Katyusha rockets hit US post in Kirkuk

[Barrett808]

KIRKUK, Iraq - A US military post in the northern city of Kirkuk was hit by five Katyusha rockets late Tuesday, sparking retaliatory US shell fire, Iraqi police reported, without saying if there were any casualties.

They said a school in Kirkuk was also hit by a mortar Tuesday, and a bomb exploded in front of a dry cleaners used by the US forces.

"A US position located behind the technical college at the entrance of Kirkuk was hit by five Katyusha rockets," Lieutenant Ammar Hassan al-Abbadi said.

...

"Three hours later, American forces fired shells, with a range of seven to 10 kilometers (four to six miles), simultaneously from three positions in the town..," said the police officer.

"It is the first time since the (March-April) war that American forces have fired shells in Kirkuk..."

...

He was unable to say if there were any casualties.

(more)

http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=7575

[Spazito]

1. Hmmmm, this sounds an awful lot like "war", imo!

If this news is getting through, imagine how bad it really is there!

[Minstrel Boy]

2. Kirkuk?!? Hardly a Baathist stronghold, that.

Are even the Kurds becoming impatient for the Americans to be gone?

Very disturbing escalation.

[On the Road]

3. Actually There ARE a Lot of Baathists in Kirkuk

Saddam was repopulating the Kurdish oil regions with Sunnis. He kicked a lot of Kurds out of their homes and imported his own kind. Very likely these are the people who are literally up in arms.

Of course, if it IS the Kurds, that's even worse!

[DUreader]

4. I recall stories of mass exodus of Sunnis as Kurds returned

How many stayed?

[pinniped]

5. Good news according to the squatter living in the WH.

Someone posted BULLshy's formula for success the other day.

Iraqi attacks = US success

The terrorists are right where we want them.:crazy:

[Whoa_Nelly]

6. Info: Katyusha rockets and What's This Attack Really About???

When I saw the headline and read the story, I had to know more re: Katyusha rockets. As for where these weapons came from, who really fired them (these are short-range rockets), and Why??? The story does not really give any insight.

KATYUSHA

The Katyusha rocket is not just one type of rocket, but could be seen as a whole range of different artillery rockets.
The Katyusha rocket launcher played an important part during the local wars and conflicts in the Middle East, the rockets were used by almost al the parties in Lebanon.

The Katyusha (Little Katie) rocket is from Soviet origin. Already halfway thirties the NII-3(currently the Federal Missile Construction Center) started with the development of combat rockets designed for the Soviet Air Force; the 82mm ROS-82 fragmentation rocket for fighters and the 132mm ROS-132 for bombers.

<snip>
In Lebanon the several versions of the Katyusha rockets were used by the Palestinian militias during their attacks on Israel and during the Lebanon War the rockets were used by almost al parties: the PLO, Lebanese Forces, the Lebanese Army, PSP and after 1984 by the Amal Movement as well. But of course the most well known militia which used the Katyusha rocket is without any doubt the Hizbullah. At this moment the Hizbullah has several thousands Katyusha rockets and Fahr-3(the Iranian Katyusha model, with a range of 45 kilometres), along the border with Israel ready to fire if Israel launched a large scale offensive against Lebanon.

more...
http://www.veteranen.info/~cedarsouthlebanon/kat/kateng.htm

Crew
Armament 240mm
Ammunition storage 12x240mm
Range 10 km

more...
http://www.israeli-weapons.com/weapons/vehicles/self_propelled_artillery/katyusha/Katyusha.html

AND a VERY interesting article find!!

Army Laser Shoots Down Rocket
posted: 03:59 pm ET
07 June 2000


WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M. (AP) -- A new laser weapon being developed to protect Israel from short-range missile attacks shot down a target rocket for the first time in a successful test, project officials said.

The Tactical High Energy Laser took out a short-range Katyusha rocket on Tuesday, Lt. Gen. John Costello said in a statement issued by the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command in Huntsville, Alabama. Later tests will attempt to shoot down multiple rockets.

<snip>
Army officials planned to turn it over to Israel this fall if tests proved it effective. Defense Department spokesman Kenneth Bacon has said it is up to Israel to disclose how and when it plans to deploy the new weapon. The Soviet-designed Katyusha rockets are used by Hezbollah guerrillas against Israel.

more...
http://www.space.com/news/laser_weapon_000607_wg.html

AND

Rein in Israel, Lebanese president urges US

BEIRUT (AFP) Oct 10, 2003
Lebanese President Emile Lahoud called on the United States on Friday to rein in Israel following a clash with the Jewish state and an air strike on neighbouring Syria.
Lahoud said Israel's decision to "continue the escalation threatens the stability of the Middle East and allows tension to grow," during a meeting here with US ambassador Vincent Battle.

"The latest Israeli attacks against Lebanon and Syria are more proof that Israel is not working for peace.

<snip>
The chief of UN peacekeepers in south Lebanon said a Katyusha rocket -- a trademark weapon of Lebanon's Shiite militia Hezbollah -- appeared to be to blame for the boy's death.

http://www.spacewar.com/2003/031010164609.2a15q07b.html