Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: mark502inf; Destro; *balkans
>>>>>>>A couple other things that you might want to consider. Check out what was stamped on the mortar tail fins: M74 & MK. What kind of mortars did the Maks have? What country in the very, very, very near area has the initials MK?<<<<<

What is this, repetition of Roland Missiles "made in 2003", found in Iraq by the Poles?

According to the NATO report, KLA used ammo from VJ stocks in Macedonia, ammo pilfered from KFOR stocks and ammmo from different sources. The serial numbers had to be checked.Even if MK indeed means Macedonia (could be) it does not mean that it was fired by ARM. If KLA can pilfer KFOR stocks, they can pilfer Macedonian as well :-)

>>>>Your premise that the NLA set up a 120mm mortar weighing 250 pounds with a minimum range of 500 (600?) meters inside the village and fired it without the KFOR troops in the village noticing and with the rounds landing inside its minimum range is not sustainable.<<<<<

An M74 120-mm mortar is designed as a mountain weapon, capable of being towed on a two-wheeled cart ((STRATFOR)

The minimum range of M74 is 265m

NOT 500-600 as you claim.

You are again caught with your hands in the cookie jar. Did not your Mom teach you "Liar liar pants on fire"

KLA /NLA could set M74 mortar up and tow it afterwards. M74 was designed as partisan warfare weapon. Yugoslavia was NOT WARSZAW PACT country and all her weapons were designed for easy carrying/towing/hit and run dissasembly

>>> As to your conerns about high angle and low angle you simply have the definition wrong. Low angle fires are all those artillery, rocket, or mortar fires with a tube angle of less than 45 degrees. High angle is greater than 45. Since the M74 tube cannot be depressed lower than 45 degrees, all its rounds would be high angle fire and the crater analysis would be based on that.

Of course, majority of mortars do not have capability to elevate tube lower than 40-45 deg (American 120mm has 40 deg) But it does not mean that there is no difference in crater made from round falling at high angle from nearby location and other coming from 5200m away.

As of why nobody paid attention? People are lazy, that's why. Does not mean theat they will not after reading this post. It will be owing to you. Perhaps your superiors will give you a raise.

33 posted on 01/13/2004 6:22:41 PM PST by DTA (you ain't seen nothing yet)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies ]


To: DTA
As the NATO report says, "Krivenik has roughly 370 inhabitants - all ethnic Albanian - living in approximately 45 homes." DTA, your premise that a 120mm mortar inside the village fired on KFOR also inside the village is unsustainable. Even if your 265 meter minimum range is correct, the distance from the mortar to the impact of the rounds is obviously less than that in a village of that size. And the idea that the KFOR in the village would somehow not notice that a 250 pound mortar was set up and firing from the village is laughable.

DTA, you said: “NATO'S OWN KRIVENIK REPORT IS THE PROOF OF NATO SPONSORSHIP OF TERRORISTS IN KOSOVO. 1. KFOR foreces received mortar fire from UCK/KLA/NLA/ the very morning Lawton was killed.”

Your idea that the NLA firing mortars at KFOR equals proof of “NATO sponsorship” of the NLA is completely illogical, not to mention unsupported by the facts.

Here's the direct quote from what the actual NATO report at the link concludes:

“NATO's investigation into the incident was exhaustive and conducted by a team of experts in analysing such incidents. Despite this the team could not pinpoint the precise location of mortar positions, and showed that the mortar rounds could have been fired from either side of the border, and from locations where both ARM and NLA forces were known or suspected to be operating. Evidence uncovered by the investigation is therefore insufficient to authoritatively determine who attacked Krivenik with indirect fire and why the attack was conducted.”

34 posted on 01/14/2004 3:33:42 AM PST by mark502inf
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson