv:
Iran has renewed efforts to supply advanced weaponry to Hamas and the IDF is concerned that the terror group will try to smuggle long-range Fajr missiles into the Gaza Strip.
According to the latest intelligence assessments, Iran, which was responsible for writing Hamas’s military doctrine, has already launched an internal probe to determine how the plan it had created for Hamas failed to cause more IDF casualties.
The Iranians wanted three results out of the Hamas fight, none of which they achieved, in order to cast the battle as a victory for the Islamist terrorists. Hamas was supposed to have trapped the IDF infantry in street-to-street fighting with booby traps and tunnels, killing as many Israeli soldiers as possible. Increased rocket attacks were to show that any IDF action was pointless. Lastly, Hamas was supposed to capture an IDF soldier for ransom or at least provide a burned-out tank to exploit on Western media.
Instead, Hamas failed to achieve even one of those objectives. They miscalculated the reaction from Israel, and as a result, their defensive efforts got overwhelmed in the invasion. The massive force kept IDF casualties low while Hamas lost hundreds of terrorists. They failed, at least as is known, to capture a single Israeli soldier for propaganda purposes. They couldn’t stop Israeli tanks, and the Iranian Unit of Tehran-trained commandos got destroyed by the IDF in Gaza City. Even the rocket attacks dwindled during the offensive.
The Iranians now want to get the Fajr into Gaza, but that won’t be easy. The current missiles Hamas launches only have a length of two meters, but the Fajr is closer to ten meters. That will make it more difficult to smuggle, and also to reassemble without notice in Gaza. If Hamas succeeds, though, they can easily hit Tel Aviv.
Let’s hope the Iranians have as much success with that as they did with the Iranian Unit in Gaza this month.
Blowback
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And Obama’s phone rings…
Skywise on January 20, 2009 at 1:32 PM
Iran has been emboldened, they know a sucker when they see one. Or two or three or four or….how many dems inhabit the WH, Congress and Senate these days?
Bishop on January 20, 2009 at 1:33 PM
Does Barry have call forwarding?
Vashta.Nerada on January 20, 2009 at 1:33 PM
Mr. Obama, that little country that we don’t have to worry about, Iran, is waiting for your response…now that there is One President at a time. Guess what? Your it.
PappaMac on January 20, 2009 at 1:34 PM
You can stop fighting now, we just swore in a guy with nice abs.
Chuck Schick on January 20, 2009 at 1:35 PM
time to smash Gaza. Those people won’t be happy until they are all dead. What a worthless waste of life.
saiga on January 20, 2009 at 1:35 PM
“Smuggling”? Hmmmm, right across Iraq?
OhEssYouCowboys on January 20, 2009 at 1:35 PM
The massive force kept IDF casualties low while Hamas lost hundreds of terrorists.
Funny how that formula seems to work everytime it’s tried.
Tony737 on January 20, 2009 at 1:36 PM
Bomb, Bomb, Bomb
Bomb, Bomb Iran!
TrickyDick on January 20, 2009 at 1:36 PM
OK, Obama, you’re on.
I hope you can change the outlook for this situation.
Wino on January 20, 2009 at 1:36 PM
I’m sure the world will be outraged by this blatant militarism by Iran.
Not.
rbj on January 20, 2009 at 1:37 PM
Once they start launching giant rockets into Israel, and the Israelis adjust to the new reality, lobbing a nuke into Israel will be simple and completely unnoticed.
Change!
Beagle on January 20, 2009 at 1:38 PM
“Is that a Fajr missle in your burka Mohammed, or are you just happy to see me?”
NoDonkey on January 20, 2009 at 1:38 PM
Obama looks like a lover, not a fighter. The goons will have thir way with him. Oprah, The View, or Ellen Degenerate can’t get him out of this one.
Jefferson or Jacksonian……I like Jacksonian !
saiga on January 20, 2009 at 1:38 PM
Isn’t that grand.
Cr4sh Dummy on January 20, 2009 at 1:39 PM
If we and the IDF know where the rockets come from, is a pre-retaliatory raid soon to follow?
SeniorD on January 20, 2009 at 1:39 PM
This is above Obarfa’s paygrade, please leave him be.
Bishop on January 20, 2009 at 1:40 PM
Those pesky little international crises just don’t seem to wait until Osama Obama has had his fill of adoration, do they?
Can’t wait to see how he handles this.
Fortunately, the Israelis have been here before. I expect some well-placed airstrikes are on the menu.
MrScribbler on January 20, 2009 at 1:40 PM
And he answers: “Uh…. uh….uh…uh..uhhhh.”
ToddonCapeCod on January 20, 2009 at 1:40 PM
YES WE CAN…..Get out ass kicked by dune rats.
saiga on January 20, 2009 at 1:41 PM
Punt it to Biden. He’s on top of things.
a capella on January 20, 2009 at 1:42 PM
But Iran/Hamas did win in one very large arena…PR. The world has gone crazy, calling Israel the terrorists. Hate crime against Jews has risen sharply- over 150 in the UK alone, not to mention France,etc. The media again is on the wrong side and it is so dangerous!
beththebaker on January 20, 2009 at 1:42 PM
Look at how well he’s managed his receding hairline.
NoDonkey on January 20, 2009 at 1:43 PM
Perhaps there’s a teleprompter presentation all ready for this?
Badger40 on January 20, 2009 at 1:43 PM
Are they also going to send them Obama posters to drive their cars over? Or did they blow through their supply the other day with their flag burning/car smashing poster episode…
Rockygold on January 20, 2009 at 1:46 PM
Biden’s reply is going to be “don’t look at me, that’s why I chose VP over Sec. of State. Go talk to Hillary.”
rbj on January 20, 2009 at 1:47 PM
HMMM I thought there was no Holocaust??
Rick007 on January 20, 2009 at 1:47 PM
If President Obama is afraid to give Israel the green light, I’ll do it.
BadgerHawk on January 20, 2009 at 1:47 PM
And Israel to resupply Iran with a bunch of flattened buildings (I Hope).
Iran gives money to Hamas. Hamas smuggles the weapons through the vast wilderness of the Sinai Peninsula. You might want to get a map or a clue, Einstein.
mjk on January 20, 2009 at 1:49 PM
I bet Biden’s solution is to send money to Iran.
Cr4sh Dummy on January 20, 2009 at 1:50 PM
Iran is making a huge misstep if they actually (and I doubt they will) go through with this.
Israel would have no problem not only taking out more Hamas, but the plants in Iran that manufacture the missiles.
Talk is cheap…cheaper then their lives.
right2bright on January 20, 2009 at 1:56 PM
Has anyone else noticed the odd similarity between Bidens’ and Carters’ teeth?
I can’t help but thinking big, un-naturally white teeth are a sign of incompetence. The gubbamint should commission a study, with several fact finding missions to the most dentally-hip spots in the Caribbean. I volunteer to head that effort.
BobMbx on January 20, 2009 at 1:58 PM
This is the answer to “proportional response.” It’s not about fighting fair. It should never be about fighting fair.
Zero tolerance for rocket launches from Gaza. Fire a rocket, get invaded. As many times as it takes.
NeighborhoodCatLady on January 20, 2009 at 2:02 PM
No, he wants to partition Iran.
Or was that Iraq?
NeighborhoodCatLady on January 20, 2009 at 2:03 PM
Not yet. Shillary’s confirmation hearing is being held up.
PappaMac on January 20, 2009 at 2:07 PM
Apply for some of the freeeee gubmint monies.
jukin on January 20, 2009 at 2:09 PM
Yeah, but have you seen his lungs? eeewwww!
kirkill on January 20, 2009 at 2:11 PM
The Dems, especially Pelosi, will be busily trying to prosecute Bush, Cheney, et al, for crimes against humanity to worry about what Iran does.
kirkill on January 20, 2009 at 2:27 PM
I would expect that use of a Fajr would constitute a declaration of war by Iran upon Israel, at which point the United States would provide plausible deniability for an Israeli overflight of Iraq.
unclesmrgol on January 20, 2009 at 2:32 PM
“PRESENT!!!!!
UNREPENTANT CONSERVATIVE CAPITOLIST on January 20, 2009 at 2:35 PM
It’s 3 AM. All day long.
KillerKane on January 20, 2009 at 2:36 PM
And Israel to resupply Iran with a bunch of flattened buildings (I Hope).
I’m quite aware of where Hamas operates, where Gaza is, where Sinai is, and where Iran is. However, Pissant, your statement, which, no doubt, is based on years and years of your high-level intelligence clearances in both the Israeli and American intelligence services, fails to answer my question.
Because, Pissant, If the IDF can’t stop the smuggling of weapons into Gaza, assuming arguendo that your speculation is correct, and if Egypt, which, no doubt, would prefer that it not be blamed for the injection of smuggled missiles into Gaza, also, can’t stop said smuggling through its territory, then the missiles in question could, no doubt, also be smuggled across Iraq, through Jordan and into the Sinai, across the Gulf of Aqaba. Said weapons could, also, be smuggled across Iraq and into Saudi Arabia.
I’ll, also, note, Pissant, that your “vast wilderness of the Sinai peninsula” is bordered [at the Sinai/Israeli border], by Israeli territory [at well over 90%].
OK, Pissant?
OhEssYouCowboys on January 20, 2009 at 2:38 PM
Hey Einstein. Explain this.
Andy in Agoura Hills on January 20, 2009 at 2:55 PM
Keeping Israel busy fighting Hamas is just a distraction to give Iran needed time to develop nukes and a better delivery system. Question: If Iran does nuke Israel will Obama nuke Iran … I think not…
Badbrucskie on January 20, 2009 at 2:58 PM
Brilliant! The only thing missing is “…who exudes a quiet cool.”
rvastar on January 20, 2009 at 3:03 PM
Speaking of smuggling things through tunnels, I’ve been wondering: why don’t the tunnels show up with infrared scopes? Surely if they have ventilation they would be cooler than the rest of the sun-baked earth around them. Is it that they are dug too deep, or ???? With all of Israel’s high-tech expertise, they need to find a way “see” those tunnels from the air somehow. It would be the game changer, like radar was for the RAF in WWII.
smellthecoffee on January 20, 2009 at 3:05 PM
Unlike your brilliant rhetorical analysis about Iranian weapons being smuggled to Hamas through Iraq, eh Einstein?
Google “Border+US+Mexico”. Read extensively. When the cognitive dissonance gives you a headache, Google “deductive reasoning” and take two Advil.
rvastar on January 20, 2009 at 3:11 PM
Oh please say it aint so..
but the liberals swore to all of us
As soon as we got rid of President Bush
that ALL the
Islamic Terrorists
Islamic Murders
Hamass
Islamic Jihad
Europe
russia
and earthworms
Would fall in love with the Usa
and all stop hating and would start giving each other presents..
You mean it aint so ?
Please thats impossible
For obama the messia said so..
MORONS
jcila on January 20, 2009 at 3:13 PM
The Egyptian–Gaza border is only about 7 miles long. There are over 300 smuggling tunnels there. This gives an average distance between tunnels of about 120 feet!
***
It doesn’t take much to find a tunnel in this case. If each tunnel is 12 feet wide–about 10 percent of the border is tunnels!
***
Smuggling in rockets from the sea can be handled by the Israeli gunboats. Tethered balloons (aerostats) and small drone aircraft with Infra-red night vision, thermal vision, and normal vision cameras can cover the land routes into Gaza.
***
The big problem is the Egyptian government and military turning a “blind eye” to the smuggling–due to bribes, threats, or support for terrorists.
***
Israel should take over the Gaza–Egyptian border–and flood or bomb the tunnels.
***
John Bibb
rocketman on January 20, 2009 at 4:16 PM
Really? But I thought it didn’t work in Iraq. It’ll work in Afghanistan, though, for some reason.
OneGyT on January 20, 2009 at 4:48 PM