Britain to send warships to Gaza as Israel prepares for ceasefire

[DogPoundPup]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/4278899/Britain-to-send-warships-to-Gaza-as-Israel-prepares-for-ceasefire.html

[The Magistrate]

1. Just Like Old Times, Ma'am....

[bemildred]

3. Germany is an interesting new addition to the mix.

I think this clarifies what woke Hosni up.

[The Magistrate]

6. It Is a New Development That N.A.T.O. Powers Are Involved, Sir

The European Union does take a dim view of Hamas.

A lot of this looks like window dressing to save face for Israel, though. It is hard to believe the israelis really need much help with the sea blockade of Gaza.

One wonders if the monitors 'on the ground' that keep being hinted at are intended to be stationed on the Gaza side of the crossings. Hamas would, whatever its leaders proclaim, would be very foolish to attack European troops.

[bemildred]

12. Egypt seems to feel fairly sensitive about foreign troops.

No doubt the British in particular, but I would expect them to take a dim view of any European forces. Or any foreign military at all. A sensitive subject. Although it is true that the EU "monitors" at Rafah were accepted.

[The Magistrate]

16. And With Good Cause, Sir

Suez in '56 being merely the capper....

It does surprise me that anyone is willing even to signal willingness to put any contingent into this cockpit; my bet would have run the other just a week ago. An international buffer force could be helpful in keeping the situation tamped down.

[bemildred]

17. Well, I do agree that we are in the process of constructing some sort of fig leaf here.

I keep reminding myself that the election is still some weeks off, and the show must go on until then, somehow. But I have to keep cautioning myself when I start expecting something sensible.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

25. Mild topic change...what became of the Iranian aid ship?

I was hard offline for a few days...just prior to that Iran claimed it was turned around near Gaza and Israel said it never happened. What do you know?

[DogPoundPup]

2. What weapons? Where are the weapons? Home-made rockets

made from old food cans are what is being smuggled in?

Are these war ships there to insure that all food products going into Gaza are packaged in plastic pouches ONLY?

[ohio2007]

4. comming back from "pirate hunting" off the Somali coast

you can bet these sailors will get liberty call in both Egypt and Israel.

just a fact of life over there. The Gaza station story is just a good cover ;)

[DogPoundPup]

8. no, I'd have say setting all the ducks in a row for Israels pleasure of an Iran invasion

[The Magistrate]

11. There Will Be No Invasion Of Iran By The U.S. Over This, Ma'am

[ohio2007]

26. "Ma'am" has been predicting Iran invasion for five years now. But the odds of it happening

remain high ;)

[The Magistrate]

5. Two Basic Rockets Are Used, Ma'am: The Qassam And The Grad

Neither involve food tins. Some 'food' is used in the Qassam's fuel, namely sugar along with chemical fertilizer, oil, and some other items. The body is constructed from heavy pipe, hence the frequent charge that sewer equipment has been diverted to the task. The Grad is a manufactured artillery rocket, and is smuggled in disassembled, and put back together, as the things are pretty heavy, and more easily concealed and moved in this way. The fact that a weapon can be put together in a small machine shop from readily available items does not make it a firecracker. One of the most effective sub-machine-guns of WWII, the Sten, incorporated parts that could be turned out by shops in Occupied Europe under highly clandestine and restricted conditions, and this is hardly the only example that could be adduced. Whether the Egyptian claim weapons come in by sea and not through tunnels from Egypt is impossible to say; certainly a good deal of the traffic through the Egyptian tunnels is ordinary items of civil commerce.

[DogPoundPup]

7. "it is difficult to identify the 4 dead, the chemical material turned their bodies into white bones"

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/17/content_10675178.htm

Any white phospherous bombed white bones found in Israel yet?

[The Magistrate]

9. What, Ma'am, Do You Suppose This Cut And Paste Exercise Gains You?

"War is cruelty; it cannot be refined."

[DogPoundPup]

13. contradiction to your excuse making for cruel and unusual collective punishment

against innocent, unarmed Gazans

[The Magistrate]

14. So You Acknowledge Your Comment On Rocketry Was Factually Incorrect, Ma'am?

[DogPoundPup]

15. no,... proof provided by Israel itself...pics published in Israeli newspaper

[ProgressiveProfessor]

23. As to what, Qassams made out of old cans?

[cali]

10. spam.

You seem to be laboring under the delusion that your pasting that link dozens of times, is a refutation to.... everything. Pathetic. As are the bulk of your shit stirring posts here.

[Duckhunter935]

18. Than you, I have seen many of that same post and also posts on

DIME munitions that are factually not correct

[DogPoundPup]

20. yes, agreed, you do like to spam that DIME low collateral 'information'

but cali has no objection to that

[DogPoundPup]

19. cali dear, I am not the one dropping white phospherous on unarmed civilians

So, will you look to see who is the real shit stirrer now?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

24. Which off course is not what WP does to bones...

[hack89]

21. They are trying to prevent Hamas to arm like Hezbollah

that's the entire issue with open borders - Israel will not let Hamas get powerful missiles and rockets like Hezbollah has. The only way the crossings will be fully open is if Israel is convinced that there is no way for weapons to be smuggled in.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

22. There you go again, showing all of us you have no clue about weapons.

10kg of warhead is what a Qassam carries. They are not made out of old cans. They are an ingenious design intended to be made in low tech environments. Very well engineered and quite impressive.

The Grads are factory made and were making up a growing fraction of the rockets being fired. One hit Ashdod yesterday per an earlier post here.

Materials for the former were being smuggled in as were the Grads, fully manufactured