Posted on 07/20/2006 3:43:12 PM PDT by tcrlaf
July 20, 2006 -- WMR reported that the Israeli military was using poison gas on villages in south Lebanon. According to a former U.S. weapons expert who served in Iraq, the artillery shell in a photo taken in Lebanon (below) is a chemical weapon delivery device.
It is being handled by an Israeli Defense Force soldier and Hebrew lettering can be clearly seen on the armored vehicle. Another chemical weapons shell of the same type can be seen lying on the ground to the right.
It is not known what type of chemical is in the chemical canister, however, gas dropped by the Israelis in villages in southern Lebanon has resulted in severe vomiting among the civilian population.
Media commentators have scoffed that Israel, with its relatively unique history, would ever use chemical weapons or poison gas in any war. It is precisely because of that perception that they are using such weapons. The deniability factor prevents the media from taking seriously the credible reports of banned weapons being used by the Israelis.
Ok....
What kind of munition can be carried that lightly, and what is it doing with a mech artillery unit?
Would they carry around chemical bombs that way?
I don't think so.
Interestingly, the sample images on the Getty site do not show the Photoshop header... But the photos appear identical to me (minus the Getty watermark). So, perhaps AFP did the original photoshopping, or someone else did, and Getty used some other program to add the watermark, which overwrote the Photoshop header with a different one.
I don't think we're allowed to post Getty Images.
Yea, I think you are right (re image @ #41). Sorry, I forgot.
Eh, it happens. Anyway, back to an interesting thread!
Found this on a google cache of Today's Air America Website Discussion:
Rachel:
Is it true that Israel is now using poison gas and depleted uranium shells on towns in the south of Lebanon?
by wallen at July 17, 2006 - 8:34am
Notice how FAST Google cache's moonbat remarks?
Rockets dimensions & weight
Weight: 46kg
Length: 1390mm
Outer diameter: 265mm
Fins span: 350mm
Firing range: 65m-165m
Firing modes: Automatic, Semi-automatic and Single shot
Bingo!! Somebody found it on the Live thread!!
So it's deadly to terrorist plans, but NOT a WMD as Madsen claimed it was!!!
An employee, who is both a photographer and an ordinance sergeant stationed in Bagdad looked at this. He believes that bomb would weight between 500 and 1,000 pounds.
I used to be in the Artillery.
You DON'T handle ammunition in this manner.
Look at the soldier's right hand - it appears to me as though it is cupped to grasp something OTHER than what he is supposedly carrying......this may well be a BUCKHEAD MOMENT. Is that a Merkava tank directly behind the soldier??? Why would he be carrying such a monster-sized bomb that cannot possibly be fired from a 120mm tank cannon? It looks to me as though he may have been handling a much smaller 120mm round (just focus on his hands for a few moments) and someone may have photoshopped this big bomb, whatever it may be, into his hands??? This calls for serious freeper research and analysis!!
p.s. Wouldn't such a bomb weigh 500 lbs. or more? Could this soldier possibly be carrying, without any assistance, what he is supposedly carrying???
New Mine Breaching System
Based on Fuel-Air Explosive (FAE)
Manufacturer: RAFAEL
Israel's weapon development company Rafael is producing a minefield breaching system called “Carpet”. The system is currently in use by the Israeli Army and will be fielded with the French Army by 2007. The system is a unique implementation of fuel-air explosive technology. It is an autonomous add-on kit that can be quickly fitted in the field to any armored vehicle. For minefield breaching, up to 20 rockets are fired in a rapid sequence. The number of rockets used is tailored for the type of target engaged. At the impact point, each rocket disperses a spray of fuel above the target area, to form the fuel-air explosive cloud. The detonation creates a strong impulse over a wide area, which triggers most mines, regardless of terrain, foliage or man-made obstacles. The explosion clears a safe passage, wide enough for safe movement of all combat vehicles. Firing a salvo of rockets from a distance of 65-165 meters from the forward edge of the minefield, Carpet enables breaching a path 100 meters long, within one minute.
Pre-programmed for automatic, semi-automatic or manual operation, Carpet is operated remotely from inside the vehicle’s compartment, under cover from enemy fire. The system can also be reloaded rapidly in the forward area. Unlike the Vipers, firing line charges across the minefields, Carpet rockets contain only liquid fuel which is flammable but not explosive in regular operating conditions. Therefore, if Carpet rockets are hit in their canisters, they do not cause any danger to the system, vehicle or nearby troops.
Fully loaded, the Carpet launcher weighs only 3.5 tons. It can carry up to 20 x 265 mm rockets, each weighing 46 kg
Weight: 46kg
Length: 1390mm
Outer diameter: 265mm
Fins span: 350mm
Firing range: 65m-165m
Firing modes: Automatic, Semi-automatic and Single
shot
New Mine Breaching System
Based on Fuel-Air Explosive (FAE)
|
Manufacturer: RAFAEL |
|
Pre-programmed for automatic, semi-automatic or manual operation, Carpet is operated remotely from inside the vehicle’s compartment, under cover from enemy fire. The system can also be reloaded rapidly in the forward area. Unlike the Vipers, firing line charges across the minefields, Carpet rockets contain only liquid fuel which is flammable but not explosive in regular operating conditions. Therefore, if Carpet rockets are hit in their canisters, they do not cause any danger to the system, vehicle or nearby troops. Fully loaded, the Carpet launcher weighs only 3.5 tons. It can carry up to 20 x 265 mm rockets, each weighing 46 kg. Fully functional training rockets can also be fired with the system for training exercises, safely simulating the entire operation (without fuel-air explosion). The system can be towed, mounted on the rear of the armored fighting vehicle (as shown on the IDF Puma AFV at EuroSatory 2002) or installed inside an APC. France will field the Carpet system in 2007. The French Army plans to buy 12 AMX-B2 EBG combat engineering vehicle, which will be mount the armored, pyrotechnic anti-tank mine clearing systems (French abbreviations: SDPMAC) - employing 20 Carpet rockets. The SPDMAC will be installed on the EBG built by Giat Industries. These armored engineering vehicles are designed to deploy several types of mine clearing systems, and the Carpet will add versatility to these capabilities. The vehicles will be fielded with the French Army combat engineering brigade, which will assign three vehicles to support each mechanized brigade. Images on this page: Top: Carpet system firing a FAE rocket. (Picture: Rafael) Above: Carpet displayed in Eurosatory 2002. Showing rocket and launcher/container. |
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Israel's weapon development company Rafael is producing a minefield breaching system called “Carpet”. The system is currently in use by the Israeli Army and will be fielded with the 
cloud. The detonation creates a strong impulse over a wide area, which triggers most mines, regardless of terrain, foliage or man-made obstacles. The explosion clears a safe passage, wide enough for safe movement of all combat vehicles. Firing a salvo of rockets from a distance of 65-165 meters from the forward edge of the minefield, Carpet enables breaching a path 100 meters long, within one minute.