Taha Abdul Rahman
Posted on 02/07/2007 12:06:59 AM PST by Aussie Dasher
FEDERAL police say a rocket launcher seized as part of an investigation into a Sydney man with alleged links to a terrorist cell was "active" and could have been fired.
Taha Abdul Rahman was arrested at a house in Leumeah, in Sydney's south-west, in January and charged with a string of offences over seven stolen M72 rocket launchers. One of those M72s was obtained by a police "source" last year and handed over as part of a controlled operation.
Police, the defence department and ASIO are continuing to hunt for another six of the weapons still not accounted for.
The M72 rocket launcher is a small, extendable tube that contains one rocket designed to destroy armoured vehicles and hardened positions such as bunkers. Once the missile is fired the tube is thrown away.
Defence Minister Brendan Nelson admitted in a statement this week that the recovered rocket was from Australian Defence Force (ADF) stocks, though it was probably manufactured around 1990.
The age of the weapon had led to speculation that it might have expired and may have been useless.
But AFP Commissioner Mick Keelty said today that the rocket had been forensically examined by experts and found to be active.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
The M72 light anti-tank weapon won't do much against contemporary heavy armor, and it is only as accurate as the person firing it (mechanical sight with elevation marks, and not even nearly pinpoint-accurate with good marksmanship). With a bit of training, it can kill an armored personnel carrier or civilian vehicle at fairly close range, though (100 meters or so for most with only a little training). Without basic safety training, a person firing the weapon could accidently kill someone else behind them (backblast).
What could it do to a passenger bus or train?
The shaped charge jet would probably go through both sides of a passenger train car or bus. In the space in between, a shock wave 'channel' would balloon out, crushing or fracturing anything in its path. There would be potentially dozens of casualties, some dead.
The worst scenario for a bus would be a hit to the gas tank. The entire vehicle could go up. Sorry to be graphic, but by any measure you folks lucked out.
Taha Abdul Rahman
On the "train" scenario, I was referring to engines. It would put quite a hole in a passenger car, as someone else mentioned.
Another poor misunderstood Muslim. Oh how he is being oppressed by not being able to act out his Jihad against the filthy infidels. [ / CAIR mode ]
How do you know he was a muslim? I'm sure that if this guy was a muslim then the article would have mentioned it. They always, always do that.
,,, the most frightening news since I heard about the private equity crowd going for QANTAS. What a frontier you live in!!!
Knock it off or I'll start talking about what you blokes do to sheep again!
,,, if you've got 'em, use 'em.
LOL! I'm off to bed. Gotta be up at sparrow fart to catch a plane to Sydney. Party business.
,,, carry the nation! Put Party business on hold and clear the city of rocket launchers next time I'm over there and we'll do lunch.
Guy looks a victim to me (/sarc)
What is he - Scottish or something?
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