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Israel's vaunted tanks are succumbing to Hezbollah's powerful missiles
AP ^ | Aug. 4, 2006 | Benjamin Harvey

Posted on 08/05/2006 3:28:44 AM PDT by robert jones

JERUSALEM – Hezbollah's sophisticated anti-tank missiles are perhaps the guerrilla group's deadliest weapon in Lebanon fighting, with their ability to pierce Israel's most advanced tanks.

Experts say this is further evidence that Israel is facing a well-equipped army in this war, not a ragtag militia.

Hezbollah has fired Russian-made Metis-M anti-tank missiles and owns European-made Milan missiles, the army confirmed on Friday.

In the last two days alone, these missiles have killed seven soldiers and damaged three Israeli-made Merkava tanks – mountains of steel that are vaunted as symbols of Israel's military might, the army said. Israeli media say most of the 44 soldiers killed in four weeks of fighting were hit by anti-tank missiles.

(Excerpt) Read more at signonsandiego.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Israel; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 2006israelwar; hezbollah; israel; merkava; tank
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To: happinesswithoutpeace
I just mailed the hezzies a couple of little messages. Someone should start emailing them viruses.

Not that I would condone that sort of thing =O)

21 posted on 08/05/2006 4:04:35 AM PDT by GeronL (http://www.mises.org/story/1975 <--no such thing as a fairtax)
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To: Made in USA

The Merkava is a very good tank, but it's roughly equivalent with a M60A3. Good, but not a world beater. The M1A2 and British Challenger are the best tanks in the world.


22 posted on 08/05/2006 4:10:27 AM PDT by ABG(anybody but Gore) ("By the time I'm finished with you, you're gonna wish you felt this good again" - Jack Bauer)
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To: defenderSD
I agree with you on the future of UAVs and bots (but I prefer to call the latter "Terminators" )

The military has been sponsoring design competitions for robots that can independently maneuver in rough terrain. The next step is to arm them, have them be able to signal back when they see something "interesting", and allow a human to give the "shoot" order.

In quantity, Terminator bots ban be made cheaply (take , and can swarm an enemy. Something to think about when much of our manufacturing capability has been outsourced to China...

For an example of what's coming: iRobot's R-Gator: Autonomous Unmanned Ground Vehicle


23 posted on 08/05/2006 4:16:31 AM PDT by SauronOfMordor (A planned society is most appealing to those with the arrogance to think they will be the planners)
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To: robert jones
that Israel is facing a well-equipped army

oh do tell, who do you suppose is supplying them?

24 posted on 08/05/2006 4:17:23 AM PDT by strange1 ("Show the enemy harm so he shall not advance" Sun Tzu The Art of War)
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To: Made in USA

I understand we've lost a number of M1 tanks in Iraq to Russian hand held antitank weapons. In modern warfare I really don't think I'd want to be in one.


25 posted on 08/05/2006 4:18:04 AM PDT by DB (©)
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To: robert jones

The AP (Arab Press) sounds absolutely delighted the Israeli tankers are being killed...

Semper Fi


26 posted on 08/05/2006 4:18:13 AM PDT by river rat (You may turn the other cheek, but I prefer to look into my enemy's vacant dead eyes.)
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To: defenderSD
"I think robots and UAVs are the future of warfare..."


27 posted on 08/05/2006 4:23:21 AM PDT by frankjr
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To: river rat

"AP = Arab Press"

Love it! Only here's an idea: if the hezziemuzzies are hiding behind women and children, then the Israelis should place every AP reporter they can round up, in front of their Merkava tanks.

Think of it: the hezziemuzzies would be flummoxed ("Do not shoot them! Those are our friends!!")


28 posted on 08/05/2006 4:25:27 AM PDT by elcid1970
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To: robert jones

The article is slathered with anti-semitic prejudice, rejoicing that the Hezbollah army is a match for the Israeli army.


29 posted on 08/05/2006 4:25:56 AM PDT by RoadTest (Whenever you hear that "world opinion" holds a view, assume it is morally wrong. - Dennis Prager)
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To: robert jones

Damaged three tanks? Not a signigicent number at all. If that is all they have done then the anti tank missiles are duds.

BUT the MSM (AP) is really trying to help the terrorist so they must say the terrorist are winning.


30 posted on 08/05/2006 4:26:20 AM PDT by YOUGOTIT
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To: R. Scott

Wouldn't catch me in a tank...one minute you're cruising along, blowing up stuff, then poof, molten metal and shards bouncing around inside. They're good for getting behind though.


31 posted on 08/05/2006 4:27:36 AM PDT by stuartcr (Everything happens as God wants it to.....otherwise, things would be different.)
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To: rhombus

Wars, or even battles, are not won or lost on the exercise of only one of the tools in the arsenal.

Tanks DO have vulnerabilities, true, and when one is taken out, it is a spectacular show, a great wounded beast bleeding and dying out there for all to see. But the Israelis have not been DENIED the use of this very valuable asset, only that its application must be adjusted to fit the circumstances. The last thing I would ever claim to be is an armchair general, pontificating on things I know little about. That is why there are War Colleges and War Rooms.

A few tanks were lost. Their function shall have to be replaced somehow. But with the pluck and determination the Israelis have shown up to now, the damage to their battle capabilities will be compensated for, and they shall continue to press the attack. The Hezbollah irregulars have suffered much more grievous damage, far more than they yet admit.


32 posted on 08/05/2006 4:27:42 AM PDT by alloysteel (My spelling is Wobbly. It's good spelling, but it Wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places.)
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To: robert jones

Does Israel have Abraham (sp) tanks???


33 posted on 08/05/2006 4:28:14 AM PDT by mware (Americans in armchairs doing the job of the media.)
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To: robert jones
.........Israel is facing a well-equipped army in this war, not a ragtag militia.

If this were the case, then Israel would have all the justification it needed to increase the intensity of the campaign through-out Lebanon. A nation cannot claim innocence in an armed conflict when there is a "well-equipped army" on it's soil.

Of course, AP does not really believe what this story says, this is just another way to belittle Israel.

34 posted on 08/05/2006 4:28:28 AM PDT by jimtorr
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To: Made in USA

Was there anything in that article about not being penetrated by missiles such as the ones the Hezbollah are using? I scanned it quickly and didn't see anything.


35 posted on 08/05/2006 4:32:48 AM PDT by RoadTest (Whenever you hear that "world opinion" holds a view, assume it is morally wrong. - Dennis Prager)
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To: river rat

This is not really directed at you, rr, but why does the tired refrain about media bias always seem to come up? Everyone has a bias and the media is what it is. What's the alternative?

I believe there should be a rule on FR that states when anyone claims bias they must also offer a re-write of the article in question with the facts given.

Again, not trying to get a fight started.


36 posted on 08/05/2006 4:34:55 AM PDT by leadpenny
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To: RoadTest

I meant this article abut the American Abrams tank:
"U.S. M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank. Nothing can compete with it."

I think we're not worried about competition but rather penetration.


37 posted on 08/05/2006 4:35:35 AM PDT by RoadTest (Whenever you hear that "world opinion" holds a view, assume it is morally wrong. - Dennis Prager)
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To: RoadTest
This is the sort of article that serves as cheerleading for the Hezbos. I can just picture it being clipped and shared up and down the line: "See! We're winning! I told you we were!"

Shameless propaganda for the terrorists the media is in bed with.

38 posted on 08/05/2006 4:43:15 AM PDT by JennysCool (Roll out the Canarble Wagon!)
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To: robert jones

Solutions to this problem exist now, Israel has simply avoided the expense and does not have them. Other than that, tanks are not appropriate for the kind of fighting the IDF is encountering now.


39 posted on 08/05/2006 4:44:09 AM PDT by tomzz
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To: leadpenny
but why does the tired refrain about media bias always seem to come up

An unbiased verson of this story

---------------------

---------------------

If one takes all the bias out there is nothing left.

40 posted on 08/05/2006 4:46:05 AM PDT by Common Tator
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